As July is perhaps Canada’s biggest month of the year and with Canada Day celebrations occurring on July 1 weekend, we thought we’d highlight some of the most famous Canadians according to what’s going on in the world in 2019.
Here is a list with the top ten most famous Canadians:
1. Neil Young
Since the 1960s, Neil Young has been a name synonymous with Canadian music. Neil was born in Toronto, Ontario and having growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Young has written some of the world’s most famous Canadian music under his own name as well as with Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, and others. There’s no questioning Young’s contributions to the Canadian songbook with songs like Cinnamon Girl, Heart of Gold, Helpless, After the Gold Rush, Rockin’ in the Free World, and Harvest Moon.
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2. Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is from London, Ontario and may count as the most hated Canadian on this list. Although his career has been controversial, since being discovered on YouTube, there’s no doubting Bieber’s connection with his audience and his worldwide success. He quickly became one of the most famous Canadians in the past decade.
Since 2009, Bieber’s produced hit after hit with his target audience and is consistently ranked as one of the most powerful people in the world by publications like Forbes, YouTube, and more.
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3. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario and raised in Burlington, just down the road from Toronto. Although he now lives in Los Angeles, California, Carrey is unmistakably Canadian, delivering his brand of humour and social commentary through film and impressionist paintings.
From the 1990s through to today, Jim has starred in some of the greatest comedies like Dumb and Dumber (1994), Liar Liar (1997), and Bruce Almighty (2003) to influential dramas like The Truman Show (1998), Man on the Moon (1999), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
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4. Mike Myers
Mike Myers was born in Scarborough, Ontario and had his career really take off when he joined Saturday Night Live in 1985. Since then, he’s gone on to make worldwide fame with the Wayne’s World series, Austin Powers series, and the Shrek film franchise. Like other Canadians on this list, Mike Myers has since moved to the United States although he still maintains a Canadian citizenship.
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5. Drake
Drake has been lighting up the charts with his unique brand of hip hop since the early 2010s. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Drake is one of the most popular Canadians today. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Canadian of any age who doesn’t know who Drake is. That’s hard to say about the other names on this list. A strong supporter of the Toronto Raptors and continuing to invest in Canada’s hip hop community, Drake’s been a key figure in attracting attention to Toronto’s hip hop scene.
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6. Celine Dion
Celine Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec and is perhaps Canada’s greatest singer produced in the last half-century. Celine began with a series of popular French-language albums in the 1980s before making her English-language crossover in the 1990s. Since her biggest hit, My Heart Will Go On (1997), Celine Dion has seen success after success including a Las Vegas residency.
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7. Bryan Adams
Arguably, in the 1980s, Bryan Adams might be one of the most famous Canadians. The singer-songwriter from Kingston, Ontario first rose to fame in 1983 with Cuts Like a Knife. His success would continue throughout the two decades that followed with a number of singles still played on Canadian radio to this day including Summer of ’69, Heaven, Run to You, Everything I Do I Do it For You, and more. These days, Bryan Adams continues to tour. In fact, last year, Bryan co-wrote the Broadway musical Pretty Woman: The Musical.
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8. Michael J. Fox
Actor Michael J. Fox is from Edmonton, Alberta and unquestionably one of our most famous Canadians. Despite having originally gained notoriety for staring in the Back to the Future series, ABC’s Family Ties, and ABC’s Spin City,
Michael J. Fox is more known today for everything he’s done to draw attention to and advocate for Parkinson’s disease – something he’s been keenly involved in since the late 1990s. Having received the Order of Canada in 2010, Michael J. Fox would easily fit on any list of the greatest Canadians with his ongoing charity work.
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9. Ryan Reynolds
Originally born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ryan Reynolds has crafted quite the film career within the past two decades. From The Proposal (2009) to Buried (2010), Life (2017), Green Lantern (2011), and most recently in the Deadpool film series. Although he lives in the United States, Reynolds is still one of Canada’s most well-known contemporary actors alongside names like Rachel McAdams, Seth Rogen, and Ryan Gosling.
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10. Alanis Morissette
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Alanis Morissette is one of Canada’s greatest songwriters, producing album after album of some of the country’s most well-known tracks. Even though it’s been more than a decade since Morisette’s biggest commercial successes – some would say, two decades – songs like You Oughta Know, Hand In My Pocket, Thank U, and Hands Clean have kept her reputation front and center.