J. K. Simmons is a famous American actor who has strong ties to Montana, even though he was born in Michigan on January 9, 1955. When he was 18, his family moved to Missoula, Montana, after his father became the director of the School of Music at the University of Montana.

Simmons first went to college in Ohio, but then transferred to the University of Montana in Missoula, where he studied music and sang in choirs and theater productions. He graduated from UM in 1978 with a degree in music, and he often says that his time in Missoula helped him find his path as a performer.

While he was a college student, Simmons spent his summers acting in plays and musicals at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse near Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana. Performing there for several seasons, he learned stage skills and gained confidence, and he still comes back to Bigfork to visit friends and sometimes even play in local softball games.

After leaving Montana, Simmons built a long career in theater, television, and movies, eventually winning an Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Supporting Actor in the film "Whiplash" in 2015. Even as his career grew, he stayed close to Montana, returning to Missoula to support university music and theater programs and to give a graduation speech at UM in 2016.

In recent years, Simmons has also used his fame to help his home state. He and his brother have appeared in videos supporting efforts to restore passenger rail service across southern Montana, including stops like Billings and Missoula. Today, J. K. Simmons still calls Montana "home" in many interviews and visits the state often, showing that a kid who studies and performs in Montana can go on to win Hollywood's biggest awards.