Rochester might not be the biggest city in New York state, but that hasn’t stopped a steady stream of actors, writers, singers, athletes, and other notable figures pouring out of it over the years. From Louise Brooks to John Lithgow, Phillip Seyman Hoffman to Kim Gordan, countless celebs can call the city home. If you’ve got links to the city and want to find out which famous faces do too, here’s 20 of our favorite celebrities from Rochester, NY.
20. Lauren O’ Connell
Singer-songwriter Lauren O’Connell was born in Rochester, NY on December 10, 1988. At 12, she taught herself guitar; by 15, she was writing her own songs and at 19, she recorded her debut album, Sitting in Chairs, in one day straight at Saxon Recording Studio in Rochester. She’s since released half a dozen more independent albums, along with two EP’s as part of a duo with Nataly Dawn called My Terrible Friend.
19. Chandler Jones
After playing college football at Syracuse, Chandler Jones was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. After four successful seasons with the Patriots, Jones was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2016. Chandler isn’t the only athletic member of the family – his brother Arthur is a former defensive end who played eight seasons in the NFL, while his younger brother Jon is a former UFC light heavyweight champion of the world.
18. Jon Jones
Mixed martial artist Jonathan Dwight Jones was born July 19, 1987, in Rochester. At the age of 23, he shot to fame after becoming the youngest champion in UFC history. Since then, he’s set multiple records for the most wins, title defenses, winning streaks, and more. His career hasn’t been without its controversies, however, and he’s been stripped of his title on three occasions for incidents that include the use of illegal substances and a hit-and-run charge.
17. Arthur Jones
Like his brothers Jon and Chandler, Arthur Jones made his name in sport. The Rochester native and former football defensive end played eight seasons in the NFL after being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2010 NFL Draft. He also spent stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins before retiring in 2017.
16. Chyna
Chyna was born in Rochester on December 27, 1969. She rose to fame in the World Wrestling Federation, becoming the first female wrestler to participate in the Royal Rumble match and King of the Ring tournament. Her victories over multiple male wrestlers, including prominent champions like Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Jeff Jarrett, led WWE to call her “the most dominant female competitor of all time.” Outside of wrestling, she maintained a high profile as a reality TV and porn star. After a highly publicized battle with addiction and mental health, Chyna died on April 20, 2016, from an overdose.
15. Robert Forster
Robert Forster was born in Rochester on July 13, 1941. After graduating from the University of Rochester in 1964, he began his career as an actor, earning early acclaim for his roles in John Huston’s Reflections in a Golden Eye, Robert Mulligan’s The Stalking Moon, and Medium Cool. In the ’70s, he moved into TV, landing starring roles in Banyon and Nakia. After a mid-career slump, he enjoyed a second wind after his Academy Award-nominated performance in Jackie Brown in the mid-1990s pushed him back into the spotlight. Forster died in LA at the age of 78 from brain cancer.
14. Teddy Geiger
Rochester native Teddy Geiger first came to fame in 2006 with the release of her debut album, Underage Thinking. The album peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard 200, while its singles, For You I Will (Confidence) and These Walls both picked up a huge amount of airplay. Although her profile has dipped in the years since, she’s still active, with her last album, 2018’s LillyAnna, picking up rave reviews from the critics.
13. Pete Duel
Born in Rochester on February 24, 1940, Pete Duel was encouraged to go into acting by his father, who, after watching him in a production of The Rose Tattoo at St. Lawrence University, told him he was wasting his time and money bothering with a degree and to quit college and start acting instead. After taking his advice, Duel and his mother moved to Hollywood where he soon started picking up guest roles in TV shows like Channing, Combat!, and Bonanza. In 1970, he was cast in his best-remembered role as Hannibal Heyes, alias Joshua Smith, in Alias Smith and Jones. Duel, who’d been battling a drinking problem for several years, died in his home in the Hollywood Hills of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in December 1971.
12. Davey Havok
Davey Havok was born in Rochester, New York, on November 20, 1975. Back then he was known as David Paden Passaro, but when he and some friends formed the rock group AFI in the early 1990s, he made some changes. In addition to his huge success as the lead vocalist of AFI, Havok has launched several side projects, including Blaqk Audio, XTRMST, and Dreamcar. He’s also founded clothing lines, written 2 books, and dabbled in acting.
11. Chuck Mangione
Instrumentalist, composer, and voice actor Chuck Mangione was born in Rochester on November 29, 1940. Since rising to fame as part of Art Blakey’s band in the 1960s, he’s released over 30 albums, winning international acclaim for hit singles like Feels So Good. He’s also enjoyed success as an actor, appearing on shows such as Magnum. P.I, Sharon and Lois & Bram’s Elephant Show, and voicing a fictionalized version of himself on King of the Hill.
