15 Awesome Famous People You Had No Idea Were From Ohio

Several creative geniuses and talented performers started out in the heartbeat of America—and their skills have stretched far beyond Ohio. From modern day musical sensations and movie stars to renowned inventors that have changed the course of history, Ohio has given us a gifted batch of individuals throughout the years.

1) Steven Spielberg

Would we really know what makes a movie iconic without his example? Probably not!

2) Halle Berry

Ohioans have Cleveland to thank for this academy award winning, lovely lady and former fashion model beauty queen.

 3) Thomas Edison

You tell me where we’d be without his contributions to the world. (In the dark, perhaps?)

4) Maya Lin

There’s a reason most of us don’t graduate from finger painting and coloring books. Maya Lin shows us that design and architecture requires a lot more than just an idea and some crayons.

5) Drew Carey

The man who taught many of us what it means to laugh.

6) Sarah Jessica Parker

From the small town of Nelsonville, Ohio to the bright lights of fame, came Sarah Jessica Parker.

7) Nancy Cartwright

You might have known that the voice of Bart Simpson was actually a woman’s voice, but you might not have known that she came from Dayton.

8) Justin Chambers

A sincere thank you to Springfield for the gift of Chambers and Grey’s Anatomy.

9) Bow Wow

No longer lil’—in more ways than one—Ohioans can take credit for the start of Bow Wow’s bark.

 10) Katie Holmes

The home of actress Holmes was Toledo, Ohio before her acting career took off.

 11) Josh Radnor

We may never know how Josh Radnor met your mother if it wasn’t for the nurturing arms of Radnor’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

12) LeBron James

OK, so it’s essentially next to impossible to not know where LeBron’s from, but he’s undeniably been the most talked about NBA superstar for a while now and his game is certainly nothing less than famous.

13) Macy Gray

Her singing career has taught Ohioans about more than life, love and lessons learned—she’s taught us soul.

 14) Rob Dyrdek

Yeah, he’s ridiculous but his skateboarding talent and hit reality TV shows have made Kettering proud.

15) Neil Armstrong

Maybe it’s common knowledge, but it’s still pretty cool to say that Ohioans were technically the first people to ever step foot on the moon. When it comes to notable individuals making their mark in America—and the world—Ohioans undeniably hold their own.

Did we leave anyone out? Let us know in the comments below!