Celebs from Northern California Quiz

Answer: Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks grew up mostly in the eastern part of the San Francisco bay area and moved around quite a bit with his siblings after his parents divorced. He attended Cal State Sacramento before leaving college to pursue acting. Hanks has since become one of the film industry's most beloved and critically acclaimed stars.

Answer: Josh Holloway

Josh Holloway was born in San Jose in 1969, the son of a nurse and a surveyor who moved the family to Georgia in 1971. After a brief time in college, he moved to Los Angeles, where he was a model before turning to acting. After "Lost," Holloway took on various projects, including the starring role in the dystopian drama "Colony" in 2016 on USA Network.

Answer: Kurtwood Smith

Kurtwood Smith was born and raised in Wisconsin, but he moved to Northern California and graduated from San Jose State University in 1965. Later he graduated from Stanford University with a Master of Fine Arts. Kurtwood also had a memorable role as a villain in the 1987 movie "RoboCop."

Answer: Kate Walsh

Kate Walsh spent most of her childhood in Arizona, but she was born in San Jose in 1967. She was a working actress for many years before her breakout role as the cool, competent Dr. Walsh in "Grey's Anatomy." She was granted her own spin-off and starred in "Private Practice" from 2007 to 2013. Walsh is active in several charities, including rescue pet adoption and the protection of sea turtles.

Answer: James Franco

James Franco was born in Palo Alto in 1978, the eldest of three brothers. Franco is a man of many talents: not just an actor, he's also a director, screenwriter, mixed media artist, and author. One of the charities with which he works is 826 National, which is designed to help students develop creative writing skills.

Answer: Greg Kihn

Greg Kihn was born in Baltimore but spent much of his life in San Jose and other cities in the San Francisco Bay Area which is in northern California. He and his friends formed The Greg Kihn Band in 1976. Their hit "Jeopardy" was spoofed by parody artist Weird Al Yankovic in "I Lost on Jeopardy." He was the morning DJ on KUFX, which has its transmitter adjacent to San Jose, for 16 years, ending in 2012. Kihn has also turned his attention to writing; he's published several books in the horror genre.

Answer: Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens was born in Salinas in 1998; her mother was an office manager and her father a firefighter. She started her performing career at age eight by appearing in local musical theater, and has gone on to work on Broadway, in films, and on television.

Answer: Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt was born in San Francisco in 1963 and attended one of the city's most prestigious public schools, Lowell. After "Law and Order," he went on to star in several movies, including "Miss Congeniality" with Sandra Bullock and "Traffic" with Benicio del Toro, both in 2000. Bratt is philanthropically active in several Native American organizations.

Answer: Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho was born in 1968 to parents who owned a bookstore in a lively San Francisco neighborhood. She was accepted into San Francisco School of the Arts and studied at San Francisco State University before launching a career in stand-up.

Answer: Andy Samberg

Andy Samberg may star in a sitcom based in New York, but he's a native of Berkeley. When he was a student at Berkeley High School, he developed his talent for creative writing. He wrote for SNL before joining the cast. He married musician Joanna Newsom in Big Sur, California in 2013.