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There are a lot of celebrities who were raised in New Jersey, but only a select few who grew up in South Jersey. Some of them may surprise you. Here is the countdown written by guest blogger Jeremy Cohen:
10. Carli Lloyd – She recently burst into the limelight with her tremendous play for the United States in the 2015 FIFA World Cup. Scoring 6 goals in the tournament, she capped off the tournament by scoring 3 goals in the first 16 minutes of the final against Japan. Carli was born and raised in Delran Township, NJ, and attended Delran High School from 1997-2000.
9. Linda Fiorentino – You may remember her from such films as Vision Quest, The Last Seduction, Men in Black, and Dogma. She won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1994 film The Last Seduction. Linda was born in Philadelphia, but was raised in Turnersville, NJ.
8. Tara Lipinski – She won an Olympic gold medal in the ladies’ singles event for figure skating in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. When she won the medal she was only 15 years, 8 months, and 10 days old, becoming the youngest Olympic gold medalist in an individual event for ladies’ figure skating. Tara was born in Philadelphia, but she grew up in Sewell, NJ.
7. Carl Lewis – He is a former track & field athlete who won 10 Olympic medals, including 9 gold medals, during his career. He set several world records, and his world record for the indoor long jump has stood since 1984 with an astounding 8.79 meters. Carl was born in Birmingham, AL, but he spent his younger years in Willingboro Township, NJ, and attended Willingboro High School from 1976-1979.
6. Calista Flockhart – She is probably best known for her leading role on the hit television show Ally McBeal. She won a Golden Globe for her role on the show in 1998. She married famous actor Harrison Ford in 2010, and they have one son together. Calista was born in Freeport, IL, but she attended Shawnee High School in Medford Township, NJ.
5. Ali Larter - The men probably remember her as the whipped cream bikini girl from Varsity Blues, but more recently she is known for her dual roles of Niki Sanders and Tracy Strauss on the hit TV series Heroes. She recently expanded her fame with her representation of Claire Redfield from the video game series Resident Evil. Ali was born and raised in Cherry Hill, NJ, where she attended Carusi Middle School and later graduated from Cherry Hill High School West during her time as a model.
4. Mike Trout – He currently plays outfield for the Los Angeles Angels in Major League Baseball. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2012 when he unanimously won the AL Rookie of the Year Award. He won the AL MVP in 2014 and finished 2nd in the voting in 2012, 2013, and 2015. He also is a 4-time All-Star and has won the All-Star game MVP twice in his short career. By the time all is said and done with his career, he might just be #1 on this list. Mike was born in Vineland, NJ, in 1991. He attended Lakeside Middle School and graduated from Millville Senior High School in 2009.
3. Orel Hershiser - Just squeaking ahead of Mike Trout is this former Major League Baseball pitcher. Orel had a magnificent 18 year career, and not many pitchers have topped his historic 1988 season. In 1988, he set an MLB record by pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings, a record that still holds to this day. The closest any other pitcher has achieved since was Zach Greinke with 45⅔ consecutive innings in the 2015 season. Along with that historic streak, Orel helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series that same season, and was named MVP of both the NL Championship Series and the World Series. To top it off, he also won the NL Cy Young award and an NL Gold Glove Award that season. Orel was born in Buffalo, NY, but he attended high school at Cherry Hill High School East in Cherry Hill, NJ.
2. Kelly Ripa – She is a talk-show host, actress, and TV producer, best known for her gig as co-host on the nationally syndicated morning show Live! with Kelly and Michael. She first hit it big with her role on the daytime soap opera All My Children, as Hayley Vaughan from 1990-2002. She was named as one of the Most Powerful People in Media by The Hollywood Reporter in 2012. Kelly was born in Stratford, NJ, and graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees Township, NJ.
1. Bruce Willis – He is best known for his role as John McClane in the very successful Die Hard series. He has appeared in more than 60 movies and his featured films have grossed between $2.64 billion and $3.05 billion in North America. This makes him the 8th highest-grossing actor in a leading role and the 12th highest if you include supporting roles. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner and a two-time Golden Globe winner. He has 3 daughters with his ex-wife Demi Moore, and has two more daughters with his current wife, model, Emma Heming. Bruce was born in West Germany, but he grew up in Carneys Point Township, NJ, where he attended and graduated from high school at Penns Grove High School.
