Famous actors from Wisconsin
Admiring and envying the world's biggest stars is easy to do on Instagram. From A-list movie stars and major musicians to pro ball players and comedians who landed their own sitcoms, there's no shortage of evidence of just how good the good life is. They post pictures of themselves with other big shots on rooftop bars, at exclusive clubs, at backstage parties, and at restaurants where regular people can't get a reservation.
But the vast majority of these celebrities were born and raised outside of Hollywood, finding their way to the bright lights and big money of superstardom from obscure beginnings in regular small towns or cities across the country.
Stacker compiled a list of actors that were born in Wisconsin from IMDb’s most popular list. For each actor, we included a movie poster image from a film he is known for (all movie poster images from OMDb). Keep reading to see which favorite actors are from your home state.
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Willem Dafoe
- Born: Appleton, Wisconsin (7/22/1955)
- Known for:
--- Vincent van Gogh in "At Eternity's Gate" (2018)
--- Green Goblin in "Spider-Man" (2002)
--- Bobby in "The Florida Project" (2017)
Mark Ruffalo
- Born: Kenosha, Wisconsin (11/22/1967)
- Known for:
--- Mike Rezendes in "Spotlight" (2015)
--- Paul in "The Kids Are All Right" (2010)
--- Bruce Banner in "The Avengers" (2012)
Bradley Whitford
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (10/10/1959)
- Known for:
--- Dean Armitage in "Get Out" (2017)
--- Josh Lyman in "The West Wing" (1999-2006)
--- Don DaGradi in "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013)
Robert Easton
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (11/23/1930)
- Died: 12/16/2011
- Known for:
--- Klingon Judge in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" (1991)
--- Armbrister in "Working Girl" (1988)
--- Additional Crew in "Red Heat" (1988)
Sam Page
- Born: Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin (11/5/1976)
- Known for:
--- Greg Harris in "Mad Men" (2008-2012)
--- Richard Hunter in "The Bold Type" (2017-2021)
--- Connor Ellis in "House of Cards" (2014)
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Chris Noth
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (11/13/1954)
- Known for:
--- Mr. Big in "Sex and the City" (2008)
--- Mr. Big in "Sex and the City" (1998-2004)
--- Detective Mike Logan in "Law & Order" (1990-1995)
Peter Weller
- Born: Stevens Point, Wisconsin (6/24/1947)
- Known for:
--- Murphy in "RoboCop" (1987)
--- Bill Lee in "Naked Lunch" (1991)
--- Robocop in "RoboCop 2" (1990)
Gene Wilder
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (6/11/1933)
- Died: 8/29/2016
- Known for:
--- Willy Wonka in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971)
--- Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in "Young Frankenstein" (1974)
--- Leo Bloom in "The Producers" (1967)
Orson Welles
- Born: Kenosha, Wisconsin (5/6/1915)
- Died: 10/10/1985
- Known for:
--- Kane in "Citizen Kane" (1941)
--- Police Captain Hank Quinlan in "Touch of Evil" (1958)
--- Professor Charles Rankin in "The Stranger" (1946)
Tony Shalhoub
- Born: Green Bay, Wisconsin (10/9/1953)
- Known for:
--- Adrian Monk in "Monk" (2002-2009)
--- Fred Kwan in "Galaxy Quest" (1999)
--- Splinter in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (2014)
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Chris Farley
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (2/15/1964)
- Died: 12/18/1997
- Known for:
--- Tommy in "Tommy Boy" (1995)
--- Haru in "Beverly Hills Ninja" (1997)
--- Mike Donnelly in "Black Sheep" (1996)
John Matuszak
- Born: Oak Creek, Wisconsin (10/25/1950)
- Died: 6/17/1989
- Known for:
--- Sloth in "The Goonies" (1985)
--- O. W. Shaddock in "North Dallas Forty" (1979)
--- Killjoy in "The Ice Pirates" (1984)
David Giuntoli
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (6/18/1980)
- Known for:
--- Nick Burkhardt in "Grimm" (2011-2017)
--- DS Scott Wickland in "13 Hours" (2016)
--- David in "Buddymoon" (2016)
Kurtwood Smith
- Born: New Lisbon, Wisconsin (7/3/1943)
- Known for:
--- Secretary of Defense Baird in "Broken Arrow" (1996)
--- Clarence in "RoboCop" (1987)
--- Federation President in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" (1991)
Kevin Gage
- Born: Wisconsin (5/26/1959)
- Known for:
--- Waingro in "Heat" (1995)
--- Instructor Pyro in "G.I. Jane" (1997)
--- Billy Joe - Bar Harasser in "Con Air" (1997)
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Don Ameche
- Born: Kenosha, Wisconsin (5/31/1908)
- Died: 12/6/1993
- Known for:
--- Art Selwyn in "Cocoon" (1985)
--- Mortimer Duke in "Trading Places" (1983)
--- Henry Van Cleve in "Heaven Can Wait" (1943)
Richard Riehle
- Born: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (5/12/1948)
- Known for:
--- Dr. Will Gruber in "The Man from Earth" (2007)
--- Charlie Clark in "Casino" (1995)
--- Bob Bigalow in "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" (1999)
Spencer Tracy
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (4/5/1900)
- Died: 6/10/1967
- Known for:
--- Chief Judge Dan Haywood in "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961)
