33 Celebrities You Had No Idea Were From Ohio, Including Halle Berry & Paul Newman

While California and New York are what most people associate with famous people, it might surprise you to learn that there are quite a few celebrities from Ohio as well. Known as the Buckeye State, Ohio features several large cities, such as Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, as well as many smaller communities that have served as the birthplace of some well-known celebrities. Even if these big-name Ohio natives had to move elsewhere to really become stars, this is where they started.

The collection of celebrities from Ohio really shows that there can be many different talents and backgrounds to emerge from one place. Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood were born here, including Oscar winners and ground-breaking actors. There are television icons who have lit up the small screen for years. There are also some of the biggest comedians in the world who started making people laugh way back in their home state. In looking solely at those celebrities who were actually born in Ohio, it is still a star-studded roster.

33

Halle Berry

Cleveland, Ohio

Close

Berry was born on August 14, 1966, in Cleveland, and her parents even named her after a local landmark, Halle’s Department Store. She later represented her home state at the Miss USA pageant, where she was first runner-up. Berry became the first Black woman to win a Best Actress Oscar (for Monster’s Ball), and she is also best known as Storm in the X-Men movies.

32

Paul Newman

Shaker Heights, Ohio

Close

Newman was born in the suburban community of Shaker Heights in Cleveland on January 26, 1925, and found his love of acting locally as he performed in stage productions from a young age at the Cleveland Play House. Newman went on to become one of the most iconic movie stars of all time with movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Cool Hand Luke, and his Oscar-winning turn in The Color of Money.

31

Sarah Jessica Parker

Nelsonville, Ohio

Close

Parker was born in Nelsonville on March 25, 1965 and began acting in local theater productions as a child before making her Broadway debut at the age of 11. Parker became a television icon thanks to her role as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City as well as its sequel series, And Just Like That.

30

Clark Gable

Cadiz, Ohio

Close

Gable was born on February 1, 1901, in Cadiz and later moved near Akron when his father decided to pursue life as a farmer. Gable became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, thanks to legendary movies like Gone with the Wind, Mutiny on the Bounty, and his Oscar-winning turn in It Happened One Night.

29

Katie Holmes

Toledo, Ohio

Close

Holmes was born in Toledo on December 18, 1978, where she attended the all-girls Catholic school Notre Dame Academy but began acting in plays at the nearby all-boys school. Holmes broke out with her role as Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek, and went on to appear in Go, Pieces of April, and Batman Begins.

28

Martin Sheen

Dayton, Ohio

Close

Sheen was born in Dayton on August 3, 1940, one of 10 children in his family. Sheen is a legendary actor known for his performances in Badlands, Apocalypse Now, Wall Street, and The Departed. He also played President Jed Bartlet to great acclaim on the series The West Wing.

27

Molly Shannon

Cleveland, Ohio

Close

Shannon was born on September 16, 1964, in Cleveland and attended school in the state as well. Shannon is one of the most iconic cast members of Saturday Night Live, with her character Mary Catherine Gallagher getting her own movie, Superstar. The comedic actress has also appeared in Only Murders in the Building, The White Lotus, and The Other Two.

26

Patricia Heaton

Bay Village

Close

Heaton was born in Bay Village on March 4, 1958, with her father working as a sports writer for the major Ohio newspaper, The Plain Dealer. Heaton won two Emmys for her role as Debra Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond and followed it up with another hit sitcom, The Middle.

25

Ed O’Neill

Youngstown, Ohio

Close

O’Neill was born in Youngstown on April 12, 1946, and started out on a football career, playing for Ohio University. He eventually turned to acting, where he became a sitcom icon thanks to his roles as Al Bundy in Married…with Children and Jay Pritchett in Modern Family.

24

Carol Kane

Cleveland, Ohio

Close

Kane was born in Cleveland on June 18, 1952, though she moved frequently, including living in Paris, France for a time. Kane is a comedic icon with hilarious performances in movies like The Princess Bride and Scrooged, as well as her role on the comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

23

Ted Levine

Bellaire, Ohio

Close

Levine was born in Bellaire on May 29, 1957, to a mother and father who were both doctors. Levine took a different career path, finding great success as an actor, including his iconic role as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs, as well as the voice of the killer Rusty Nails in Joy Ride.

22

Beverly D’Angelo

Columbus, Ohio

Close

D’Angelo was born in Columbus on November 15, 1951, with her father serving as a station manager at the local WBNS-TV station. D’Angelo starred alongside Chevy Chase in the Vacation movies as Ellen Griswold and has also appeared in Coal Miner’s Daughter and American History X.

21

Arsenio Hall

Cleveland, Ohio

Close

Hall was born in Cleveland on February 12, 1956, and started out his career as a performer by doing magic shows as a child. Hall went on to become a hugely influential pop culture figure thanks to his talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, and also starred alongside Eddie Murphy in Coming to America.

20

Doris Day

Cincinnati, Ohio

Close

Day was born in Cincinnati on April 3, 1922, where she gained her passion for performing, including early ambitions of a dance career that was cut short following a car accident. However, Day still found plenty of success as a singer, with songs like “Sentimental Journey” and “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time” as well as her acting career, which includes movies like Pillow Talk and Calamity Jane.

19

Dean Martin

Steubenville, Ohio

Close

Martin was born June 7, 1917, in Steubenville to an Italian family, with his birth name being Dino Paul Crocetti. Martin is a legendary crooner, known for songs like “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” and “You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You”. He also partnered with Jerry Lewis in the comedy duo Martin & Lewis, and was a member of the Rat Pack.

18

Adrianne Palicki

Toledo, Ohio

Close

Palicki was born on May 6, 1983, in Toledo, with her brother Eric’s work in comic books giving her an early love for the medium that would impact her acting career. Palicki broke out with her role as Tyra on Friday Night Lights and has also appeared in John Wick, Agents of SHIELD, and The Orville.

17

Josh Radnor

Columbus, Ohio

Close

Radnor was born in Columbus on July 29, 1974, and grew up in Bexley, where he attended an Orthodox Jewish school. Radnor is best known for his lead role as Ted Mosby in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Interestingly, Ted is from Shaker Heights, Ohio.

16

KiKi Layne

Cincinnati, Ohio

Close

Layne was born in Cincinnati on December 10, 1991, but studied acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. Layne found her breakout role in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning If Beale Street Could Talk. She also appeared in Don’t Worry Darling and The Old Guard.

15

Mike Faist

Gahanna, Ohio

Close

Faist was born in Gahanna, Ohio, on January 5, 1992, where he quickly formed a love of acting, attending The Academy of Performing Arts in Cleveland. Faist has become one of the most popular up-and-coming stars in Hollywood with his notable roles in West Side Story, The Bikeriders, and Challengers.

14

Ruby Dee

Cleveland, Ohio

Close

Though she was raised in Harlem, New York, where she began her trailblazing acting career, Dee was born in Cleveland on October 27, 1922. She originated the role of Ruth Younger in Broadway’s Raisin in the Sun and starred in movies like The Jackie Robinson Story, Do the Right Thing, and American Gangster, the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination.