St. Louis, the Gateway City, isn’t just known for its iconic Arch and gooey butter cake—it’s also home to some talented people who’ve made their mark on the world.
From music legends to Hollywood stars, these hometown heroes started right here in STL.
Let’s dive into the top ten, learn what made them famous, where they went to high school, and what they’re up to today.
Nelly
We start our list with famous Grammy Award-winning rapper and St. Louis native Nelly.
Although Nelly (born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr.) wasn’t born in St. Louis, he was raised in the Lou and considers St. Louis home.
As a teenager, his mother moved him from St. Louis to University City, where he went to high school at University City High School.
While there, he was very active in sports, playing basketball, baseball, and football.
During this time he formed a hip-hop group called St. Lunatics, which produced the hit “Gimme What U Got.”
Nelly eventually went solo and released his breakthrough hit, “Country Grammar.”
Since then, he has won three Grammy Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards.
Nelly celebrates his St. Louis roots and gives back to his community through a Black and White Ball fundraiser for college scholarships.
He announced an exciting new project at the most recent Black and White Ball, held at the Four Seasons in St. Louis on December 15, 2024.
He and fellow St. Louis native Metro Boomin are planning the Smokin’ Hayride Festival for 2025 in St. Louis, featuring artists from various genres.
John Goodman
Actor John Goodman, best known for his role in the 80s sitcom Rosanne, is another St. Louisan.
John Goodman was born and raised in Affton, Missouri, a community located on the southwest border of St. Louis County.
His mother was a waitress at Phil’s Bar-B-Q in Affton (which unfortunately closed permanently in 2018 after 57 years of business).
Goodman went to Affton High School, where he played football, which ended up winning him a football scholarship to Missouri State University.
Because of an injury, he ended up not playing football and instead shifted focus to the school’s theater program, and we’re lucky he did.
In addition to his memorable role as Dan Conner, Roseanne’s husband on the hit show Roseanne, John Goodman became one of those actors you see everywhere.
In addition to his breakout role as Coach Harris in Revenge of the Nerds, he stared in notable films like Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, and The Emperor’s New Groove.
He made several appearances on Saturday Night Live.
With a career spanning four decades, Goodman continues to work in films today.
Andy Cohen
Many folks know Andy Cohen as the host of The Real Housewives or as the co-host of CNN New Year countdown with Anderson Cooper (Andy Cohen’s long-time best friend).
But did you know he’s also from St. Louis?
He was born in St Louis into the family business of Allen Foods, which operated around St. Louis and sold food and beverage products to hotels and restaurants, until his family sold it in 2002.
He worked there doing everything from driving the forklift to making deliveries.
Cohen went to Clayton High School and admits to knowing early on that he wanted to be on television.
He’s been nominated for 19 Emmy Awards for executive producer, winning one for Top Chef.
He’s also won two Peabody Awards and has a Hollywood Star on the Walk of Fame.
That’s not the only star he has! In 2023 he was added to the St. Louis Walk of Fame in Delmar Loop.
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum, one of St. Louis’ most famous athletes, is making waves in the NBA as a star player for the Boston Celtics.
Tatum expresses fond memories of playing at the Wohl Community Center, a public rec center on the corner of Kingshighway Boulevard and Dr Martin Luther King Drive, where he fell in love with basketball.
He would travel from his home in University City multiple times a week to pick up a game or work out until his high school years.
He then went to Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, where he led his high school team to a Missouri State Championship in his senior year—a moment he calls one of his biggest accomplishments.
In Tatum’s professional career, he was drafted third overall by the Celtics in 2017 and quickly became one of the league’s top players.
He’s a five-time NBA All-Star, and in 2024, he led the Celtics to an NBA championship.
Tatum also won gold medals with Team USA in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. He holds several NBA records, including most points in an All-Star Game.
Off the court, Tatum gives back to his St Louis community through the Jayson Tatum Foundation, which helps inspire and support kids in his hometown to chase their dreams.
He visits his annual summer camp at the Wohl community center and donated to have the gym floors resurfaced.
Jenna Fischer
This famous St Louis Actress is known for her role on the hit comedy show The Office.
Jenna Fischer attended Pierremont Elementary in Manchester and took her first acting workshop, taught by her mom at Henry School in St. Louis, at age five.
Later,, she went to Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves, MO.
After high school, she earned a theater degree with a journalism minor from Truman State University.
While in college, she worked at The Lemp Mansion’s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater in Soulard.
Like many actors, Jenna Fischer moved to LA to chase her dream.
Her big break came when she landed the role of Pam on The Office, which led to other projects like a podcast, a book, stage performances, and movies.
Most recently, she appeared in the 2024 film adaptation of Mean Girls.
| Fun fact: two other actresses from The Office are also from St. Louis! Phyllis Smith and Ellie Kemper. |
Most of Jenna’s family still lives in St. Louis, and she visits from time to time.
In 2010, she returned to Nerinx Hall High School for a fundraiser, auctioning off items from The Office.
Sterling K. Brown
Sterling K. Brown, a St. Louis native, has been making a significant impact in the world of film and television.
He’s earned three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and numerous other awards from different organizations.
