Canadian Stars Who Found International Fame in the 90s
Canada produces a lot of movie stars. We could easily list our favourites from the eighties, the aughts, or whatever you call this past decade, but here are a few that found major fame in the nineties.
Jim Carrey
Arguably the biggest star of nineties comedy, Carrey exploded in popularity thanks to his roles on In Living Color, which was quickly followed by leading roles in Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Liar Liar, and so much more. Although, it was with The Truman Show that Carrey started showing real emotional range, proving that he wasn’t just a funny rubbery face or high-energy goofball. No, the guy has depth. And he’s from Newmarket.
Pamela Anderson
Remember when Baywatch was the biggest deal around? There wasn’t much in the way of a plot, but the beach sure did look glamorous. But the beaches in Vancouver Island, where Anderson is from, are pretty good too.
Phil Hartman
Hartman’s career really took off in the late eighties and early nineties, when he was a series regular on SNL, where he won an Emmy and the respect of his peers as someone who could hold a skit together. His fame only grew with dozens of film and TV roles, including a regular role on ahead-of-its-time sitcom News Radio and recurring parts on The Simpsons has down-on-his-luck lawyer Lionel Hutz and washed up actor Troy McClure, characters who could instantly make any episode funnier. In fact, it’s probably thanks to the Simpsons that Hartman remains so well known around the world.
Carrie-Anne Moss
Born and raised in Vancouver, Moss worked as a model and actress for most of the nineties, appearing in plenty of roles. But it was when she appeared as Trinity in The Matrix that she suddenly became internationally recognized. She’s been highly active since, appearing constantly on TV and in film. You can next see her in the fourth instalment of The Matrix, which is currently filming.
Norm MacDonald
A stint as a writer on the show Roseanne led to his career on SNL, where you either loved or hated his delivery of the Weekend Update. His six years on the show made him internationally famous, with film and TV roles following, but he remains best known as a comedian’s comedian and for his many appearances on late night shows. In fact, his bit on Germany that he told on his final appearance of The Late Show With David Lettermen is considered one of the best ever by many comedians.
Keanu Reeves
One of the biggest action stars of the nineties once got expelled from the Etobicoke School of the Arts. Didn’t seem to hurt him though, as his breakout role came in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. After that, he went on to star in so many major nineties films, such as Speed, Point Break, My Own Private Idaho, and The Matrix. And he hasn’t stopped, appearing in major roles constantly.
