In honor of the Milwaukee Bucks win last night over the Phoenix Suns, we're going to list some celebrities that you may not know are from "America's Dairyland".
Mark Ruffalo | Kenosha
The Avengersstar may surprise people with his Wisconsin background, but anyone that obsessively watches videos of The Avengers cast knows that Ruffalo being from Wisco makes way too much sense. The actor is most famous for his role as the Hulk but he has had a long, successful career including Oscar nominations for The Kids are Alright, Foxcatcher, and Spotlight. Ruffalo is one of few stars to have been nominated for an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award, making him part of a special breed.
Willem Dafoe | Appleton
This Jim Beancommercial features a young Willem Dafoe in Appleton and all of the different versions of himself that he could've become. The actor chose to leave his hometown for Milwaukee when he was still in high school and never looked back. He is known for his gravelly voice and great versatility in Hollywood as he has played everything from Nosferatu in Shadow of The Vampire to a cross-dressing cop in Boondock Saints. You probably best know the actor as a U.S. soldier in Platoonor as Green Goblin in the first Tobey MaguireSpider-Manmovie.
Heather Graham | Milwaukee
The famous actress, director, and writer was born in Wisconsin but moved to California at the age of 9, which is when her acting career began. Graham's first big role was in Drugstore Cowboy, followed by her role as Lorraine in Swingers (Jon Favreau's character, Mike's final love interest). Graham has made a name for herself onscreen by playing Roller Girl in Boogie Nightsand even starring as Felicity Shagwell alongside Austin Powers in The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Chris Farley | Madison
The actor and comedian is best known for his legendary role on Saturday Night Live back in the 1990's. Farley was involved in some legendary movies in his short acting career: Tommy Boy (1995), Wayne's World (1992), Coneheads (1993). Farley sadly passed away from a drug overdose in December 1997 and left behind a legacy at a very young age. Many remember how big the news was when Farley died, however if you are younger, check out Tommy Boy to understand the huge loss Farley was to the comedy-world.
Gene Wilder | Milwaukee
The legendary actor is best known for his role as the original Willy Wonka in the movie-version of the novel. Wilder is renowned as a fantastic actor and was especially talented in the comedic world. He is also very well-known for playing young Dr. Frankenstein. Wilder got into acting when his doctor told him to try cheering up his sick mother. She noticed his talent and sent him to acting school in California, although Wilder returned very quickly to his hometown's local theater until his big break.
Bob Uecker | Milwaukee
Watch the most recent episode of "Monsters at Work," and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the character and familiar voice of Bob Yucker!\n#Brewers #MLBpic.twitter.com/lCiJCRO6j3— Bob Uecker (@Bob Uecker) 1626309080
Uecker has been the radio voice of the Milwaukee Brewers since 1971 after his less-than-mediocre Major League career on the team. Uecker is known across the state and nationwide for his broadcasting talent as he was in the Major League movies and was given the nickname "Mr. Baseball" from Johnny Carson. He has a statue outside of Miller Park and is even in the WWE Hall of Fame after appearances in Wrestlemania III and IV.
Jessica Szohr | Menomonee
The Gossip Girlactress began her career at the young age of 6 when she modeled for Wisconsin's own Kohl's department store. Szohr is best-known for her role as Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl, however she has many film and TV credits: The Internship (2013), Ted 2 (2015), Shameless (2017-2018). The actress is still in the younger phases of her career and we are excited to see where this Wisconsin girl will end up!
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee
Good Morning Milwaukee !! \n\nLooking forward to \u2066@NBA\u2069 Game 6 - @Bucks vs \u2066@Suns\u2069 - watch for a few surprises coming your way !pic.twitter.com/qXcdq6cLcW— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) 1626629579
Many Bucks stars have been reconnecting with the team during these playoffs: Oscar Robertson, Michael Redd, and Bob Dandridge all were sitting courtside at some point in the Bucks' playoff run. The most iconic star to reconnect with the team is the one that brought the Bucks their first and only NBA championship prior to this year.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a pop culture icon, best-selling author, and NBA legend. Film-wise, Kareem most recently was in an episode of Davestarring alongside Lil Dicky, however he also has made great strides in Milwaukee by appearing at many new sites and attractions that the team has created. Kareem might have not been born in the city but he is a staple in the sports world of Wisconsin and continues to play a large part in Wisconsin culture and pop culture at large.
JJ Watt | Waukesha
This beast of a football player was born in Wisconsin and grew up there. Watt is discussed widely in the Wisco sports world and he has tweeted a couple of times about the Bucks' playoff run, including a congratulations to the team when they won last night.
Colin Kaepernick | Milwaukee
The athlete and activist that changed the world before, during, and after the pandemic was actually born in Wisconsin. Before Kaepernick was a lead figure in the Black Lives Matter Movement, he was raised by his birth mother in Wisconsin until he was 4 years-old. Colin's mother was only 19 when she had him so she decided to give him up to the Kaepernick's, who lived in Turlock, California so that he could have a better life.
Danica Patrick | Beloit
The first women to win an IndyCar championship event, Danica Patrick began her racing career with go-karts in her hometown of Beloit. Patrick was the face of racing during the mid-2000's and finished 4th at the Indy 500 in her first appearance (2005). Patrick later won the Firestone IndyCar 300 race and joined the lower-tier of NASCAR, which silenced critics that thought she was simply popular but not talented. Patrick hosts a podcast now and has written many different books about health, racing, and other topics.
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