Roberts was born in Buffalo but raised in Indiana. When he attended Harvard the hero worship accorded Ho Chi Minh did not set well with his midwest upbringing and supposedly sent him on a tack to starboard.
There really is something to the sterotype about midwestern character. One can tell a midwesterner out here in tinsel town a mile away. When I run across a genuine down to earth person, I often ask if they are from the midwest. I have a pretty good track record of soliciting a yes. Of course, I have a pretty good ear from accent variations, subtle as they might be, which helps. :)