Obviously, we have the Jersey Italian swagger on lock, but you might be surprised to know that some celebrities sold to us as Italians, are anything but.

Who can argue that Goodfellas is one of the greatest movies of all time?  In that movie we see Ray Liotta play an Irish-Italian in the mob which explains his ice blue eyes however, he's been framed as an Italian in many a role. It turns out, Ray is not Italian at all.

Ray was adopted from an orphanage in Newark when he was 6 months old. He was adopted by two Italians and was raised in an Italian neighborhood.  When he found his birth mom he realized he is actually of Scottish descent.

Getty Images
Getty Images Portia de Rossi
loading...

Next on the hit list, Portia de Rossi.  Ellen's main squeeze is actually not Italian either.  You're thinking, well, look at the name!  It is a stage name.  Her actual birth name is Amanda Lee Rogers.

Getty Images
Getty Images Jamie-Lynn Sigler
loading...

Listen, if you are on The Sopranos you have to be Italian, right?  Jamie-Lynn Sigler (played Tony Soprano's daughter, Meadow) is totally not Italian. She says that he loves the Italian culture and is happy to keep playing an Italian as long as people are willing to keep hiring her but she is actually Romanian Jewish, Greek, and Cuban.

Getty Images
Getty Images James Caan
loading...

James Caan played the impeccable Sonny Corleone in The Godfather.  He has been a symbol of arguably one of the most important Italian American depictions of all time and yet, he is not Italian. James was born in the Bronx, and is Jewish with German blood.

Those are the ones that stuck out the most to me...I guess your environment is just as important as your lineage in shaping your persona?  Interesting.

25 Famous People That Were Surprisingly Born In The State Of New Jersey

The Top 15 Most Talented & Successful Actresses From New Jersey

 

More From Beach Radio