In 2018, he was included in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Sterling K. Brown went by Kelby while growing up in Olivette, MO, a western suburb of St. Louis. He attended St. Louis Country Day School (now MICDS) in Ladue where he graduated in 1994.
He had no doubts about what he wanted to pursue, so he got his acting degree from Stanford University and then did his post-graduate studies at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
After a lot of success hitting the stage circuit on the East Coast, he got his break in film with This is Us, which led to one of his Emmys.
He continues to thrive in his career, with multiple high-profile film and TV projects slated for release in 2025.
Sterling K Brown still has ties to St. Louis through his family, who consider St. Louis home.
Scott Bakula
Scott Bakula is best known for his role in the hit TV series Quantum Leap, which aired from 1989 to 1993.
Later, he played Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise, which aired from 2001 to 2005.
Scott Bakula was born and raised in St. Louis, specifically Kirkwood.
He went to Keysor Elementary School, where he recalls his music teacher putting him on the path for the stage by asking him to audition for the St Louis Symphony Choir, which led to him singing in the church choir.
Bakula went to Kirkwood High School, where he performed in school plays.
During this time he also played in a rock band and played hockey on the frozen ponds in the woods behind his Kirkwood house.
| Fun Fact: Stand-up Comedian and actress Nikki Glaser also attended Kirkwood High School, although 30 years later |
Bakula moved to New York City in 1976 to pursue acting and made his Broadway debut in 1982. He was primarily a stage actor until his role as Dr. Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap.
Since then, he has built an extensive career in film and television and is one of the most recognized actors for Generation X.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is an actor best known for playing Don Draper in the drama series Mad Men.
He was born and raised in the St. Louis metro area, attending John Burroughs School in Ladue and living in Creve Coeur and later Normandy, MO.
After earning his Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Missouri, he returned to John Burroughs School to teach acting.
One of his students was Ellie Kemper, most known for playing Erin Hannon in The Office and for her lead role in the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Hamm moved to LA in 1995, performed on stage,. He also had supporting film and TV roles before his breakthrough role with Mad Men in 2007.
Hamm has won an Emmy and two Golden Globes and continues to expand his career in film and television.
Jon Hamm shows his St. Louis roots through his loyalty to the St. Louis Blues hockey team, for whom he’s done advertisements, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 2011, the year the Cardinals won the World Series, he narrated the team’s highlight movie.
When asked in an interview to name his favorite restaurants in town, he listed Ted Drewes, Café Napoli, Union Loafers, and Annie Gunn’s.
Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis was born and raised in Kinloch, a northern suburb of St. Louis, where she attended Kinloch High School.
Best known as a powerhouse actress, her film and television career spans three decades. She’s appeared in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Black-ish, The Preacher’s Wife, The Wedding Planner, and The Princess and the Frog, among many other roles.
She went to college at Webster University in Webster Groves and then moved to New York to pursue her acting career.
She started on Broadway with a small role in 1979 and, after some success in the 80s, decided to relocate to LA to do more television and film.
Lewis’s success has brought her a Hollywood star, a St. Louis Star on the Walk of Fame, and several other awards from different organizations.
Lewis gives back to her community through the Jenifer Lewis Endowed Sargent Conservatory Fund at Webster University which she established in 2015 to help students who look like her to be able to achieve their dreams in the arts.
Chuck Berry
You can’t talk about notable St. Louis Celebrities without mentioning the iconic Chuck Berry!
Chuck Berry is the father of rock and roll and was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This legendary musician was born and raised in St. Louis, MO, in the neighborhood of The Ville.
He went to High School at Sumner High School, where he played his first show in 1941 at a school talent show.
Chuck Berry always considered St. Louis home and maintained a residence at “Berry Park” near Wentzville, MO, until he passed away in 2017.
From 1996 to 2014, he performed once a month at the restaurant Blueberry Hill in the Delmar Loop for a total of 209 consecutive concerts!
Not only did his music inspire a generation, but his influence continues to shape music today. His iconic song, “Johnny B. Goode,” was immortalized on The Golden Record.
St. Louis Icons Who Left a Lasting Legacy
Here are other famous people from St. Louis who are no longer with us but became cultural icons and left a lasting impact:
- Josephine Baker: An iconic African American dancer, singer, and actress who became a global star and a civil rights activist.
- Maya Angelou: World famous author, poet, civil rights activist, and Pulitzer winner whose powerful writing and voice inspired generations.
- Yogi Berra: Was a legendary baseball player known for being an 18-time All-Star and winner of 10 World Series championships as a player with the New York Yankees.
- Tina Turner: Graduated from Sumner High School (the same high school Chuck Berry attended)l and was considered to be the queen of Rock and Roll.
- Doris Roberts: five-time Emmy award winner whose acting career spanned 6 decades.
- Vincent Price: a legendary actor known for his distinctive voice and iconic roles in horror films, including The Fly, and The Pit and the Pendulum, and he attended St. Louis Country Day School.
- John Elroy Sanford: Better known as Redd Foxx was most known for his icon role as Fred G. Sanford in Sanford and Son.
- Agnes Moorehead: Considered to be a very versatile actress and known for her role as Endora on the sitcom Bewitched. She spent four seasons as a dancer at The Muny in St. Louis.
