The 54 year old Bay City native was a professional wrestler. Want to see celeb alumni at other schools? Known for: Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, UFC Hall of Famer. He has also played a judge on The Practice and Boston Legal. Grier would go on to appear in movies such as Boomerang and Jumanji. He also is an acclaimed stand-up comedian. Born in Denmark, Morten "The Great Dane" Anderson holds the record for most games played in the NFL, and was the leading scorer on both the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. She earned a bachelor's degree in Asian languages and cultures and worked as a waitress at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. In 1855, Michigan State University (then called the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan) became Americas first land-grant university. Morris Peterson discusses how and why he is involved in Flint's water relief effort, and what he's doing to encourage others to help at City Hall on Friday, May 20, 2016. MSU ties: Quinn XCII is a Detroit native who started his music career while attending MSU in 2011. He's considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. A talented dancer and straight-A student, Madonna was offered a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance in the late 1970s. He also wrote several screenplays including "The Misfits.". A star football player, he won the title of MVP his senior year and was offered contracts from the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, both of which he declined in favor of continuing his education. The renowned playwright's career was born and fostered in the libraries at the University of Michigan where he wrote his first play. The 72 year old Detroit native is known for her roles in many horror movies. He played nine seasons with the Dallas, Theodore John Kaczynski (; born May 22, 1942), also known as the Unabomber (), is an American domestic terrorist, former mathematics professor, and anarchist author. Be great for God!! He boasts credits from Broadway, television and movies, notably the popular TV series Glee from 2010 to 2015. He graduated from high school in 1961 before it was moving to Arizona. MSU ties: Tee Grizzley (Terry Wallace Jr.) went to Michigan State for finance and accounting before his time in college was cut short due to legal issues. Web2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s 1950s 1940s 1930s 1920s 1910s 1900s 1890s 1880s 1870s David Barger, 17 Business & Technology Marc Gurman, 16 Media Katie Bouman, Flint native former Toronto Raptors NBA player Morris Peterson played alongside Mateen Cleaves during his collegiate career, helping take the Spartans to the 2000 national championship. Also a highly respected poetry teacher during his lifetime, Roethke's childhood home is preserved in Saginaw by a group of loyal admirers of his work. He also voiced the character Sonny Forelli in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Wonder, a 25-time Grammy winner, was just a kid when he signed with Motown, going on to record classic songs like "Superstition," "Isn't She Lovely," and "Sir Duke.". Known as the "Unabomber," the 74 year old Illinois native earned a PhD in mathematics at the University of Michigan in the 1960s. We are so proud of you. In, Jerome Bailey York (June 22, 1938 March 18, 2010), commonly known as Jerry York, was an American businessman, and the Chairman, President and CEO of Harwinton Capital. This actress and model starred in a number of Telugu (also known as Tollywood) films, a branch of Indian cinema. Williams is widely considered one of the best (if not the absolute best) female tennis players in the history of the sport. Both raised in East Lansing, Drew now wears the winged wheel as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings, while his goaltender older brother Ryan plays for the Vancouver Canucks. MSU ties: Greatest Michigan State basketball player of all-time, where he played from 1977-79. WebList of famous alumni from University of Michigan, with photos when available. Web12 of the most famous celebrities headed to college this fall Jacob Shamsian Karlie Kloss on her summer break, modeling in Paris. CLICK HERE to see the most famous Western Michigan University alumni. He currently resides in Austin, Texas, where he has taught creative, Donald Allen "Don" Bailey (born July 21, 1945) is an American politician and lawyer, from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. MSU ties: The Royal Oak native went to Michigan State for three semesters before leaving the school to film The Evil Dead, which became a huge cult hit. Leonie Milhomme Brinkema (born June 26, 1944) is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He is a member of the Republican. An Old-Fashioned Kitchen Gets a Sleek, 2023 Warner Bros. 1 (2003) and Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Clutch" for his ace home runs. List of famous alumni from University of Michigan, with photos when available. Michael T. Good Born in Parma, OH, Good is a NASA astronaut and former Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. He played college football as a fullback for the University of Michigan from 1994 