Famous People From Minnesota

Singer-songwriter, dancer, and musician, Prince is is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was considered a guitar virtuoso and could also play several other instruments. With worldwide sales of over 150 million records, he is ranked among the best-selling music artists of all time. He was also well known for his flamboyant persona.

Singer-songwriter and author, Bob Dylan, is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Active in the music industry for almost six decades, he is a major pop culture icon who introduced a range of political, social, and literary influences to pop music. He is a Nobel laureate and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and short-story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. However, he wasn’t much popular during his lifetime. His works gained international acclaim only in the years following his untimely death at 44. Many of his works have been adapted into films.

Jessica Lange is a prominent actress with over four decades of experience in Hollywood. She is one of the few female performers to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting,” having won an Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award. She has appeared in many critically acclaimed films. Also a photographer, she has published four books.

Actress Winona Ryder is known for her roles in successful and critically acclaimed films such as Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Girl, Interrupted, Little Women and The Age of Innocence. She also starred in the hit show Stranger Things. She has been in the news for her relationships, including that with superstar Johnny Depp and a 2001 arrest for shoplifting.  

Well known actress Jessica Biel gained immense recognition with the television series 7th Heaven and film Ulee’s Gold. The actress, who initially began as a vocalist and model, later proved her acting skills by working in movies of diverse genres like horror, action thriller, romantic comedy and historical drama. Her notable work include The Sinner, Total Recall and The Illusionist. 

Joel Coen is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. One-half of the popular sibling duo, the Coen Brothers, Joel Coen is best known for making such films as Fargo and Miller's Crossing along with his brother Ethan Coen. The duo has received several honors including multiple nominations for the Academy Award and the prestigious Palme d'Or.

Ethan Coen is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. One half of the popular filmmaking duo the Coen Brothers, Ethan Coen has received several prestigious awards alongside his brother. The duo has won four Academy Awards, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Awards, and Producers Guild of America Awards.

Apart from being the first Hmong-American to participate in the Olympics, Sunisa Lee has also won a gold, a team silver, and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was also the 2019 world champion. Named to Time 100 in 2021, she was pepper-sprayed in a racist attack in Los Angeles.

From working at a video store, Josh Hartnett rose to being a Hollywood star. His filmography includes the war dramas Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, thrillers such as The Black Dahlia, and horrors such as 30 Days of Night. He also appeared in the award-winning horror series Penny Dreadful.

Starting out as a child actress, Rachael Leigh Cook went on to establish herself as a successful actress. Known for her good looks, she was ranked 26th in Stuff magazine's list of 102 Sexiest Women in the World in 2002. Also known for her public service, she was selected as a Champion of Change for Arts Education by the Obama administration.

Initially a ballerina, Lea Thompson later deviated to acting, after being told she didn’t have the perfect body to pursue ballet. She then modeled for Burger King and eventually bagged a role in Jaws 3-D. She later gained fame with Caroline in the City and the Back to the Future trilogy.

Charles M. Schulz was an American cartoonist. He is credited with creating the popular comic strip, Peanuts, which featured world-renowned characters like Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Considered one of the most influential cartoonists ever, Schulz's works have influenced other cartoonists like Dav Pilkey, Matt Groening, and Jim Davis. In 1996, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Garrett Hedlund has played important roles in many popular films. Also a skilled musician, Hedlund plays the violin and guitar. While filming Eragon, his friend Jeremy Irons taught him alternative violin techniques. Hedlund has released a couple of music videos and singles. Also known for his looks, he was named Man of the Year at the 2011 Glamour Awards.

Known as a typical Hitchcock Blonde, Tippi Hedren soared to fame with her roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Marnie. An animal rights activist, too, she set up the Roar Foundation and the Shambala Preserve, after witnessing the plight of the animals that are used for shoots.

As the patriarch of the Getty family, J. Paul Getty was an influential petrol-industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Company. In 1966, Paul made it to the Guinness Book of Records as the world's richest private citizen. An avid collector of antiquities and art, his collection is preserved at the J. Paul Getty Museum in California.

Yung Gravy is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He is known for his songs 1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot and Mr. Clean, which have been certified platinum by the RIAA. He often blends trap music with elements of soul and oldies from the 1950s and 1960s and his style has been described as groovy and humorous.

WWE legend Jesse Ventura, known by his ring name “The Body,” also served as the mayor of Brooklyn from 1991 to 1995 and as the governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He had previously served the U.S. Navy. He has also appeared in films and written several books.

Model and actress Shantel VanSanten has been featured in the magazines Teen Vogue and Seventeen. She began her modeling career as a teenager and eventually made her foray into acting. Initially, she played minor roles in TV series and then started taking up film projects as well. She has also appeared in a couple of music videos.

Mixed martial artist Cat Zingano, who currently represents Bellator MMA, is a world champion in the bantamweight and flyweight divisions and had begun training in martial arts at 12. A brown belt and a world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, she also teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Thai, and wrestling.

Mike Farrell is an American actor known for playing, Captain B.J. Hunnicutt, in the popular war comedy-drama TV series, M*A*S*H. Farrell's journey from being born into a working-class family to becoming a famous Hollywood actor is quite inspiring. Also a political and social activist, Farrell has worked on several activist campaigns. In 2001, he was honored with PETA's Humanitarian Award.

Known for her stints on Fox News and CBS News, TV journalist Gretchen Carlson made headlines when she accused Fox CEO Roger Ailes of having sexually harassed her earlier, eventually causing him to resign. The former Miss America is also a skilled classical violinist and a Juilliard alumna.

Jane Russell was an American actress and singer. Renowned for her beauty, Russell was considered one of the leading sex symbols of Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s. In 2009, Glamour magazine named her in its list of 40 Most Iconic Movie Goddesses. Her contribution to the entertainment industry was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Kelly Lynch is best known for her Independent Spirit Award-nominated roles in Drugstore Cowboy and The Beans of Egypt, Maine. She also appeared in series such as The L Word, 90210, and Magic City, and in movies such as Curly Sue and Virtuosity. She is married to writer/producer Mitch Glazer. 

Allison Holker is an American dancer known for appearing in the reality TV dance competition show, So You Think You Can Dance. She has also worked in several concert tours, films, and television series. In 2007, she was adjudged the National Senior Dancer of the Year. In 2013, she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination under the Outstanding Choreography category.