›

›

Most Famous Celebrities From New York City

Most Famous Celebrities From New York City

Published: January 30, 2024 by Josie Green

According to the World Economic Forum, the location of your birth has a large influence on the opportunities you get in life. Extracurricular possibilities, health, and quality of education can all be impacted by zip codes. Those growing up in New York City, for instance, may have more access to drama and theater extracurriculars, and could have a higher chance of being discovered by talent scouts. They are also more likely to have parents who work in the entertainment industry.

One doesn’t have to be born in New York City to become famous, but some people from the Big Apple have done just that. To determine the most famous celebrities from New York City, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on fame from the June 2022 paper “A cross-verified database of notable people, 3500BC-2018AD,” published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Data.

Celebrities born in New York City were ranked based on a visibility index composed of five factors: the number of different editions of an individual’s Wikipedia page; the length in words of an individual’s Wikipedia page; the average number of pageviews for an individual’s Wikipedia page from 2015 to 2018; the number of standard biographical data points (birth date, gender, and domain of influence) included in an individual’s Wikipedia page; and the number of external links on an individual’s Wikipedia page. Birthplace data was matched to Census place geographies using shapefile boundary definitions for 2022.

Some of these celebrities, including Ben Stiller, Lenny Kravitz, and Jane Fonda, have at least one famous parent who worked in the entertainment industry. Many, however, were everyday kids who became enthralled with the performing arts as children, after seeing Broadway plays or performing in their school musicals, and went on to become actors or singers.

While some actors like Brooke Shields and Macaulay Culkin hit stardom as children, others, including Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone, scrambled to make ends meet as young adults before landing their breakthrough roles. And a few of these celebrities, including Mike Tyson and Christina Aguilera, experienced rough childhoods or were raised by struggling single parents, but still managed to follow their dreams and come out on top. (Read about the movies that launched the careers of Hollywood’s biggest stars.)

Here are the 50 most famous celebrities from New York City:

50. Marisa Tomei

The 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Red Carpet — Marisa Tomei performed in plays in high school, and landed her first film role while in college.

Visibility score: 34.7
Birth Year: 1964
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,065

49. Brooke Shields

"Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields" New York Premiere — Brooke Shields’ mother Teri began auditioning her to model in ads when she was an infant, and Brooke had her fist gig before she was a year old.

Visibility score: 34.7
Birth Year: 1965
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,310

48. Steven Tyler

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was born to a classical musician, orchestra leader Vic Tallarico.

Visibility score: 34.7
Birth Year: 1948
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 4,550

47. J. J. Abrams

Although born in NYC, filmmaker J.J. Abrams was raised in LA by parents who worked in TV production.

Visibility score: 34.8
Birth Year: 1966
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 2,920

46. Lenny Kravitz

Rock musician Lennie Kravitz is the son of actress Roxie Roker and NBC producer Sy Kravitz.

Visibility score: 34.8
Birth Year: 1964
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,030

45. Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano got her first theater role at 7 when her babysitter – an aspiring performer – brought her along to an audition for “Annie,” and Alyssa stole the show.

Visibility score: 34.8
Birth Year: 1972
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 4,889

44. Claire Danes

Vulture Festival Presented By AT&T - Milk Studios, Day 2 — Claire Danes attended prep and performing arts schools, and studied psychology at Yale before leaving to focus on her acting career.

Visibility score: 34.8
Birth Year: 1979
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 4,799

43. Oliver Stone

After serving in the Vietnam War, director Oliver Stone enrolled at NYU and studied film under Martin Scorsese.

Visibility score: 34.9
Birth Year: 1946
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 3,138

42. Emmy Rossum

Emmy Rossum was raised by a single mother and began performing at the Metropolitan Opera when she was 7.

Visibility score: 34.9
Birth Year: 1986
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 4,255

41. Billy Joel

Billy Joel’s parents got him piano lessons when he was 4 and encouraged his musical interests.

- Visibility score: 35.0
- Birth Year: 1949
- Borough: Manhattan
- Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 5,871

40. Mel Brooks

Director Mel Brooks was raised by a single mother and became interested in entertainment when he saw a Broadway play at age 9.

Visibility score: 35.0
Birth Year: 1926
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 5,066

39. Sarah Michelle Gellar

An agent noticed 4-year-old Sarah Michelle Gellar while she was eating at a restaurant and she soon had her first movie role.

Visibility score: 35.0
Birth Year: 1977
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,139

38. Christopher Walken

Source: Handout / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Source: Handout / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Visibility score: 35.1
Birth Year: 1943
Borough: Queens
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 5,557

37. Steve Buscemi

Steve Buscemi was in his high school’s drama troupe and studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Manhattan.

Visibility score: 35.2
Birth Year: 1957
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 4,049

36. Liv Tyler

Premiere Of 20th Century Fox's "Ad Astra" - Arrivals — Liv Tyler began modeling at age 14 before beginning her acting career.

Visibility score: 35.3
Birth Year: 1977
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,170

35. Joan Baez

Folk musician and activist Joan Baez was born to a Mexican immigrant father and a Scottish immigrant mother.

Visibility score: 35.3
Birth Year: 1941
Borough: Staten Island
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 1,836

34. Cyndi Lauper

Uninterested in school, Cyndi Lauper dropped out of high school, sang in night clubs, and held a number of jobs until her music career took off.

Visibility score: 35.3
Birth Year: 1953
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 3,492

33. Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller was born to the renowned comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

Visibility score: 35.5
Birth Year: 1965
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,799

32. John Williams

One of the most celebrated composers in U.S. history, John Williams is the son of a professional percussionist and began studying music as a child.

