Alabama - Sylvia Hitchcock
Back in the days when beauty pageants were still widely accepted as prestigious, Sylvia Hitchcock became a true legend in this field.
After first becoming Miss Alabama, Hitchcock went on to be crowned Miss United States before finally becoming Miss Universe in July 1967. She later worked in modelling and television.
Alaska - Irene Bedard
Anchorage, Alaska actress Irene Bedard, of Iñupiat decent, found fame as both the voice and physical model for the title role in Disney's animated movie Pocahontas.
Soon after Pocahontas hit screens in 1995, Bedard was named one of the world's 50 most beautiful people by People Magazine. She's recently appeared in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Arizona - Emma Stone
Born in Scottsdale, Arizona, Emma Stone made her film debut in 2007 comedy Superbad, and has since become one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation.
As well as twice winning the Best Actress Oscar for La La Land and Poor Things, she's received four more Oscar nominations, plus two wins at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes.
Arkansas - Mary Steenburgen
Mary Steenburgen has come a long way from her beginnings in Newport, Arkansas. A Golden Globe nominee for 1981's Ragtime, she really found stardom with Back to the Future Part III.
Subsequently seen in such beloved hits as Elf, Step Brothers and The Help, Steenburgen has also enjoyed success as a comedian and singer-songwriter.
California - Marilyn Monroe
One of the most iconic beauties of the 20th century, Marilyn Monroe was the quintessential 'blonde bombshell,' embodying an ideal that scores of models, actresses and singers have aspired to.
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, Monroe won a Golden Globe for her performance in 1959 comedy classic Some Like It Hot.
Colorado - Paige Spiranac
Born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado in 1993, Paige Spiranac rose to prominence playing professional golf, winning numerous titles for the University of Arizona and San Diego State University.
Of course, despite her considerable athletic prowess, Spiranac has also garnered considerable attention for her beauty. Maxim named her the Sexiest Woman Alive in 2022.
Connecticut - Hope Lange
Hope Lange made her film debut alongside Marilyn Monroe in 1956's Bus Stop, but really rose to prominence with her role in 1957's Peyton Place.
The Redding, Connecticut-born actress went on to enjoy further film roles (The Young Lions, Wild in the Country) and won two Emmys for TV sitcom The Ghost & Mrs. Muir.
Delaware - Valerie Bertinelli
Born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1960, Valerie Bertinelli broke through as an actress in her teens playing Barbara Cooper Royer on soap opera One Day at a Time.
After winning two Golden Globes for her work on the soap, Bertinelli side-stepped from acting into hosting TV cooking shows; her series Valerie's Home Cooking has landed her two Emmys.
Florida - Anya Taylor-Joy
Born in Miami, Florida to Anglo-Argentine parents, actress Anya Taylor-Joy broke through with 2015 horror movie The Witch, but really found fame with 2020 Netflix series The Queen's Gambit.
Landing a Golden Globe, SAG award and Critic's Choice award for The Queen's Gambit, Taylor-Joy has been widely declared one of the hottest rising stars of her generation.
Georgia - Julia Roberts
Born in the Atlanta, Georgia suburb Symrna, Julia Roberts had been a jobbing actress for a few years before the world fell in love with her thanks to 1990's Pretty Woman.
Roberts has been a superstar ever since, and has long been hailed one of the world's most beautiful women. She won an Oscar for 2000's Erin Brockovich.
Hawaii - Kelly Hu
Honolulu's own Kelly Hu made a big splash as a beauty queen, winning Miss Teen Hawaii, Miss Teen USA, then landing the adult Miss Hawaii and ranking second in Miss USA.
Hu has since enjoyed great success as an actress with such movies as The Scorpion King and X-Men 2, as well as TV's Arrow and The Vampire Diaries.
Idaho - Lana Turner
Breaking into film in the late 30s, Wallace, Idaho native Lana Turner soon became one of the most popular and talked-about actresses and pin-up models of the era.
While her work was acclaimed (notably her Oscar-nominated turn in Peyton Place), Turner's love life garnered the most column inches; she was married and divorced eight times.
Illinois - Cindy Crawford
Born in DeKalb, Illinois, Cindy Crawford was a chemical engineering student when she dropped out to pursue modelling. This turned out to be a good move for her.
By the early 90s, Crawford was the most in-demand, highly-paid supermodel of them all. Today she's reportedly worth over $225 million thanks to her cosmetics brand Meaningful Beauty.
Indiana - Anne Baxter
Hollywood won't cast any old actress as the legendary Eqyptian queen Nefertari - hence Anne Baxter, who played the role in 1956's The Ten Commandments, was a true beauty.
Born in Michigan City, Indiana, Baxter won an Oscar and Golden Globe for 1946's The Razor's Edge, and worked extensively in film and TV until she passed away in 1985.
Iowa - Jean Seberg
Unlike a lot of American actresses, Marshalltown, Iowa native Jean Seberg enjoyed her greatest professional success overseas, appearing in numerous French movies including Jean-Luc Goddard's Breathless.
Seberg's story came to a tragic end. She was the target on a smear campaign over her support for civil rights movements, which eventually drove her to suicide.
Kansas - Janelle Monáe
Kansas City's Janelle Monáe broke into music in the early 2000s, and has since become one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters and rappers of her generation, and a ten-time Grammy nominee.
Monáe has also since enjoyed success in acting, appearing in such hits as the Oscar-winning Moonlight, plus Hidden Figures and Glass Onion.
Kentucky - Jennifer Lawrence
Born in Indian Hills, Kentucky, Jennifer Lawrence landed her first Oscar nomination aged 20, and has gone from strength to strength professionally since.
Sadly, Lawrence's celebrity status and widely admired beauty has had its downsides, including the infamous leak of images hacked from her phone in 2014.
Louisiana - Dorothy Lamour
1931 Miss New Orleans winner Dorothy Lamour (real name Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton) started out in showbiz singing with big bands, before breaking into movies.
Most famously, Lamour received above-the-title billing alongside Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the 'Road to...' comedy film series.
Maine - Marisa Paige Butler
Born in Standish, Maine in 1994, Marisa Paige Butler started out competing in beauty pageants as a teenager and eventually reached the most illustrious titles in the field.
First winning Miss World America in 2018, Butler then won Miss Earth America in 2021, and took the runner-up position in the Miss Earth finals later that year.
Maryland - Toni Braxton
Starting out alongside her sisters as The Braxtons, Severn's Toni Braxton really achieved stardom when she went solo, winning three Grammys for her debut solo album in 1993.
Best known for her 1996 hit Un-Break My Heart, Braxton has won a further four Grammys, seven American Music Awards and nine Billboard awards, plus a Legend Award from Soul Train.
Massachusetts - Susie Castillo
Born in Methuen, Massachusetts, Susie Castillo started out as a teen model and wound up holding several beauty queen titles including Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, Miss Massachusetts USA and Miss USA.
In the years since, Castillo has worked extensively as an actress and TV personality, including a stint as an MTV VJ.
Michigan - Diana Ross
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan - the home of legendary record label Motown - Diana Ross found superstardom in the 60s with Motown girl group The Supremes.
By the 1970s Ross went solo, enjoying even greater success. She was also Oscar-nominated for one of her few major films, portraying Billie Holiday in 1972's Lady Sings the Blues.
Minnesota - Judy Garland
She may have been immortalized as Kansas girl Dorothy, but legendary singer and actress Judy Garland was actually born in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
While 1939's The Wizard of Oz remained her best known work, Garland had a long and fruitful career, marred by substance abuse that would accidentally end her life aged just 47.
Mississippi - Brandy Norwood
Initially credited as simply Brandy, singer and actress Brandy Norwood shot to the fame in the 90s in the title role of TV sitcom Moesha.
On top of her acting and TV personality work, Norwood is a hugely successful recording artist, with career sales of over 40 million worldwide.
Missouri - Josephine Baker
A hugely successful singer, dancer, actress, and a civil rights pioneer who broke new ground for black performers in the early 20th century, Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
Baker's career really took off in France, where she would spend much of her life. She was even part of the French Resistance during the Second World War.
Montana - Myrna Loy
Born in Helena, Montana in 1905, Myrna Loy relocated to LA in her teens and soon found work as an actress. She worked extensively from the 20s until the 80s.
