While we typically think of Hollywood, California, as the central location for all movie stars and celebrities, very few of them were actually born there. Instead, your favorite names come from all over the country, including Wisconsin. In fact, from your favorite action stars to the more dramatic players, many noticeable faces were born and raised in Wisconsin. Yes, The Badger State is a breeding ground for known talent, and today, we’d like you to meet the 10 biggest movie stars from Wisconsin.
To compile this list in no particular order, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet to look for official birthplaces and double-checked with websites like the Internet Movie Database, The New York Times, and local papers, including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. See if your favorite star made the list! (Click to read about some of the movies that launched the careers of some of the biggest stars.)
Chris Farley
First on the list of actors from Wisconsin was arguably one of the best performers to grace the stage of “Saturday Night Live,” Chris Farley. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin, where his father owned an oil company. Farley lived there with his four siblings and graduated from Marquette University. Of his siblings, he has two brothers, Kevin and John Farley, who you’ve likely also seen in movies and TV shows over the years.
After college, Farley worked with his father at the oil company, but he soon discovered his love for comedy. His career started to warm up after he drove across the border into Illinois and attended the famous Second City improv comedy school in Chicago. Other famous Second City alumni include Will Ferrell, John Candy, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey, among many others. Farley was in several films during and after his time on “SNL,” including “Wayne’s World” as well as “Tommy Boy and “Black Sheep” with longtime friend David Spade. Sadly, he passed away in 1997 due to a drug overdose.
Tony Shalhoub
The next of our Wisconsin stars is Tony Shalhoub. You may not immediately recognize that name upon reading it, and although he was in various projects, he really became a well-known star while starring on the show “Monk.” He played a neurotic detective on the show. He is an accomplished actor and has worked steadily over the last several decades both on TV, in movies, and on stage. Altogether, he has won five Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and six Screen Actors Guild Awards. In addition to “Monk,” Shalhoub also had a starring role in the TV show Wings for several years, and he has been in a couple of the “Men in Black” movies, and more.
Shalhoub was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the ninth of 10 children. His father immigrated there from the Ottoman Empire and drove a refrigerated truck to support the family. Shalhoub was introduced to acting by his older sister. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for a time before moving and earning a master’s degree in drama from Yale. He then did theater for a few years before he got his big break in “Wings.”
Willem Dafoe
If you love crazy character actors who dominate every scene they’re in, then you’re likely a fan of Willem Dafoe. He has made a name for himself in many big and important films over the years. A big step in his career was when he starred in the movie “Platoon” back in 1986, and the world saw how special he really was. Over time, he has starred in other films, including “American Psycho” and “The Lighthouse,” and he has been in the recent “Spider-Man” films. Most recently, though, he starred in the Golden Globe-winning movie, “Poor Things.”
Dafoe was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, which is north of Lake Winnebago near the Fox River. His father was a surgeon, his mother a nurse, and he had five sisters. While there, he attended Appleton East High School and then studied drama at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. However, he was only there for 18 months before he moved to New York in 1976, attended some auditions and the rest is history.
Gene Wilder
Easily one of the most famous and recognizable movie stars from Wisconsin is the late and great Gene Wilder. Born in 1933 as Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Wilder first became interested in acting and comedy when he was eight. His mother came down with a fever, and the doctor told him to try to make her laugh, and the rest is history. His sister was also studying acting, and he was able to get the same teacher. He first left Wisconsin when his mother, who didn’t feel like he was reaching his full potential, sent him to a military school in Hollywood. Later on, after moving back home for a bit, he graduated from the University of Iowa, lived in England and New York, and had a stint in the military.
Of course, Wilder is most well-known for his movies. Perhaps his most famous role was that of Willy Wonka in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” However, he was a very famous comedic actor. He starred in some of the most iconic comedies of all time, including several with fellow legend Mel Brooks, including “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles.” He passed away in 2016 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
Mark Ruffalo
Another one of the celebrities born in Wisconsin is Mark Ruffalo. Most people likely recognize the name and face of Ruffalo for being the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in films like “The Avengers” movies and “Thor: Ragnarok,” among others. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his extensive filmography. He’s a versatile actor who has starred in various projects over the years, including “Now You See Me,” “13 Going on 30,” and “Shutter Island,” just to name a few.
