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Famous People from Wisconsin


Liberace (1919 - 1987) Born Wladziu Valentino Liberace. Famous American entertainer and musician who is known for his many television appearances and his show called "The Liberace Show." Born in West Allis, WI (658)

Marc Alaimo (1942 - ) Born Michael Anthony Alaimo. An American actor, known for his villainous roles. Best known for his role as recurring villain Gul Dukat in the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1262)

Don Ameche (1908 - 1993) An American actor and voice artist with a career spanning almost 60 years. Born in Kenosha, WI (651)

Walter Hubert Annenberg (1908 - 2002) An American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1260)

Abner Biberman (1909 - 1977) An American actor, director, and screenwriter. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1259)

Richard I. Bong (1920 - 1945) America's leading air ace during World War II. Born in Superior, WI (659)

Daniel Charles Brandenstein (1943 - ) A former NASA astronaut who flew four Space Shuttle missions. He is the Executive Vice President and COO of United Space Alliance. Born in Watertown, WI (1266)

Joyce Carlson (1923 - 2008) An American artist and designer credited with creating the "It's a Small World" rides at Walt Disney theme parks around the world. She was the lead ink artist for the Disney classic Lady and the Tramp. She spent 56 years working on Disney's animated films and theme park attractions. Born in Racine, WI (1258)

Carrie Chapman Catt (1859 - 1947) She led the campaign that ended with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution allowing women to vote. She served as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and was the founder of the League of Women Voters. Born in Ripon, WI (166)

Chester Commodore (1914 - 2004) An African American cartoonist, both of political cartoons and comic strips. Born in Racine, WI (1261)

Ellen Corby (1911 - 1999) An American actress. She is most widely remembered for the role of "Grandma Esther Walton" on the television series The Waltons. Born in Racine, WI (1269)

Seymour Cray (1925 - 1996) A U.S. electrical engineer who developed the supercomputer and founded the company Cray Research. Born in Chippewa Falls, WI (646)

Anthony Crivello (1955 - ) An American actor and singer, mostly in musicals on Broadway. He has written several scripts and more than twenty songs. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1270)

Willem Dafoe (1955 - ) An American film and stage actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group. He was in the Spider-Man trilogy. Born in Appleton, WI (1271)

August Derleth (1909 - 1971) American writer and anthologist who is known for his historical fiction and detective fiction works. Born in Sauk City, WI (656)

Chris Farley (1964 - 1997) An American comedian and actor. He was a cast member of Saturday Night Live between 1990 and 1995. Born in Madison, WI (1272)

John P. Farley (1968 - ) An American actor and comedian. Brother of actors Chris Farley and Kevin Farley. Born in Madison, WI (1273)

Kevin Prindiville Farley (1965 - ) An American actor, production designer, singer, dancer, and occasional composer. Born in Madison, WI (1274)

Aimee Lynn Graham (1971 - ) An American actress. Younger sister of actress Heather Graham. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1276)

Heather Joan Graham (1970 - ) An American actress and fashion model. Some of her movies include Drugstore Cowboy, Boogie Nights and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1277)

Eric Heiden (1958 - ) An American former long track speed skater and road cyclist. He won 5 individual gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Born in Madison, WI (647)

Tom Hulce (1953 - ) An American actor and theater producer. Best known for his roles in National Lampoon's Animal House and Amadeus. He was the voice of Quasimodo in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Born in Whitewater, WI (1278)



Pee Wee King (1914 - 2000) Born Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski, known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "The Tennessee Waltz". Born in Milwaukee, WI (1283)

Carole Landis (1919 - 1948) Born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste. An American film and stage actress whose break-through role was as the female lead in the 1940 film One Million B.C. Born in Fairchild, WI (1279)

Alfred Davis Lunt Jr. (1892 - 1977) An American stage director and actor. Known for a long-time professional partnership with his wife, actress Lynn Fontanne. Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was named for them. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1280)

Fredric March (1897 - 1975) Born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel. An American stage and film actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1932 for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and in 1946 for The Best Years of Our Lives. Born in Racine, WI (1282)

Pat O'Brien (1899 - 1983) Born William Joseph Patrick O'Brien. An American film actor with more than one hundred screen credits. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1292)

Robert Emmett O'Connor (1885 - 1962) An American film actor. He appeared in 204 films between 1919 and 1950. He was best known as Paddy Ryan in The Public Enemy. He played Jonesy in Sunset Boulevard. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1293)

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887 - 1986) An American artist. Best known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers and New Mexico landscapes. She is recognized as the "Mother of American modernism". Born in Sun Prairie, WI (396)

Nancy Ann Olson (1928 - ) An American actress. She appeared in Sunset Boulevard, Disney's The Absent-Minded Professor and Son of Flubber. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1294)

Laura Ramsey (1982 - ) An American film and television actress and model. Some of her films include She's the Man, The Ruins, Middle Men and Are You Here. Born in Brandon, WI (1295)

Libby Riddles (1956 - ) An American dog musher. The first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1985. Born in Madison, WI (18)

Gena Rowlands (1930 - ) Born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands. An American actress of film, stage and television. Best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films. Born in Madison, WI (1296)

Mark Alan Ruffalo (1967 - ) An American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. One of his major roles is Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk in The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Born in Kenosha, WI (1290)

Tom Snyder (1936 - 2007) An American television personality, news anchor, and radio personality. Best known for his late night talk shows The Tomorrow Show and The Late late Show. Born in Milwaukee, WI (660)

Ford Sterling (1883 - 1939) Born George Ford Stich Jr. An American comedian and actor best known for his work with Keystone Studios. One of the 'Big 4' he was the original chief of the Keystone Cops. Born in La Crosse, WI (1289)

Eric Kyle Szmanda (1975 - ) An American actor best known for playing Greg Sanders in the TV crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He was with the show for its entire run from 2000 - 2015. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1288)

Spencer Tracy (1900 - 1967) An American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 74 films from 1930 to 1967. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Tracy 9th among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1287)

Judy Tyler (1932 - 1957) Born Judith Mae Hess. An American actress. Her acting career began as a teenager with regular appearances on Howdy Doody as Princess Summerfall Winterspring from 1950 to 1953. She starred opposite Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock. Born in Milwaukee, WI (1286)

Orson Welles (1915 - 1985) An American film director, writer, actor, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio. Born in Kenosha, WI (1285)

Gene Wilder (1933 - ) Born Jerome Silberman. An American stage and screen comic actor, director, screenwriter, author and activist. Made famous for his role as Willy Wonka in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Born in Milwaukee, WI (653)

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867 - 1957) American author who wrote the historical fiction Little House books. Born in Pepin, WI (654)

Tom Wopat (1951 - ) An American actor and singer. Played Luke Duke in the hit television series, "Dukes Of Hazard". Born in Lodi, WI (652)

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 - 1959) America's most famous architect who influenced the entire course of American architecture. He was also an interior designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed. Born in Richland Center, WI (650)