Initially cast in vamp roles based on her exotic looks, Loy soon proved herself a hugely versatile actress, working in a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles.
Nebraska - Gabrielle Union
Omaha, Nebraska's Gabrielle Union started out as an actress in the 90s with TV bit parts, before breaking into film with She's All That, Bring It On and Bad Boys II.
On top of her film and TV work, Union has also written several books and owns her own haircare brand, Flawless.
Nevada - Dawn Wells
Thanks to the role of Mary Ann Summers on beloved 60s sitcom Gilligan's Island, actress Dawn Wells enjoyed bona fide America's Sweetheart status.
Born in Reno and crowned Miss Nevada in 1959, Wells would reprise her signature role in numerous TV guest appearances over the years. She passed away in 2020 aged 82.
New Hampshire - Mandy Moore
Born in Nashua, New Hampshire but raised in Longwood, Florida, Mandy Moore first made her name as a pop singer in the late 90s before also breaking into acting.
Famously, Moore showcased both her acting and singing as the voice of Rapunzel in Disney's Tangled. FHM, Maxim and VH1 have also listed her among the sexiest women ever.
New Jersey - Sandra Dee
Born Alexandra Zuck in Bayonne, New Jersey, Sandra Dee started out as a child model before moving into acting, most famously taking the title role in 1959's Gidget.
Dee embodied a good girl stereotype (hence Sandy in Grease was modelled in part on her). Sadly, this masked a troubled personal life, including a long struggle with anorexia.
New Mexico - Demi Moore
Other than aliens, the most famous thing to come out Roswell, New Mexico is Demi Moore, the Brat Packer who became Hollywood's highest-paid actress for a time.
A major celebrity and tabloid obsession thanks to her high-profile marriage to Bruce Willis, Moore's hit movies included Ghost, Indecent Proposal and A Few Good Men.
New York - Rita Hayworth
Because of stage name, many were unaware that Rita Hayworth - born Margarita Carmen Cansino in New York City - was of Spanish parentage.
Star of such time-honored classics as Gilda and The Lady from Shanghai, Hayworth was also the premier pin-up model during World War II, and became known as 'the Love Goddess.'
North Carolina - Ava Gardner
Considered one of the greatest film icons of Hollywood's golden age, Ava Gardner was born in Grabtown, North Carolina and found movie fame as a femme fatale.
Never far from the spotlight, Gardner went through three high-profile husbands in Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. She died in 1990.
North Dakota - Ronda Rousey
Brought up in Jamestown, North Dakota, Ronda Rousey took the bronze in judo at the 2008 Olympics, then went into mixed martial arts, eventually becoming the UFC's first Women's Bantamweight Champion.
Rousey's MMA success, striking looks and charisma helped her side-step into acting (her films including Furious 7 and The Expendables 3), and a pro-wrestling career with WWE.
Ohio - Halle Berry
Few former beauty pageant contenders have gone on to such stratospheric success as Halle Berry, who started out as Miss USA and Miss World contender before breaking into acting.
The Cleveland, Ohio-born actress made history as the first African-American Best Actress Oscar winner for 2001's Monster's Ball. FHM named her the Sexiest Woman Alive the same year.
Oklahoma - Olivia Munn
Born in Oklahoma City, Olivia Munn got her break as a host on G4 and The Daily Show before making a bigger splash as an actress.
Her most prominent roles include TV's The Newsroom, Magic Mike and X-Men: Apocalypse, and many fans fondly remember her cosplaying as Star Wars' Princess Leia at San Diego Comic-Con.
Oregon - Bridgette Wilson
Born in Gold Beach, Oregon, Bridgette Wilson made her acting debut in 1993's Last Action Hero, and went on to appear in Billy Madison and Mortal Kombat.
Wilson built up more acting credits and recorded two albums, but has been largely retired since 2008. She's married to tennis champ Pete Sampras, and they have two children.
Pennsylvania - Grace Kelly
The term 'Hollywood royalty' is often bandied about, but Grace Kelly is one of the few film stars to become a genuine Princess, after marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Considered one of the most beautiful actresses ever, Kelly's films include the Hitchcock classics Rear Window and To Catch a Thief. She tragically died in a 1982 car crash.
