Famous People From Maryland

The most decorated and successful Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps is a former competitive swimmer who has won a total of 28 Olympic medals. He is widely considered one of the greatest athletes ever and the greatest swimmer of all time. He has several world records and Olympic records under his belt.

Born to parents who were bonded slaves, Harriet Tubman life was a difficult one from the very beginning. Yet with her remarkable courage and determination, she not only escaped slavery herself, but also led other enslaved people to freedom. The prominent political activist and abolitionist was also the first woman to lead an armed expedition during the American Civil War.

Social reformer and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass was a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York. Born into slavery, he had a difficult early life. Eventually, he managed to escape and dedicated the rest of his life to promoting the cause of abolition. He was a great orator and writer.

Frank Zappa was an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and bandleader. Widely regarded as one of the most stylistically diverse and innovative rock musicians of his generation, Zappa was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list in 2004. Zappa's works have influenced other musicians like Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Simon Phillips, Steve Vai, and Warren DeMartini.

The first African-American member of the US Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall was an associate justice from 1967 to 1991. Earlier as an attorney, he fought for the abolishment of racial segregation in American public schools. He was also a strong proponent of individual rights. A symbol of black icon, there are numerous memorials in America to honour his legacy.

Actress Anna Faris is known for her comedic roles, especially as the lead in the commercially successful Scary Movie films. Lost in Translation, Brokeback Mountain, Just Friends, The House Bunny, The Dictator, Calgary and Overboard are some of her other notable films. She has also acted in television sitcoms like Friends and Mom. Anna Faris has been featured on the covers of several magazines.

Former professional tennis player, Pete Sampras, became the winner of 14 Grand Slam singles titles during his career. He was ranked world No. 1 in 1993 and held the record for 286 weeks. Nicknamed “Pistol Pete,” the player was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

Julie Bowen is an American actress whose performance in the television series Modern Family earned her six successive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, out of which she won twice. But what's really impressive and inspirational about this Marylander is that she achieved all this wearing a pacemaker in her chest all the way through—a real-life Iron Woman!

David Hasselhoff played the iconic role of Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch. He has also starred in The Young and The Restless and Knight Rider, judged on America’s Got Talent, released a music album, and appeared in Broadway musicals. He has a Guinness record for being the most-watched man on TV.

A popular American actress, Linda Hamilton is famous for being the first actress to portray the iconic Sarah Connor in the Terminator movie series. A brave woman, who has fought depression and bipolar disorder throughout her career, Hamilton suffered permanent hearing damage after firing a gun without using her ear plugs while filming Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Scott Hall is an American retired wrestler best known for his association with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where he is popularly known as Razor Ramon. Apart from his several championship reigns in WWE, Scott Hall is also renowned for being an original member of the New World Order, one of the most popular stables in the history of professional wrestling.

Lance Reddick is an American musician and actor. Over the years, Reddick has contributed immensely to the success of several TV series, such as Oz, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Wire, Fringe, and Bosch. He has also been entertaining children and adults alike by providing his likeness and voice for video games like Quantum Break and Destiny series.

Cass Elliot was a popular American singer and actress. As part of the famous folk-rock vocal group The Mamas and the Papas, Cass Elliot played an important role in influencing the counterculture of the 1960s and its music scene. She had a great impact on the American entertainment industry of the 1960s.

Born in the U.S., boxer Gervonta Davis is of mixed heritage but identifies as African-American. He has held titles such as the IBF super featherweight title and the WBA (Super) super featherweight title. Mentored by Floyd Mayweather, he is best known for his knockout-to-win percentage.

Muggsy Bogues is a former basketball player. Standing at 5 feet 3 inches tall, Bogues is the shortest player in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). When his 14-season NBA career came to an end, Bogues served as the head coach for Charlotte Sting, which participated in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2007. 

Professional basketball player Victor Oladipo currently plays for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He started playing basketball in high school and went to Indiana University Bloomington, where he played for the Indiana Hoosiers. He began his professional playing career in 2013 and has been going strong since then. He is also a singer.

An actor known for appearing in the film Deep Blue Sea, Thomas Jane has been active in Hollywood for more than 30 years. He dropped out of high school to pursue acting and struggled for a while. Eventually, he was able to make a name for himself in the entertainment world. Besides acting, he writes comic books. 

Actress, dancer, and model, Stacy Keibler, has appeared in many TV shows including What About Brian. Prior to becoming an actress, she was a professional wrestler known for her work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She has appeared in eleven WWE video games. She is popular for her beauty and is considered a sex symbol.

Mike Rowe is an American narrator, television host, and former opera singer. He has narrated popular programs on the Discovery Channel, such as How the Universe Works and Deadliest Catch. Also an activist, Rowe joined hands with the 'Association of Equipment Manufacturers' in 2010 in order to create jobs in the manufacturing sector through a campaign named "I Make America".

American actor, artist, director, and screenwriter Daniel Stern is best-recognised for playing the tall and dim-witted thief Marv Murchins in first two films of the Home Alone franchise. He is also noted for his role in the film City Slickers and its sequel; voice-role in the TV series Dilbert; and for directing the sports-comedy film Rookie of the Year.

Nicole Ari Parker is best known for her role as Becky Barnett in the movie Boogie Nights. Fans also loved her as Teri Joseph in Soul Food and as Giselle Barker in the soap Empire. She also plays Samantha Miller in Chicago P.D. Nicole is an active Democrat.

Author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates gained international prominence while serving as the national correspondent at The Atlantic. His writings on socio-political issues related to African Americans and white supremacy garnered him much appreciation. He is a recipient of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Prize for Writing to Advance Social Justice. He also writes fiction and comics.

Michael Flynn is a retired US Army lieutenant general who played a key role in dismantling insurgent networks in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He also helped shape the US counterterrorism strategy in the wars. He also played a major role in the 2016 US presidential election, serving as Donald Trump's senior advisor throughout the latter's presidential campaign.

Erin Burnett is an American news anchor. Dubbed the International Superstar, Burnett has hosted her own show Erin Burnett OutFront from the borders of Afghanistan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates; she has also worked on a number of documentaries filmed inside India, Nigeria, Russia, and Libya. She has also reported from countries like Pakistan and China.

Actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist Frank Stallone is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone. He has written music for his brother’s movies and has received Golden Globe and Grammy nominations for his songs. He has also released numerous albums. He has appeared in many reality TV shows and radio segments as well.

Along with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden, Benji Madden has been one of the greatest musical duos as far as twin siblings are concerned. A huge fan of tattoos, Benji Madden has several tattoos, including one of Benjamin Franklin, which is so big that it covers his entire back!