Famous People Born In Philadelphia

The former professional basketball player, Kobe Bryant, was drafted into NBA immediately after his school and went on to become one of the most successful basketball players of his generation. During his career of two decades, the Los Angeles Lakers player created numerous new records. He authored a book and one of his poems even inspired an animated short film.

The charismatic, versatile and bankable American artist, Will Smith, tasted early success with rapping. A successful transition into films and television soon followed and made Smith a phenomenal success. With solid earnings, he has also frequently secured himself a place in the list of highest paid actors in world.

American comedian and actor, Kevin Hart attained fame as a stand-up comic and then established himself as a leading comedic actor on the big screen with films like Get Hard, About Last Night, Ride Along and The Wedding Ringer. He has also been part of two Jumanji films. He was critically acclaimed for the 2019 comedy-drama film The Upside.

Aptly named by her parents, Grace Kelly was one of the most graceful and talented actresses of her era, starring in 11 feature films and over 60 TV productions. A darling of Alfred Hitchcock movies, this Oscar winning actress left her successful Hollywood career after her wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and thus became the Princess of Monaco.

Richard Gere's performance in the movie American Gigolo cemented his position as a sex symbol in the 1980s. He also established himself as a leading man, becoming one of Hollywood's most bankable and popular actors during the '90s. One of the most dedicated actors, he learned karate for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman and tap dance for Chicago.

Lil Uzi Vert is an American rapper whose music is defined by dark subject matters, which complements his androgynous fashion, eccentric hairstyles, facial piercings, and face tattoos. Lil Uzi Vert has often courted controversy by saying phrases associated with Satanism and adding satanic imagery to his Instagram account. He has also been accused of worshipping Satan.

Regarded by many as the father of modern linguistics, Noam Chomsky has authored over 100 books on varied topics, such as politics, linguistics, and war. A multi-talented personality, Noam Chomsky is considered a popular figure in analytic philosophy. Apart from influencing a wide array of academic fields, he has also contributed to the development of cognitivism.

A model who was active during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gia Carangi was considered by many to be one of the first supermodels. She was featured on the covers of multiple fashion magazines, including editions of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She also worked with various famous designers. She died of AIDS at the young age of 26.

Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American actor well-known for his work in the film and TV industry. One of the most versatile and talented actors of his generation, Bacon was named in The Guardian as one of the best actors to have never received an Oscar nomination. Also a philanthropist, Kevin Bacon established a charitable foundation called SixDegrees.org in 2007.

Bob Saget was an American actor, director, television host, and stand-up comedian. Renowned for his adult-oriented stand-up comedy routine, Saget hosted popular TV shows, such as America's Funniest Home Videos. Also known for his charity work, Bob Saget served as one of the members of the board of the non-profit organization, Scleroderma Research Foundation.

Marshmello is an American DJ and electronic music producer. In 2017, he was named as one of the world's highest-paid DJs by Forbes magazine. He wears a custom helmet, which looks like a marshmallow, for public appearances, and his identity was unknown at the beginning of his career. He is also a well-known philanthropist and a generous donator.

Todd Rundgren is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is credited with forming popular rock bands, such as Utopia and Nazz. Regarded as a pioneer in the fields of progressive rock, electronic music, Internet music delivery, and music videos, Todd Rundgren's works, such as A Wizard, a True Star remain influential in the world of music.

Lisa Lopes, popularly known as “Left Eye,” was a member of the Grammy-winning hip-hop/R&B girl band TLC. Apart from rapping and singing, she also co-wrote songs and managed the band’s outfits, album titles, and artworks. Lopes died in a car accident in Honduras, leaving behind her incomplete second solo album.

Bernard Hopkins is an American retired boxer who held several world championships between 2001 to 2012 in two weight classes. Nicknamed The Executioner, Hopkins is widely regarded as one of the modern era's greatest boxers. A highly strategic boxer, Bernard Hopkins was also renowned for his speed, power, and counterpunching skills.

Jim Croce was an American rock and folk singer-songwriter. At the peak of his popularity, Jim Croce died in a plane crash at age 30. Many of his works were released posthumously and achieved popularity. Jim Croce's music has been used in many popular films, such as The Hangover Part II, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Hobbs & Shaw.

A six-time NBA All-Star, Kyle Lowry has been an important player for the Canadian professional basketball team Toronto Raptors since 2012; he helped the team win their first NBA championship in 2019. Also a prominent player for the US national team, Kyle Lowry was part of the US team that won the Olympic gold in 2016.

Jesse Watters is best known for his aggressive ambush journalism and for his vox pop interviews featured in the "Watters' World” segment of the show The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. A seasoned political commentator, he has also hosted the talk shows The Five and Outnumbered.

Jack Klugman was an American actor best known for playing Oscar Madison in the popular TV series The Odd Couple, for which he received a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Apart from being an actor, Klugman was also a Thoroughbred racing fan and owned a Thoroughbred racehorse named Jaklin Klugman, which competed in the 1980 Kentucky Derby.

American magician and illusionist Teller is most noted for his performance with Penn Jillette as half of the famous comedy magic duo Penn & Teller. Works of Teller also includes featuring in the series Penn & Teller: Bullshit! with Jillette; co-directing and incorporating stage magic techniques in the plays Macbeth and The Tempest; and directing the documentary film Tim's Vermeer. 

Linda Fiorentino is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Bridget Gregory in the 1994 neo-noir erotic thriller film The Last Seduction, for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination and won a couple of prestigious awards, including the New York Film Critics Circle Award.

Mark Levin is an American lawyer and radio personality. He hosts popular shows, such as The Mark Levin Show and Life, Liberty & Levin. Since 2015, he has been contributing immensely as the editor-in-chief of the popular American website Conservative Review. Also a well-known author, Mark Levin has written seven New York Times best-selling books.

One of the earliest members of the famous Barrymore family of actors, Lionel Barrymore remains best known for his portrayal of Mr. Potter in the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. Unlike many of his descendants, Barrymore also composed music. For his contribution to motion picture and radio, Barrymore was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Famous photographer, painter and filmmaker, Man Ray was the sole American who was a significant part of both the Dada and Surrealist movements. Despite his contributions in various artistic mediums, he is best remembered as a photographer who popularised solarisation and Rayographs techniques. He also made films including the Surrealist classic L’Étoile de mer and published his autobiography Self-Portrait.

Game show creator, producer, and host Chuck Barris began his career at NBC in New York City as a page. Brilliant and creative, he moved up the ranks in the entertainment industry and was soon producing music for TV shows. He then opened his own production company and went ahead to gain fame as a game show creator.