Visibility score: 35.5
Birth Year: 1932
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 4,770

31. Macaulay Culkin

Although Macaulay Culkin was born to a former stage actor, his family struggled financially until Macaulay hit stardom and became the family’s breadwinner.

Visibility score: 35.5
Birth Year: 1980
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 12,174

30. Jay-Z

Now the richest rapper in the world, Jay-Z grew up in public housing in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Visibility score: 35.6
Birth Year: 1969
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,624

29. Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver’s mother was an English actor and her father was a broadcasting executive at NBC.

Visibility score: 35.7
Birth Year: 1949
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,275

28. Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg worked as a bricklayer and in a funeral parlor while getting her start on Broadway.

Visibility score: 35.7
Birth Year: 1955
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,873

27. Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon’s father was a nightclub singer, an advertising executive, and a TV producer.

Visibility score: 35.8
Birth Year: 1946
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,155

26. Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump began runway modeling at 14 and was featured on the cover of Seventeen magazine.

Visibility score: 35.8
Birth Year: 1981
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,142

25. Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler attempted his first stand-up comedy at age 17 then continued performing at clubs while attending NYU.

Visibility score: 35.9
Birth Year: 1966
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 11,648

24. Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen was born just as his father, actor Martin Sheen, was beginning to perform on Broadway.

Visibility score: 35.9
Birth Year: 1965
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 10,009

23. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born in Harlem and was a star basketball player in high school.

Visibility score: 36.0
Birth Year: 1947
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 11,162

22. Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy honed his comedy skills early and worked as a stand-up comedian by the time he was 15.

Visibility score: 36.1
Birth Year: 1961
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,013

21. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan Celebrates Her Birthday At Wet Republic At MGM Grand — Lindsay Lohan grew up on Long Island and began modeling when she was 3.

Visibility score: 36.2
Birth Year: 1986
Borough: Bronx
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 10,092

20. Paris Hilton

After attending a series of boarding schools for troubled teens and eventually getting her GED, Paris Hilton signed with Donald Trump’s modeling agency at age 19.

Visibility score: 36.2
Birth Year: 1981
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,034

19. Lana Del Rey

When Lana Del Rey was a year old, her parents left their advertising jobs in the city and settled in Lake Placid, New York.

Visibility score: 36.3
Birth Year: 1985
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,606

18. Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys was raised by a single mother in Hell’s Kitchen who insisted that she learn to play the piano as a child.

Visibility score: 36.5
Birth Year: 1981
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 4,527

17. Jane Fonda

Source: Jason Kempin / Getty Images

Source: Jason Kempin / Getty Images

Visibility score: 36.5
Birth Year: 1937
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 8,265

16. Barbra Streisand

Multi-talented entertainer Barbra Streisand dreamed of being an actor as a child and started out as a nightclub singer and off-Broadway performer.

Visibility score: 36.7
Birth Year: 1942
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,592

15. Robert Downey Jr.

The son of a director and an actor, Robert Downey Jr. was immersed in show business from a young age.

Visibility score: 36.7
Birth Year: 1965
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 12,729

14. Martin Scorsese

Director Martin Scorsese was born in Flushing and grew up in Little Italy, the son of two actors whose parents all hailed from Sicily.

Visibility score: 36.8
Birth Year: 1942
Borough: Queens
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 7,233

13. 50 Cent

50 Cent was raised by his grandparents after his mother died in a fire when he was 8.

Visibility score: 36.8
Birth Year: 1975
Borough: Queens
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 8,883

12. Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson had been arrested dozens of times and was at a juvenile reform school when a counselor noticed his talent and introduced him to a boxing manager.

Visibility score: 36.9
Birth Year: 1966
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 17,837

11. Al Pacino

Al Pacino began performing in school plays and realized he wanted to make a career out of it.

Visibility score: 37.0
Birth Year: 1940
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 10,182

10. Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway was born to a lawyer and a stage actor, who were initially not excited for their daughter to pursue a career in acting.

Visibility score: 37.0
Birth Year: 1982
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 10,033

9. Christina Aguilera

After her parents’ divorce, Christina Aguilera was raised by her mother – a musician – and wanted to be a singer from a very young age.

Visibility score: 37.2
Birth Year: 1980
Borough: Staten Island
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 5,603

8. Jennifer Lopez

Enthralled with performing, Jennifer Lopez began taking singing and dancing lessons at age 5.

Visibility score: 37.4
Birth Year: 1969
Borough: Bronx
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 18,925

7. Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro’s parents were both artists in Greenwich Village, and he dropped out of high school to study at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

Visibility score: 37.5
Birth Year: 1943
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 10,233

6. Woody Allen

At 15, Woody Allen began earning $200 a week writing jokes for local newspaper. He eventually moved on to stand-up comedy.

Visibility score: 37.7
Birth Year: 1935
Borough: Bronx
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 6,798

5. Sylvester Stallone

As a struggling young actor, Sylvester Stallone almost gave up on his career until he was cast in “The Lords of Flatbush” alongside Henry Winkler.

Visibility score: 37.8
Birth Year: 1946
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 15,422

4. Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson’s mother began taking her to auditions when she was a child and she got her first off-Broadway role at age 8.

Visibility score: 38.1
Birth Year: 1984
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 17,317

3. Michael Jordan

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, Michael Jordan was encouraged by his father to play baseball and basketball.

Visibility score: 38.2
Birth Year: 1963
Borough: Brooklyn
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 18,543

2. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga was performing in clubs and bars by age 14 and gained early admission to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Visibility score: 39.0
Birth Year: 1986
Borough: Manhattan
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 14,027

1. Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s parents, a real estate developer and a socialite, sent him to a military academy at 13 to instill a sense of discipline in the unruly boy.

Visibility score: 41.8
Birth Year: 1946
Borough: Queens
Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews, 2022: 28,375