--- Matt Drayton in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967)
--- Henry Drummond in "Inherit the Wind" (1960)
John Fiedler
- Born: Platteville, Wisconsin (2/3/1925)
- Died: 6/25/2005
- Known for:
--- Juror 2 in "12 Angry Men" (1957)
--- Vinnie in "The Odd Couple" (1968)
--- Lawyer Daggett in "True Grit" (1969)
Steven Krueger
- Born: Wisconsin (5/25/1989)
- Known for:
--- Ben Scott in "Yellowjackets" (2021)
--- Josh Rosza in "The Originals" (2013-2018)
--- Heath Tuchman in "Roswell, New Mexico" (2021)
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Dennis Morgan
- Born: Prentice, Wisconsin (12/20/1908)
- Died: 9/7/1994
- Known for:
--- Chauncey Olcott in "My Wild Irish Rose" (1947)
--- Jefferson Jones in "Christmas in Connecticut" (1945)
--- Dennis Morgan in "It's a Great Feeling" (1949)
Marc Alaimo
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (5/5/1942)
- Known for:
--- Everett in "Total Recall" (1990)
--- Lopez in "Tango & Cash" (1989)
--- Gul Dukat in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999)
Chris Mulkey
- Born: Viroqua, Wisconsin (5/3/1948)
- Known for:
--- Todd Eason in "Above Suspicion" (2019)
--- John Cronan in "Captain Phillips" (2013)
--- Hank Jennings in "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991)
Tom Wopat
- Born: Lodi, Wisconsin (9/9/1951)
- Known for:
--- Luke Duke in "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979-1985)
--- U.S. Marshall Gill Tatum in "Django Unchained" (2012)
--- Colonel Slocum in "Jonah Hex" (2010)
Wesley Lau
- Born: Sheboygan, Wisconsin (6/18/1921)
- Died: 8/30/1984
- Known for:
--- Airline Agent in "The Twilight Zone" (1961-1962)
--- Emil Sande in "The Alamo" (1960)
--- Dr. Thorgen in "Mission: Impossible" (1969-1972)
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Fredric March
- Born: Racine, Wisconsin (8/31/1897)
- Died: 4/14/1975
- Known for:
--- Al Stephenson in "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946)
--- Matthew Harrison Brady in "Inherit the Wind" (1960)
--- Dr. Henry Jekyll in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1931)
Kevin P. Farley
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (6/8/1965)
- Known for:
--- Theater Worker in "Dirty Work" (1998)
--- Jim Simonds in "The Waterboy" (1998)
--- Michael Malone in "An American Carol" (2008)
Daniel J. Travanti
- Born: Kenosha, Wisconsin (3/7/1940)
- Known for:
--- Capt. Frank Furillo in "Hill Street Blues" (1981-1987)
--- Warden in "Just Cause" (1995)
--- Max Shiffman in "One Small Hitch" (2013)
Jose Pablo Cantillo
- Born: Marshfield, Wisconsin (3/30/1979)
- Known for:
--- Verona in "Crank" (2006)
--- Officer Gutierrez in "Disturbia" (2007)
--- Ricky Verona in "Crank: High Voltage" (2009)
John Reynolds
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (8/5/1991)
- Known for:
--- Drew Gardner in "Search Party" 2016-2022
--- Officer Callahan in "Stranger Things" 2016-2019
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Paul Shenar
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2/12/1936)
- Died: 10/11/1989
- Known for:
--- Alejandro Sosa in "Scarface" (1983)
--- Jenner in "The Secret of NIMH" (1982)
--- Paulo Rocca in "Raw Deal" (1986)
Charles Dierkop
- Born: La Crosse, Wisconsin (9/11/1936)
- Known for:
--- Flat Nose Curry in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969)
--- Floyd (Bodyguard) in "The Sting" (1973)
--- Killer Santa in "Silent Night, Deadly Night" (1984)
Michael Patrick McGill
- Born: Appleton, Wisconsin (7/2/1973)
- Known for:
--- Cop in "Annabelle Comes Home" (2019)
--- Ratner's Father in "Dark Skies" (2013)
--- Aaron in "White Bird in a Blizzard" (2014)
Brad Beyer
- Born: Waukesha, Wisconsin (9/20/1973)
- Known for:
--- Wayne (Customer) in "Ford v Ferrari" (2019)
--- Sergeant James Doster in "Thank You for Your Service" (2017)
--- Kirby Higbe in "42" (2013)
Michael Cole
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (7/3/1940)
- Known for:
--- Henry Bowers in "It" (1990)
--- Atwood's Lawyer in "Mr. Brooks" (2007)
--- Alan Miller in "The Last Child" (1971)
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Nick Eversman
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (2/15/1986)
- Known for:
--- Toby in "The DUFF" (2015)
--- Richie in "Wild" (2014)
--- Liam in "Once Upon a Time" (2016-2017)
Pat O'Brien
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (11/11/1899)
- Died: 10/15/1983
- Known for:
--- Detective Mulligan in "Some Like It Hot" (1959)
--- Jerry Connolly in "Angels with Dirty Faces" (1938)
--- Dan Hammer in "Riffraff" (1947)
Tom Laughlin
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (8/10/1931)
- Died: 12/12/2013
- Known for:
--- Billy Jack in "Billy Jack" (1971)
--- Billy Jack in "The Trial of Billy Jack" (1974)
--- Billy Jack in "The Born Losers" (1967)
Chris Tallman
- Born: Madison, Wisconsin (9/22/1970)
- Known for:
--- Dr. Daniel Bloom in "Time Belt" (2003-2004)
--- DJ in "Rescue Dawn" (2006)
--- Lynn Stalmaster in "Computerman" (2003)
Brad Rowe
- Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (5/15/1970)
- Known for:
--- Shaun in "Shelter" (2007)
--- Agent Hopper in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" (2007)
--- Leo 'Sonny' Dillard in "Purgatory" (1999)
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