17 Awesome People From Louisville

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1. Muhammad Ali: Multiple heavyweight boxing champion and one of the most iconic figures in 20th-century American sports.

2. Jennifer Carpenter: Actress best known for work on Showtime’s Dexter as the character Debra Morgan.

3. Iman Crosson: Actor, Internet celebrity and Obama impersonator who became an example of professional promotion using the Internet.

4. Tom Cruise: Actor (born in Syracuse, New York, lived in Louisville until his mid-teens). Star of the films Risky Business, Top Gun, A Few Good Men, and Mission: Impossible, among others.

5. Darrell Griffith: Basketball player. Won 1980 NCAA basketball championship and John R. Wooden Award; 1980 NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player; 1981 NBA Rookie of the Year Award; played 11 seasons with the Utah Jazz; nicknamed “Dr. Dunkenstein” for aerial exploits.

6.John Hensley: TV and film actor, regular cast member on the cable TV program Nip/Tuck.

7. Mildred & Patty Hill: Composers of the song “Happy Birthday to You”.

8. Edwin Hubble: Astronomer/Astrophysicist, Basketball Coach at New Albany, IN High School and namesake of the Hubble Space Telescope. Lived in the Highlands.

9. Ken Jenkins: Stage and film actor, co-founder of Actors Theatre of Louisville and acted in Scrubs, Gone in 60 Seconds, and I Am Sam.

10. Jennifer Lawrence: Film actress best known for her Oscar-winning performance in Silver Linings Playbook and Oscar-nominated performance in Winter’s Bone, and as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.

11. Rob Riggle: Actor on The Daily Show, The Office, and Saturday Night Live

12. Rajon Rondo: Former Kentucky Wildcat basketball player. Current NBA player for Boston, won an NBA Championship in 2008, and has participated in several NBA All-Star games.

13. Don Rosa: Illustrator of Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other Disney characters.

14. Colonel Harland Sanders: Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, born, raised, and lived in Henryville, Indiana until adulthood.

15. Hunter S. Thompson: Journalist and author, long-time contributing writer for Rolling Stone magazine.

16. Johnny Unitas: Quarterback at University of Louisville who went on to a Hall of Fame career, mainly with the Baltimore Colts.

17. Brent Weedman: is a retired American mixed martial artist who has competed in Bellator’s Welterweight division. He has competed in several Bellator Tournaments, including the: Bellator Season Four Welterweight Tournament, Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament, and the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tournament.

The above are notable people who were either born/raised or have lived for a significant period of time in the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area.

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