The fertile ground of Calgary has given rise to numerous celebrities. Some of them have become household names, while others never quite reached the highest echelons of fame. Today, I’m going to present a few famous individuals that I bet you didn’t know came from C-Town. Let’s get to it!
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Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward Cruz, a.k.a Ted Cruz, is a senator for the state of Texas. He has been serving there since 2013, and before that, he was a policy advisor in the Bush administration.
Few people know that Ted was born and spent his first three years of life in Calgary. Then, business led his father and family to Texas, which is where they stayed. Mr. Cruz is also a renowned attorney who graduated from not one but two prestigious universities – Princeton and Harvard. An impressive resume, isn’t it?
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Bret Hart
Bret “The Hitman” Hart is a name that needs no special introduction. This absolute wrestling legend was an active wrestler for more than 40 years! During that time, he held a total of 32 titles.
Now, what’s important to point out here is that Bret is a “homegrown” Calgarian in every sense of the word. He was born into a family of wrestlers and took his first career moves in his father’s promotion Stampede Wrestling based in Calgary.
To give you an idea about what this man means to his city, the hockey team Calgary Hitmen bears his name. Aside from Bret, his brother Owen also reached considerable fame in the WWE.
Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith is a face that anyone who was growing up in the 2000s surely knows. This talented actor, singer, and musician hit it big playing the role of Finn Hudson in the musical comedy-drama series Glee. He also starred in the 2011 feature film Monte Carlo alongside the likes of Selena Gomez and Leighton Meester.
Unfortunately, this Calgarian’s story doesn’t have a happy ending. Cory passed away in 2013 as a consequence of substance abuse. He was only 31 and had been struggling with addiction for many years. His legacy remains for all Calgarians to take pride in.
Rihannon Fish
Yes, the charming Australian actress Rihannon Marie Fish was born in Calgary. When she was four, her family relocated to Melbourne, Australia, which is where she started her career. Her first big role was that of Lisa Jeffries on Neighbours, an Australian soap opera.
She cemented her teenage fame on Disney Channel’s As The Bell Rings, playing the role of Rocky. Since then, she has been featured in several TV dramas and films. Rihannon also took part in Dancing With The Stars.
James Gosling
Now here’s one individual that not everyone has heard of, but believe me, he’s a lesser deity in the eyes of programmers and IT folk. James Gosling is the founder and lead designer of the Java programming language.
This language is so famous that I’m sure even you non-techy people have heard about it. In 2007, James was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his incredible contributions to the country and the tech world in general. Calgary has bred a true hero of computer science!
Tate McRae
Another shining star who hails from Calgary is the Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer Tate McRae. Tate became famous at only 13 when she made the finals on the American TV show So You Think You Can Dance.
Since then, she has redirected her focus to crafting songs and made her first big hit, “One Day” in 2017. She recently graduated from Western Canada High School and is still based in Calgary. Tate has over 1.4 million followers on Instagram, over 3 million subscribers on YouTube, and 1 billion streams on Spotify. Not bad!
Mark Rypien
Last but not least, we’ve got Mark Rypien, a legendary quarterback who has a part of several NFL teams. Even though he is known as a Washingtonian, Mark was born in Calgary and spent his first years there.
He rose to fame as a member of the Washington Redskins for which he played from 1986 to 1993. During his time with the Redskins, he earned the title of Super Bowl MVP in 1991. After that, he played for the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks, and Rochester Raiders, among many other teams.
