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Famous People from Colorado


Tim Allen (1953 - ) Born Timothy Alan Dick. American actor and comedian. Known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement. His films include The Santa Clause and the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Born in Denver, CO (59)

Carole "Kelly" Bishop (1944 - ) An American actress, who may be best known for her role as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls and for her role as the mother of Jennifer Grey in the film Dirty Dancing. Born in Colorado Springs, CO (879)

Zachery Tyler Bryan (1981 - ) An American actor and producer best known for his role as Brad Taylor on the American sitcom Home Improvement. Born in Aurora, CO (873)

Matthew Carey (1940 - ) An American film and television actor. He appeared in the films The Banger Sisters, November and Old School. He also had a recurring role in the the first season of the television series 24. Born in Denver, CO (880)

Scott Carpenter (1925 - 2013) An American test pilot, astronaut and aquanaut. One of the original seven U.S. astronauts and second American to orbit the earth. Born in Boulder, CO (55)

Kristin Elizabeth Cavallari (1987 - ) An American reality television personality and actress best known for her appearances in the series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills. Born in Denver, CO (881)

Lon Chaney (1883 - 1930) An American stage and film actor, director and screenwriter. Known for his starring roles in the silent horror films The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. He earned the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces" because of his ability to transform himself with makeup. Born in Colorado Springs, CO (58)

Ken Curtis (1916 - 1991) Born Curtis Wain Gates. An American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the long-running television Western drama, Gunsmoke. Born in Lamar, CO (882)

Jack Dempsey (1895 - 1983) Born William Harrison Dempsey. American professional boxer and world heavyweight champion from 1919-26. Known as "Kid Blackie" and "The Manassa Mauler." Born in Manassa, CO (64)

Jack Earle (1906 - 1952) Born Jacob Rheuben Ehrlich. An American silent film actor and sideshow performer. He traveled with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus for 14 years. He was one of the world's tallest humans at the time of his death, standing at 7.75 feet (2.36 m) in tall. Born in Denver, CO (883)

Ralph Edwards (1913 - 2005) An American radio and television host and television producer. He created the game shows Truth or Consequences and This Is Your Life. He also produced many other game shows. Born in Merino, CO (884)

Douglas Fairbanks (1883 - 1939) An American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films. He was one of the founding members of United Artists and The Motion Picture Academy and hosted the first Oscars Ceremony in 1929. Born in Denver, CO (61)

Eugene Nicholas Fodor, Jr. (1950 - 2011) World-renowned classical violinist. He made his solo debut with the Denver Symphony at the age of ten. Born in Denver, CO (60)



Devon Ryan Gummersall (1978 - ) An American actor, writer, and television and film director, perhaps best known for his role on the television show My So-Called Life. Born in Durango, CO (885)

Ruth Handler (1916 - 2002) An American businesswoman and inventor. She was the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel Inc., and is remembered for her role in marketing the Barbie doll. Born in Denver, CO (874)

Kelo Henderson (1923 - ) Born Paul Henderson, Jr. He was an American actor who co-starred as Deputy Clint Travis in the 1957-1959 syndicated western television series 26 Men. Born in Pueblo, CO (886)

Willard Frank Libby (1908 - 1980) Physical chemist known for his role in the development of radiocarbon dating which revolutionized archaeology. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1960. Born in Grand Valley, CO (62)

Scott Lowell (1965 - ) An American actor best known for his role as Ted Schmidt on the Showtime drama Queer as Folk. He has also appeared in many television shows such as Bones, NCIS and Castle. Born in Denver, CO (887)

Ted Mack (1904 - 1976) Born William Edward Maguiness. He was the host of Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour on radio and television. Born in Greeley, CO (875)

Baby Marie Osborne (1911 - 2010) Born Helen Alice Myres. She was the first major child star of American silent films. She made her film debut at age three in 1914's Kidnapped in New York. Her most famous movie was 1916's Little Mary Sunshine, one of her few films that survive to this day. She appeared in 29 films in a 6 year period. Born in Denver, CO (878)

Antoinette Perry (1888 - 1946) An actress, director, and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing. The Tony Awards are her namesake. Born in Denver, CO (889)

Florence Rena Sabin (1871 - 1953) An American medical scientist. First woman to graduate from the Johns Hopkins Medical School and the first to hold a full professorship there. First woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Born in Central City, CO (63)

Alan Kooi Simpson (1931 - ) Served as a United States Senator from Wyoming from 1979-1997. Appointed co-chair for President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in 2010. Born in Denver, CO (663)

Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker (1946 - ) An American actor, who specializes in voice acting. His first role was the voice of Fred Jones in the series Scooby-Doo, Where are You! Some of his other voice roles include Wonder Dog, Doctor Claw in Inspector Gadget and various G.I. Joe heroes and villains. Born in Denver, CO (888)

Paul Samuel Whiteman (1890 - 1967) An American bandleader, composer, orchestral director and violinist. He was the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s. Best known for his blending of symphonic music and jazz. Born in Denver, CO (65)