Viola Davis cried over Golden Globes award: ‘Incredibly grateful’Viola Davis tells USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa how she reacted to receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a Golden Globes lifetime achievement honor.From actors to athletes, Rhode Island has produced a number of big-name celebrities.There are plenty of famous people with ties to the Ocean State — the likes of Taylor Swift and Conan O’Brien are known for relocating to Rhode Island, while stars like Emma Watson and John Krasinski came here for college.However, only some celebrities got their start in Rhode Island before finding fame.Some famous names are known for their Rhode Island roots, while others may surprise you. Here’s a list of living celebrities who grew up in Rhode Island.Davis is a decorated actress and member of the exclusive “EGOT” club, having earned each of the major performing arts awards.A Central Falls native, Davis has been open about the struggles of her childhood. In her 2022 memoir, “Finding Me,” she wrote about experiencing poverty and abuse as one of six children.Hailing from Providence, Vieira is known for her television hosting roles.She is known for being the original moderator on “The View” from 1997 to 2006. She was a host on “TODAY Show” from 2006 to 2011.Vieira was born in Providence and raised in East Providence. She graduated from the Lincoln School in 1971 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University.Woods, a two-time Emmy Award-winning actor known for roles across film and television, grew up in Warwick.Though he mainly lives in California, Woods also still owns an estate in Exeter.There’s a big reason why Culpo and NFL player Christian McCaffrey tied the knot in Rhode Island last year: it’s her home state.Culpo, who earned the titles of Miss USA and Miss Universe in 2012, grew up in Cranston. She and her family also own several restaurants across the state.The NBA champion and head coach of the Boston Celtics was raised in Johnston.Mazzulla got his start in basketball as a standout player for Bishop Hendricken High School in the early 2000s. He has been at the Celtics’ helm since 2022.Before gaining popularity for playing Grace Adler on “Will & Grace,” Messing got her start here in Rhode Island.She grew up in East Greenwich and has returned to the Ocean State several times over the years, including to accept the Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts from Providence’s Trinity Repertory Company in 2015.Day is an actor known for his role as Charlie Kelly on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”He was raised in Middletown. His father, Thomas Charles Day, is a retired professor of music history at Salve Regina University and his mother, Mary Day, was a music teacher at The Pennfield School in Portsmouth.Born Jacob Lawson, the singer popularly known as JVKE is from Cranston.He’s known for songs like “golden hour” and “this is what falling in love feels like.”Pazienza, commonly known as Vinny Paz, is a former professional boxer from Cranston.He holds several world titles and is in the International Sports Hall of Fame. The 2016 movie “Bleed for This” is based on his life.A Woonsocket native, Baldelli made history as the youngest manager in Major League Baseball history when he was appointed to the role for the Minnesota Twins.Baldelli is also a former player, with stints for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. He also played at Bishop Hendricken High School.Suvari, an actor and model, was born in Newport and spent her early years in Rhode Island. Her family relocated to South Carolina before she started middle school.She is known for roles in “American Beauty” and the “American Pie” film franchise.Best known for playing Rowley in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” film series, Capron is from Scituate.He also graduated from Brown University in 2020.The Farrelly brothers are screenwriters and directors from Cumberland.They have produced and directed several big-name films together, including “Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Fever Pitch” and more.Melina Khan is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY Network – New England, which serves more than a dozen affiliated publications across New England. She can be reached at [email protected].Â