Ruffalo was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1967. His mother is a hairdresser, and his father is a construction painter. He is a mix of Italian and French-Canadian descent. As a child, he dealt with ADHD and dyslexia. After Wisconsin, he spent much of his younger years in Virginia and then moved to Los Angeles. He worked as a bartender while auditioning for acting roles. In 1989, he got his first role, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Heather Graham
The 53-year-old Heather Graham has made quite a name for herself in Hollywood and is one of the most famous female movie stars from Wisconsin. Many people may know her from the various comedies she has been in over the years, ranging from “The Hangover” movies to “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me to Swingers.” However, she has also made a name for herself in many dramatic and quirky movies, including “Boogie Nights,” “Flowers in the Attic” (2014), and “Lost In Space,” among others.
Graham was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the daughter of a children’s book author (mom) and an FBI agent (dad). Although she will always have a place as one of the famous Wisconsin stars, she didn’t spend a lot of time there. When she was nine, her parents moved to Agoura Hills, California. She attended UCLA but left before graduating to pursue acting full-time.
Zack Snyder
While not technically a movie star, director Zack Snyder is still one of the most famous celebrities born in Wisconsin. He has directed some of the biggest movies of the last several years, including “Batman v. Superman,” “Justice League,” and “Man of Steel.” He also directed the cult hit 300 with Gerard Butler. Currently, he has the “Rebel Moon” saga on Netflix, of which one film has so far been released.
Snyder was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. However, he spent most of his childhood in Connecticut. His mother was a photographer, and his father was an executive recruiter. Undoubtedly, he got some of his skills as a director from his mother. He may not be one of the biggest actors from Wisconsin, but he is certainly the most famous director from the state.
Kurtwood Smith
If you ever watched the sitcom “That ’70s Show” during its heyday, then you are very familiar with Kurtwood Smith and one of his most famous roles as Red Foreman, the father of the main protagonist Eric Foreman. Smith did a great job of being a stern but relatable father. He was hard on his son, but he loved him. Of course, that is only one of the roles made famous by Smith. He also famously played the bad guy in the original “Robocop” movie, among other roles.
Smith was born in New Lisbon, which is in central Wisconsin. Although he moved to California when he was 10 years old, he says that he has “fond memories of Wisconsin.” After he moved to California, he graduated from San Jose State College. While he was working up the ranks in Hollywood, he worked as a theater instructor from 1969-75.
Bradley Whitford
You may not know his name right away, but Bradley Whitford is one of those actors who is instantly recognizable as soon as you see him. Whitford has had great roles in many different movies, and he is usually a bit of a smart aleck. He was the antagonist in the comedy classic “Billy Madison,” was one of the operators in the horror movie “Cabin in the Woods,” and had a funny role in “Adventures of Babysitting.” However, he’s most known by many as Josh Lyman, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff on the hit show “The West Wing,” which ended in 2006.
Whitford was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1959. He took a leave from The Badger State between the ages of three and 14 when he moved to Pennsylvania to live with his mother. However, he returned to Wisconsin and graduated from Madison East High School. He later moved on from Wisconsin permanently and studied drama at Juilliard School before becoming the big star he is today.
From 1992 until 2010, he was married to actress Jane Kaczmarek, who is perhaps most famous for starring as the mom in “Malcolm in the Middle.” She is another of the movie stars from Wisconsin as she was born in Milwaukee. She graduated from Greendale High School in Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Orson Welles
Our final entry on this list of movie stars born in Wisconsin is the classic entertainer Orson Welles, who was born in Kenosha. Born in 1915 as George Orson Welles, he had a rocky childhood with divorce and other troubles. After his mother passed, he moved to Wyoming and Illinois and finally ended up in Los Angeles.
Orson Welles had a very notable career, including “Citizen Kane,” which is considered to be one of the best movies of all time. While he had a part in numerous other projects, another of his biggest moments was narrating “The War of the Worlds” over the radio. His performance was so convincing that many listeners believed that there was really an alien invasion occurring. He did many great things over the years and won many awards and has gone down in history as Hollywood royalty. (Click here to learn about Hollywood’s most famous acting dynasties for more celebrity content.)