This is a list of people from the
Louisville metropolitan area which consists of the
Kentucky county of
Jefferson and the
Indiana counties of
Clark and
Floyd in the
United States. Included are notable people who were either born or raised there, or have maintained residency for a significant period.
Actors and entertainment
Marty Bass, television news reporter and weatherman; born and raised in Louisville
Foster Brooks, actor and comedian; known for his "Lovable Lush" character; long-time Las Vegas headliner; appeared on numerous TV programs from the mid-1960s to mid-1990s; cameo roles in The Villain and Cannonball Run II; perhaps best known for his frequent appearances on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, and on the Dean Martin Show
Tod Browning, film actor and director; directed several films starring silent screen legend
Lon Chaney Sr., among them The Unholy 3 (1925) and West of Zanzibar (1928); known for directing the horror classic Dracula (1931) starring
Bela Lugosi, and the cult classic Freaks (1932)
Harry Carter,
silent film actor; appeared in numerous films including the 1921 serial The Hope Diamond Mystery
Andrew Colville screenwriter; worked on Mad Men, for which he won a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award
William Conrad, actor and narrator in radio, film and television from the 1930s through the 1990s; provided the voice for Marshal Matt Dillon in the radio version of Gunsmoke; later starred on television as private detective Frank Cannon in the series Cannon and prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe in the series Jake and the Fatman
Iman Crosson, actor, internet celebrity and
Obama impersonator who became an example of professional
promotion using the Internet
Petey Greene, television and radio talk show host; two-time Emmy Award-winner
Griffin Sisters, African-American Vaudeville performers and entrepreneurs
D. W. Griffith, film director and innovator; credited with originating many camera techniques still commonly used in films today; directed The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance and Way Down East; lived several years in the Brown Hotel, until his death in 1948
John Hensley, television and film actor, regular cast member on the cable TV program Nip/Tuck
Doan Hoang, movie director, movie producer, documentary Oh Saigon (2007) and short film Hard Times (2012); graduate of Seneca High School (1990) in Louisville
Maggie Lawson, television actress known for her role as Juliet on the detective drama/comedy Psych
Tom London, bit player and stunt performer in numerous films, primarily westerns; began film career in early silent era; transitioned to TV roles in the early 1950s; listed in Guinness World Records as Hollywood's most prolific actor, with over 600 film appearances
Marty Pollio, stand-up comic and mime; has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; has performed his semi-autobiographical one-man show "Prisoners Of Cheese" at The Montreal Fringe Festival
Wes Ramsey, television and film actor, daytime serial Guiding Light and independent film Latter Days
Martha Rofheart (née Jones), model, actress and author; born in Louisville 1917, moved to New York City in late 1930s; actress
Lynn Fontanne's protege; appeared on Broadway; published six historical novels in 1970s and 1980s
Jess Weixler, film and television actress; starred in the film Teeth as well as a plethora of other independent films; graduated in 1999 from
Atherton High School; also attended the Walden Theatre Conservatory Program and was in The River City Players acting group and in the Chamber Singers choral group.
Fontaine Fox, nationally syndicated cartoonist; creator of The Toonerville Trolley (aka Toonerville Folks), one of the most popular strips of the World War I era
S. Thruston Ballard, politician, philanthropist, and miller, who served as the 33rd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
Anna Simms Banks, first African-American female elected as a delegate at the 7th Congressional District Republican Convention in Kentucky
Thomas Barlow, member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky's 1st congressional district
J. C. W. Beckham, the 35th Governor of Kentucky and a United States Senator from Kentucky.
Morris B. Belknap, Republican nominee for Governor of Kentucky in 1903
William Burke Belknap, served two terms as a representative in the Kentucky General Assembly
Andy Beshear, 63rd Governor of Kentucky, 2019–present; 50th Attorney General of Kentucky (2016–2019)
Steve Beshear, 61st Governor of Kentucky, 2007–2015; 49th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky (1983–1987); 43rd Attorney General of Kentucky (1979–1983)
Charles Booker, Director of Kentucky's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement, former Kentucky House Representative (2019-2021), and the first
African American to be a
major party nominee for
U.S. Senate in Kentucky.
Marion L. Boswell, Air Force lieutenant general who was assistant vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.; served as chairman and senior Air Force representative, United States Delegation to the Military Staff Committee, United Nations
Jim Cornette, professional wrestling manager and promoter
Bernie Crimmins, the
University of Notre Dame football player; head football college football coach at Indiana University; assistant football coach at Notre Dame and Purdue University
Pervis Ellison, basketball player; born in Savannah, Georgia; "Never Nervous Pervis" was the starting center for the University of Louisville for four years, including the 1986 national championship year; second freshman to be named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four; first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings
Will Wolford,
Pro Bowl NFL offensive lineman, played for Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts; head football coach at his alma mater of
St. Xavier High School; radio color analyst for the Indianapolis Colts
Logan Wyatt, professional baseball first baseman in the San Francisco Giants organization
Anna J. Hamilton, educator, journalist, writer, and editor; one of the editors for Kentucky on "A Woman of the Century", helped edit the National Encyclopedia of America
Agnes Leonard Hill, journalist, author, poet, newspaper founder/publisher, evangelist, social reformer
Lewis Craig Humphrey, Editor of Louisville newspapers The Evening Post and The Herald-Post
^Forde, Pat (February 26, 2013).
"Forde Minutes: Who deserves a No. 1 seed?". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 28, 2013. The Minutes kept it local last week, but that doesn't mean there wasn't quality food to be had. When hungry in Louisville, try the peerless Jack Fry's (40), a famed local landmark that has nothing bad on the menu.