Rhode Island - Olivia Culpo
Born in Cranston, Rhode Island, Olivia Culpo enjoyed a beauty queen trifecta in 2012, being crowned Miss Rhode Island, Miss USA and Miss Universe.
Culpo has since clocked up a number of credits as an actress and TV personality, and is also a prominent social media influencer.
South Carolina - Andie MacDowell
Proving that neither being a model-turned-actress nor having a strong South Carolina accent were surefire hurdles to stardom, Andie MacDowell became one of the most admired, in-demand actresses of the 90s.
As well as being a successful fashion model (and a L'Oreal spokeswoman to this day), MacDowell left many hearts fluttering in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Groundhog Day and more.
South Dakota - January Jones
Best known for playing Betty Draper in the American period drama Mad Men, January Jones began her career in the spotlight after being scouted by a modeling agency.
She was born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but moved to Hecla, a city in the northwest of the state.
Tennessee - Megan Fox
Megan Fox was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee in 1986, but spent the majority of her early life in the nearby city of Rockwood.
She enjoyed a fruitful early career, thanks to the success of the Transformers franchise, but has sidelined her acting career in recent years in favor of becoming a socialite.
Texas - Beyoncé
Singer and businesswoman Beyoncé Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, where she lived until the age of eight when she was talent scouted and relocated to California.
While Beyoncé no longer lives in Texas, her success is still celebrated in the area, with the city of Houston planning to build a monument in her honor.
Utah - Loretta Young
Loretta Young, born Gretchen Young, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 6th, 1913, but didn't get to experience much of the state.
Her family relocated to Hollywood when Young was just three, capitalizing on the ever-growing film industry that was coming out of the area.
Vermont - JoJo
JoJo just about squeezes into this list as Vermont's entrant, having moved away from her birthplace of Brattleboro, Vermont to New Hampshire at a very young age.
She has existed in the celebrity world since the age of nine, after impressing a handful of record executives on a TV talent show.
Virginia - Camila Mendes
Riverdale actress Camila Mendes moved from state to state throughout her youth, at one stage even spending some time living her parents' home nation, Brazil.
Mendes was born in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, before moving to Atlanta, Georgia shortly after birth and subsequently returning to Virginia.
Washington - Sydney Sweeney
Blonde beauty Sydney Sweeney spent the majority of her early years living on the northwestern Idaho border in her family's lakeside home.
She was born just across the border in Spokane, Washington where she went to school and sparked her love of acting.
West Virginia - Elizabeth McLaughlin
Like many celebrities, Elizabeth McLaughlin didn't stick around for long in her home state, as her family sought a more colorful life elsewhere.
She was born in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, but moved to Florida at the age of three, where she would eventually hone her acting skills.
Wyoming - Isabel Jewell
One of Old Hollywood's brightest stars Isabel Jewell was born in Shoshoni, Wyoming in 1907 to a medical researcher.
Because of her natural beauty, blond hair, and diminutive stature, Jewell was often typecast into submissive roles, which severely underutilized her acting abilities.
Ohio - Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem was at the forefront of the women's rights campaigns of the late 1960s and early 1970s and has been one of the most high-profile feminist activists ever since.
She was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1934 to German parents. She spent most of her childhood traveling with her father's roaming antiques business.
Michigan - Kate Upton
Model and actress Kate Upton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan to sporty parents, with her mother being a former state tennis champion and her father an athletics director.
Upton looked as though she was entering the world of equestrian, before attending a casting call at a modeling agency.
Wyoming - Hannah Barefoot
Hannah Barefoot is one of a handful of actresses to come out of Wyoming in recent decades.
She has appeared in plenty of TV shows and movies but is predominantly known for being a stage actress with a penchant for playing complex women.
West Virginia - Katie Lee
While Katie Lee will always somewhat be known for her five year marriage to musician Billy Joel, she is successful in her own right.
She has worked in several restaurants and has presented multiple shows on various cooking networks, mainly coinciding with the launches of her cookbooks.