10. Hugh O’Brian
Actor Hugh O’Brian was born on April 19, 1925, in Rochester. After being discovered by director Ida Lupino, he started making his name on the big screen. As IMDb notes, although his beefcake good look gave him a natural advantage, he rebelled against type, shunning the romantic leading man roles in favor of secondary, character parts. In 1955, he landed a starring role on the TV show, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, which immediately turned him into a household name. In addition to his acting success, O’Brian is also known for creating the nonprofit youth leadership-development program, the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation, which has sponsored over half a million students since the 1950s. O’Brian died at the age of 91 in September 2016.
9. Mimi Kennedy
Actress, author, and activist Mimi Kennedy was born in Rochester on September 25, 1948. After getting her first foot on the ladder at the age of 12 with the Rochester Community Players, she continued to make waves with appearances in The National Lampoon Show, the Broadway production of Grease, and sitcoms like Family Man, Spencer, and The Two of Us. In 1991, she showed off her serious acting chops in the critically acclaimed Homefront. Since then, she’s flitted between comic and serious roles, appearing in shows such as Veep, ER Scandal, In Plain Sight, Dharma & Greg, Grey’s Anatomy, and Mom, along with movies such as In the Loop and The Five Year Engagement. According to Wikipedia, Kennedy is active in several progressive causes, including Progressive Democrats of America and the LA Progressive.
8. Kim Gordon
Rochester native Kim Gordon is best known as one of the founding members of Sonic Youth. In addition to her work with Sonic Youth, Gordon has also released several albums as a solo artist and with other bands such as Free Kitten and Glitterbust, dabbled in acting, published a memoir, and founded a clothing line.
7. Lou Gramm
Rochester native Lou Gramm is best known for being the lead singer of Foreigner between 1977 and 1990 and 1992 and 2003. Gramm helped the band crack the Billboard Top 20 on multiple occasions, producing timeless hits like Urgent, Break It Up, Say You Will, I Don’t Want to Live Without You, Waiting for a Girl Like You, and the global number one, I Want to Know What Love Is. Outside of Foreigner, Gramm has released several albums as a solo artist.
6. Wang Leehom
Wang Leehom was born in Rochester on May 17, 1976. Described by CNN as the “King of Chinese Pop” and by the LA Times as “the biggest American star America has never heard of,” Wang has sold over 60 million records since releasing his debut album in 1990. He’s also earned 19 nominations at the Golden Melody Awards (the Chinese equivalent of the Grammys), winning four, amassed over 72 million followers on social media, and won acclaim for his appearances in films such as Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution and Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier.
5. Cab Calloway
Born in Rochester on December 25, 1907, Cab Calloway enjoyed a hugely successful career as a singer, dancer, bandleader, and actor. During a career spanning 65 years, he accomplished many milestones, including becoming the first Black musician to have a national radio show and to sell over a million copies of a single. In 2008, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2019, his most celebrated legacy, the song Minnie the Moocher, was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for its cultural and historical significance.
4. Louise Brooks
A Jazz Age icon known for her bobbed hair, liberated attitude, and naturalistic acting style, Louise Brooks was one of the most famous names to emerge from 1920s Hollywood. Best remembered from her performances in films like Pandora’s Box, Diary of a Lost Girl, and Miss Europe, she eventually fell foul of Hollywood and spent the ’40s working as an escort. In the 1950s, she enjoyed a second life as a writer, publishing a series of widely acclaimed essays about her experiences as an actress. Brooks died in 1985 at her apartment in Rochester at the age of 78.
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman
Described by The New York Times as “perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation,” Philip Seymour Hoffman was a character actor best known for his roles in films such as Capote (his performance in which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor), Almost Famous, Doubt, The Big Lebowski, and Charlie Wilson’s War. Hoffman struggled with drug addiction during his youth, but entered rehab at the age of 22 and remained sober for the next 23 years. In 2013 he relapsed; one year later, he was found dead from an overdose.
2. Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig was born in Canandaigua, New York, but spent most of her childhood and teens in Rochester. After moving to LA after graduating college, she got her start in entertainment as a member of the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings. In 2005, her career stepped up a gear when she was cast in Saturday Night Life. Over the next few years, she built her profile with supporting roles in films like Knocked Up, Adventureland, Whip It, and Paul before hitting the big time in 2011 with the hugely successful comedy. Bridesmaids. Since then, she’s continued to enjoy success with films such as Despicable Me, How to Train Your Dragon, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Ghostbusters, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, and Wonder Woman 1984.
1. John Lithgow
Actor John Lithgow was born in Rochester on October 19, 1945. After graduating from Harvard University, Lithgow began his career on Broadway, winning widespread praise for his appearances in the likes of 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and A Memory of Two Mondays. Since then, he’s continued to enjoy huge success as a stage actor while also enjoying a rewarding career on TV and film. Some of his best-known performances have included his roles in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Footloose, Shrek, Terms of Endearment, and The Crown. He’s won numerous awards over his career, including two Golden Globe Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Tonys. He’s also received nominations for two Academy Awards and four Grammy Awards.
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