This is a list of people from the
Louisville metropolitan area which consists of the
Kentucky county of
Jefferson and the
Indiana counties of
Clark and
Floyd in the
United States. Included are notable people who were either born or raised there, or have maintained residency for a significant period.
Actors and entertainment
Marty Bass, television news reporter and weatherman; born and raised in Louisville
Foster Brooks, actor and comedian; known for his "Lovable Lush" character; long-time Las Vegas headliner; appeared on numerous TV programs from the mid-1960s to mid-1990s; cameo roles in The Villain and Cannonball Run II; perhaps best known for his frequent appearances on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, and on the Dean Martin Show
Tod Browning, film actor and director; directed several films starring silent screen legend
Lon Chaney Sr., among them The Unholy 3 (1925) and West of Zanzibar (1928); known for directing the horror classic Dracula (1931) starring
Bela Lugosi, and the cult classic Freaks (1932)
Harry Carter,
silent film actor; appeared in numerous films including the 1921 serial The Hope Diamond Mystery
Andrew Colville screenwriter; worked on Mad Men, for which he won a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award
William Conrad, actor and narrator in radio, film and television from the 1930s through the 1990s; provided the voice for Marshal Matt Dillon in the radio version of Gunsmoke; later starred on television as private detective Frank Cannon in the series Cannon and prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe in the series Jake and the Fatman
Iman Crosson, actor, internet celebrity and
Obama impersonator who became an example of professional
promotion using the Internet
Petey Greene, television and radio talk show host; two-time Emmy Award-winner
Griffin Sisters, African-American Vaudeville performers and entrepreneurs
D. W. Griffith, film director and innovator; credited with originating many camera techniques still commonly used in films today; directed The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance and Way Down East; lived several years in the Brown Hotel, until his death in 1948
John Hensley, television and film actor, regular cast member on the cable TV program Nip/Tuck
Doan Hoang, movie director, movie producer, documentary Oh Saigon (2007) and short film Hard Times (2012); graduate of Seneca High School (1990) in Louisville
Maggie Lawson, television actress known for her role as Juliet on the detective drama/comedy Psych
Tom London, bit player and stunt performer in numerous films, primarily westerns; began film career in early silent era; transitioned to TV roles in the early 1950s; listed in Guinness World Records as Hollywood's most prolific actor, with over 600 film appearances
Marty Pollio, stand-up comic and mime; has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; has performed his semi-autobiographical one-man show "Prisoners Of Cheese" at The Montreal Fringe Festival
Wes Ramsey, television and film actor, daytime serial Guiding Light and independent film Latter Days
Martha Rofheart (née Jones), model, actress and author; born in Louisville 1917, moved to New York City in late 1930s; actress
Lynn Fontanne's protege; appeared on Broadway; published six historical novels in 1970s and 1980s
Jess Weixler, film and television actress; starred in the film Teeth as well as a plethora of other independent films; graduated in 1999 from
Atherton High School; also attended the Walden Theatre Conservatory Program and was in The River City Players acting group and in the Chamber Singers choral group.
Fontaine Fox, nationally syndicated cartoonist; creator of The Toonerville Trolley (aka Toonerville Folks), one of the most popular strips of the World War I era
S. Thruston Ballard, politician, philanthropist, and miller, who served as the 33rd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
Anna Simms Banks, first African-American female elected as a delegate at the 7th Congressional District Republican Convention in Kentucky
Thomas Barlow, member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky's 1st congressional district
J. C. W. Beckham, the 35th Governor of Kentucky and a United States Senator from Kentucky.
Morris B. Belknap, Republican nominee for Governor of Kentucky in 1903
William Burke Belknap, served two terms as a representative in the Kentucky General Assembly
Andy Beshear, 63rd Governor of Kentucky, 2019–present; 50th Attorney General of Kentucky (2016–2019)
Steve Beshear, 61st Governor of Kentucky, 2007–2015; 49th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky (1983–1987); 43rd Attorney General of Kentucky (1979–1983)
Charles Booker, Director of Kentucky's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement, former Kentucky House Representative (2019-2021), and the first
African American to be a
major party nominee for
U.S. Senate in Kentucky.
Marion L. Boswell, Air Force lieutenant general who was assistant vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.; served as chairman and senior Air Force representative, United States Delegation to the Military Staff Committee, United Nations
Jim Cornette, professional wrestling manager and promoter
Bernie Crimmins, the
University of Notre Dame football player; head football college football coach at Indiana University; assistant football coach at Notre Dame and Purdue University
Pervis Ellison, basketball player; born in Savannah, Georgia; "Never Nervous Pervis" was the starting center for the University of Louisville for four years, including the 1986 national championship year; second freshman to be named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four; first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings
Will Wolford,
Pro Bowl NFL offensive lineman, played for Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts; head football coach at his alma mater of
St. Xavier High School; radio color analyst for the Indianapolis Colts
Logan Wyatt, professional baseball first baseman in the San Francisco Giants organization
Anna J. Hamilton, educator, journalist, writer, and editor; one of the editors for Kentucky on "A Woman of the Century", helped edit the National Encyclopedia of America
Agnes Leonard Hill, journalist, author, poet, newspaper founder/publisher, evangelist, social reformer
Lewis Craig Humphrey, Editor of Louisville newspapers The Evening Post and The Herald-Post
^Forde, Pat (February 26, 2013).
"Forde Minutes: Who deserves a No. 1 seed?". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 28, 2013. The Minutes kept it local last week, but that doesn't mean there wasn't quality food to be had. When hungry in Louisville, try the peerless Jack Fry's (40), a famed local landmark that has nothing bad on the menu.