21 Awesome Famous People You May Not Have Realized Are From Virginia
By Anna Strock|Updated on August 08, 2022(Originally published August 03, 2022)
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Anna Strock
Author
Virginia staff writer for Only in Your State, freelance writer and journalist. Even though Anna has lived other places, somehow Virginia is where she always seems to land.
Virginia is home to countless famous figures, including U.S. presidents, inventors, authors, and athletes. But here are a few famous people from Virginia that you may not have known about. These celebrities, from musical superstars to legends of the big screen, all got their start here in the Mother of States.
Known as one of the highest paid actresses in film, she has won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, both for Best Actress in the film "The Blind Side." Definitely one of our favorite celebrities in Virginia!
Lowe became a household name in the 80s for film roles such as "The Outsiders" and "St. Elmo’s Fire", as well as other smaller parts. Best known in recent years for TV roles including "West Wing", "Brothers and Sisters" and "Parks and Rec." His brother, Chad Lowe, also acts.
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3. Ella Fitzgerald (singer, actress), Newport News
(1917-1996) Best known as the "First Lady of Jazz", "Queen of Jazz" and "Lady Ella." Still one of the best known voices of her time, and just one of the many famous people from Virginia.
One of the most accomplished actresses in Hollywood with an Academy Award for Best Actress in "Terms of Endearment", 5 Golden Globes, the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, won for Best Director. Nominated for 18 Golden Globes, won 6. Recipient of the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Award and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Here's a little bit of Virginia trivia for you: he's also the younger brother of acclaimed actress Shirley MacLaine.
After forming in the early 90s in Charlottesville, The Dave Matthews band has gone on to international success, with 9 studio albums to date and 6 consecutive albums making it to the Billboard chart’s #1 spot. He tops the charts and he tops our hearts as one of the most beloved celebrities in Virginia.
Best known for her long-time role as an anchor on "The Today Show," Couric has also served as an anchor for the CBS Evening News, a reporter for "60 Minutes" and hosted her own talk show, "Katie." She is a member of the Television Hall of Fame.
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8. Pharrell Williams (singer, songwriter, producer, fashion designer), Virginia Beach
Best known for – everything. There’s not much Williams hasn’t done, including fronting bands like The Neptunes, designing multiple fashion lines, producing Top 40 hits and recently, serving as a coach on "The Voice." We'll always get happy when we think about Mr. Williams as one of the many famous people from Virginia.
Best known for his film roles, including "Young Guns", "Where the Day Takes You", "My Best Friend’s Wedding", "About Schmidt" and "August: Osage County."
10. Wanda Sykes (writer, actress, comedian), Portsmouth/DC area
Award-winning writer and hailed as one of the 25 Funniest People in America. Best known for screen roles including "New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm", as well as many other movies and voice roles.
(1927-1999) A Hollywood legend, he is best known for his role as General George Patton in"Patton", for which he won an Academy Award but refused it on moral grounds. Also gained fame for his roles in "Dr. Strangelove" and "A Christmas Carol."
Elliott emerged in the early 90s as a breakthrough female rapper and has since won 5 Grammys, sold 30 million records, and became the first female rapper to earn 6 certified platinum albums.
Best known as a stand-up comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member since 2010, ranked Rolling Stone’s 55th funniest cast member of all 141 to have appeared in the show’s 40 seasons.
(1932-1963) Considered one of the most influential and acclaimed vocalist of the 20th century for her powerful voice and ability to cross the line from country to pop music. Cline died in a plane crash at the age of 30 at the height of her career.
(1929-2003) Began her career with her famous mother, Maybelle Carter, and the Carter Family band. Well known as the 2nd wife of Johnny Cash, with whom she performed and toured, as portrayed in the movie, "Walk the Line."
21. Willard Scott (actor, author, media personality, comedian), Alexandria
Best known as the lovable weatherman on the "Today Show." Also remembered as the creator and first performing Ronald McDonald.
While these stars come from all over the state, from big cities to small towns, we do have to give a special shout-out to Northern Virginia for their 8 megastars, followed by Eastern Virginia with 7…there must be something in the water. In the meantime, we haven’t forgotten about all of the other amazing Virginians out there – politicians, statesmen, authors, and other famous people from Virginia – and we will recognize them, too! But for now, there are many other big names you may know of…some of them may even be from your neck of the woods. So let us know what celebrities you share a hometown with!
For more Virginia state pride, check out these fun facts about Virginia. You never know when some Virginia trivia might come in handy!
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famous people from Virginia
Jackie Ann|August 08, 2022
What stereotypes are there about Virginia?
Every state comes with stereotypes, and Virginia is no exception. While you may be familiar with some of the more popular stereotypes about Virginia, you may be surprised to learn that Virginians love all things apple. Winchester is known as the “Apple Capital of the World” and they wear the badge with honor. Not to sound like Forrest Gump, but apple lovers will thoroughly enjoy feasting on apple butter, apple jam, apple jelly, apple donuts, and perhaps the best apple byproduct of them all: apple cider!
What are the best things about living in Virginia?
How much time do you have? Virginia’s state motto is, “Virginia is for lovers,” and it couldn’t be more true. From the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains, Virginia is a nature lover’s paradise with endless hiking trails, waterfalls, swimming holes, and more. Food lovers will be on cloud nine feasting on our famous dishes like Rappahannock oysters,Brunswick stew, or tasty BBQ. Last but certainly not least, history lovers won’t find a more historic state than Virginia. From Mount Vernon to the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, there’s a lot of history to take in here.
What is Virginia known for?
When you think of Virginia, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The Appalachian Trail? Oysters? Your favorite president? The list goes on and on. Here’s a bit of Virginia trivia for you: Virginia was the home of eight presidents, including four of our nation’s first five, more than any other state! Not only are we a bunch of presidential smarties, but Virginians were the first to do many things, including creating the first free public school in the country, some of the top public colleges and universities in the nation, and Virginia created the first law school. No wonder so many presidents come from Virginia!