Florida - Debbie Harry
Although Debbie Harry, the frontwoman of Blondie, is almost synonymous with New York City, she was born as Angela Trimble in Miami, Florida, in 1945.
It wasn't until the 1960s that Harry would move to New York, quickly becoming the most recognizable face in the city's punk and new wave scenes.
Arizona - Stevie Nicks
Best known for her days as the fairy-like leader singer of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks could have entire audiences in the palm of her hand with little effort.
She was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1948, but ended up living in multiple locations around the country because of her father's job.
Washington - Dove Cameron
Dove Cameron is one of many Disney Channel child stars to progress onto a music career in adulthood, signing to a major label at a young age.
She was born Chloe Celeste Hosterman in Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1996, and found her love of acting at the age of eight.
Minnesota - Jessica Biel
Actress Jessica Biel, star of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, and Valentine's Day hails from the city of Ely, Minnesota.
While she was born in the state, she could hardly be regarded as a local, having lived in Texas, Connecticut, Illinois, and Colorado as a child.
Massachusetts - Bette Davis
Bette Davis, known as one of the greatest Hollywood actors to have existed, hailed from the city of Lowell, Massachusetts.
She won two Best Actress Oscars and was the first actor to receive ten Academy Award nominations. Her distinctive and sultry eyes made her a historic beauty.
Michigan - Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn has been a prolific actor on both the big and small screen throughout her nearly 70-year career.
She was born in 1932 in Detroit, Michigan, with a desire to be in the spotlight. She started working as a model before transitioning into acting.
Ohio - Dorothy Dandridge
Actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge was always destined to have her name up in lights, having been born to her entertainer mother Ruby Dandridge in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ruby set up a song-and-dance act for her daughters and sent them on tour around the USA, before Dorothy managed to go her own way and forge a successful career.
New York - Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is one of the most recognizable names in American entertainment, having sustained a career for over 60 years.
She was always going to be a star, as the daughter of New York-dwelling celebrity couple Frances Ford Seymour and Henry Fonda.
Georgia - Dianna Agron
Glee actress and singer Dianna Agron comes from the city of Savannah, Georgia, where she was born in 1986 to a hotelier and a seamstress.
Agron's acting career started to take off once she moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19, eventually landing various roles in music videos.
Tennessee - Lucy Hale
Lucy Hale was born in Memphis, Tennessee, so naturally she decided to try her hand at becoming a country singer.
She is also an actor, having appeared in Pretty Little Liars, A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, and Scream 4.
Maine - Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick made a blistering start to her career in acting, starring in a Broadway musical and winning a Tony Award for her performance.
Since then, the Maine-born actress has starred in multiple big-budget movies which range from comedies to musicals to dramas.
Utah - Amanda Righetti
While Amanda Righetti was raised in a town in Nevada just outside of Las Vegas, she was born in the picturesque city of St. George, Utah.
Righetti got her start in showbiz as a model from the age of 14 onwards, before moving to LA at 18 to pursue what would be a successful acting career.
South Carolina - Anna Camp
The actress Anna Camp was born in Aiken, South Carolina, and grew up down the road in Columbia.
Anna Camp has appeared in shows like Mad Men, The Good Wife, and The Mindy Project throughout her 15+ year career.
Pennsylvania - Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter is yet another one of the Disney Channel stars trying to make a dent in the pop world with a selection of pretty run-of-the-mill songs.
She has come a long way since she started posting singing videos to YouTube as a ten-year-old in her Pennsylvania family home.
North Dakota - CariDee English
CariDee English is another model who believes that she is talented enough to turn her hand to anything, including acting and music.
The North Dakota native has been in the modeling business since 2001 but became a recognized name after winning America's Next Top Model in 2006.
Oregon - Bridget Marquardt
Bridget Marquardt never intended on staying in her birth state of Oregon, throwing away her marriage for a move to Los Angeles.
Marquardt wanted to become a celebrity, not known for her talent in a specific field, but simply known for being famous. In fairness, she achieved it.
Wisconsin - Heather Graham
The beautiful Heather Graham hails from Milwaukee WI, where she was born and lived for about a decade before moving to California.
Since her breakout role in Boogie Nights, the actress has made audiences swoon with her big eyes and wide smile.