The 50 Most Famous People From St. Louis

Jon Hamm

In case you haven't heard, before he blew up big as Don Draper on Mad Men, Jon Hamm was just a St. Louis boy. Not only did he attend John Burroughs School, he later taught acting there.

Photo credit: photo via AMC

Andy Cohen

This beloved television talk show host, producer, writer and radio personality is a proud son of St. Louis. While you'll usually see him in snazzy suits on television, the Clayton High School graduate can often be seen sporting STL gear and trash-talking Stan Kroenke when he's off duty. There's no doubt about it: Andy Cohen is St. Louis royalty.

Photo credit: screengrab from YouTube

Nelly

He’s from the Lou and he’s proud. Rapper and original St. Lunatic Nelly represents for St. Louis every chance he gets and St. Louis loves him for it. If you didnt' know Nelly was from St. Louis then you just haven't been listening.

Photo credit: Erin Kinsella

Cedric The Entertainer

Actor, comedian and show host Cedric the Entertainer co-stared in The Steve Harvey Show and is loved by many across the country. He got his start in St. Louis and graduated from Berkeley High School.

Photo credit: DFree / Shutterstock

John Goodman

He's thought of as Dan Connor from Lanford, Illinois, but John Goodman's distinctive Midwestern accent on Roseanne came from growing up in St. Louis. Goodman is from Affton and went to Affton High School before earning a football scholarship to Missouri State University.

Photo credit: Jack polletta / Flickr

Karlie Kloss

Model Karlie Kloss was born in Chicago, but moved with her family to St. Louis as a baby. She attended Webster Groves High School and was discovered as a teen when she was doing local runway shows.

Photo credit: cropped version of a photo from Ivano Bellini / Flickr

Ellie Kemper

Famous for The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ellie Kemper spent most of her childhood in St. Louis. She lived in Ladue and went John Burroughs School, where one of her teachers was Jon Hamm.

Photo credit: Alex Erde / Flickr

Scott Bakula

Known for being Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap and Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise, actor Scott Bakula was born in St. Louis and attended Jefferson College in Jefferson County, Missouri, before moving to New York City in 1976.

Photo credit: Evan Watson

Jenifer Lewis

Jenifer Lewis' long career has winded through huge film after huge film all the way through to hit TV series Black-ish, but this Hollywood star was born in Kinloch, attended Kinloch High School, went to college at Webster University and still visits home frequently.

Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock

James Gunn

Filmmaker James Gunn (left) is known for Guardians of the Galaxy and his work with Troma, but many people don't know that the St. Louis-born Gunn went to SLU High and Saint Louis University before moving to New York for graduate school at Columbia University.

Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock

Doris Roberts

Before her acting career and role as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, Doris Roberts was born to Russian Jewish immigrants in your favorite city of St. Louis.

Photo credit: Joe Seer / Shutterstock

Maya Angelou

Born in St. Louis, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou spent much of her childhood here in the Gateway to the West.

Photo credit: York College of PA / Flickr

Kathleen Madigan

This famous comedian can be seen all over your television, but she grew up all over Missouri, with most of her younger years spent in Florissant. (This Missouri girl also lived in House Springs and near the Ozarks, too.)

Photo credit: screengrab from YouTube

Chuck Berry

He’s the king of rock n’ roll, but he’s also basically the King of St. Louis. Chuck Berry was born here, lived most of his life here and played shows in St. Louis well into his twilight years. His funeral was even hosted at The Pageant in the Loop.

Photo credit: Steve Truesdell

William S. Burroughs

Though he spent much of his life traveling the world before settling in Kansas City, William S. Burroughs was born in St. Louis, grew up in the Central West End and attended John Burroughs School and Taylor School in Clayton before going on to Harvard University.

Photo credit: screengrab from YouTube

Yogi Berra

Famous baseball player, coach and one-man quote machine Yogi Berra was raised on The Hill. Although he died in 2015, he’s still one of the most beloved St. Louisans of all time.

Photo credit: Bari D / Flickr

SZA

She shot to fame so quickly that most people don't know that singer SZA was originally a St. Louis girl.

Photo credit: DeShaun Craddock / Flickr

Kevin Nealon

Everybody loved Kevin Nealon on Saturday Night Live and we love Kevin Nealon for being from St. Louis. He was born here in 1953.

Photo credit: Thomas Hawk / Flickr

Kevin Kline

Famous actor and singer Kevin Kline has won both Academy Awards and Tony Awards, but he also wins the award for best hometown: Kline was born in St. Louis and went to Saint Louis Priory School.

Photo credit: Devon Christopher Adams / Flickr

Jack Dorsey

As the co-founder and CEO of Twitter (and the founder and CEO of Square), St. Louis born and raised Jack Dorsey has had a huge impact on the world.

Photo credit: Tom Hellauer