to 1997. Like Arthur Miller, Wallace also wrote for The Michigan Daily during his time in Ann Arbor. Evil's smaller and more concentrated pure evil protg, in the hit comedies Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and for his role in Harry David Alan Grier was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Aretas Ruth (Dudley), a schoolteacher, and William Henry Grier, a psychiatrist and writer. Sign up for the WolverinesWire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Billionaire Tom Gores graduated from MSU in 1986 with a degree in construction management. Even though the Fab Five came a few years later with the additions of Webber, Howard and Rose, Glen Rice is still Michigan's all-time leading scorer with 2,442 points. The parents don't have to worry too much about their middle child his older sister, Sascha, is already a student at the university! (Ferguson) and Robert Lee Daniels, who owned The Chelsea Lumber Company and was also mayor of Chelsea. He was previously married to Annette Justin Jeffre was born on February 25, 1973 in Mount Clemens, Michigan, USA. Holtz has struggled with his speech, on top of his incomplete coursework from the fall. This NFL player, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers, played collegiate football for the Spartans under head coach Nick Saban. Brooke Shields moved her oldest daughter, Rowan, into her college dorm, sharing on Instagram, "My unique and extraordinary baby girl spreading her wings. He began his career as a software developer in 1983 while he was at the University of Michigan. With both his parents working in the automotive industry, Dax's first love was cars. Katherine Elizabeth Upton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, to Shelley Fawn (Davis), a state tennis champion from Texas, and Jefferson Matthew Upton, a high school athletics director. Related: LaMarr Woodley to open charter school in Saginaw. While her family moved to Compton, California when she was young, tennis star Serena Williams was born Sept. 26, 1981, in Saginaw. Known for: NFL Hall of Famer, previously held the NFL all-time points record, now stands at No. I know it's crazy to have an Olympic gold medalist come but I'm excited because I feel like everybody here is so nice and the atmosphere is way different than I thought it would be.". MSU ties: Caan has shown his love for Michigan State on Twitter multiple times. Hill is known for her ardent Spartan love, too: Check out this "epic rant"she delivered in 2015 after State's unforgettable win over the Michigan Wolverines at the Big House. Nicknamed "Z-Bo", the 2-time NBA All-Star played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans before being drafted in the 2001 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. What follows is a list ofsome of the school's most famous alumni. Danielle Panabaker: Actress Major: English After a gunman killed three students at Michigan State University in February, unlicensed Spartan Strong merchandise appeared for sale online. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. This Pittsburgh Steelers running back played for the Spartans, entering the NFL draft after completing his junior year. So that was kind of the reason I came here, because I knew I wanted to be here. 2. He grew up in both New Jersey and Boston. Well, perhaps. The 64 year old Detroit native and retired neurosurgeon graduated from Yale, but attended the University of Michigan in 1977. Andersen was an All-American in 1981 before heading to the NFL. Prominent graduates from University of Michigan include celebrities, politicians, business people, athletes and more. It just happened that way. Jeff attended Central Michigan University, but became involved in acting and Dax Randall Shepard was born in 1975 in Milford, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, to Laura (LaBo), who worked at GM, and Dave Robert Shepard, Sr., a car salesman. (Meek), a writer and editor, and Wayne M. Spade, a sales rep, and is of German, English, Irish, and Scottish Maureen Bailey was born on June 23, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Jeter did take classes at UM in the fall of 1992 after playing in the minors. And on Friday, he scored his first career goal in overtime against the University of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Looking at the most famous Michigan State alumni James Caan (Actor) GRiZ (Musician) Sam Raimi (Director) Earvin 'Magic' Johnson (Basketball) Kirk Gibson Blair has worked with an array of acclaimed directors including Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, to Paula and Jeffrey Lillard. Known for: Hugely popular recording artist whose songs have hundreds of millions of plays on Spotify. The most famous alumni from the University of Michigan, The most famous alumni from the University of Notre Dame. Blair's longstanding career began with her comedic roles in pop culture classics in the early 2000s. Madonna called herself a "famed high-school dropout" in a 1983 "American Bandstand" interview with Dick Clark, but she's actually a college dropout: According to You better believe it. Never miss a game this season with our downloadable 2022 Michigan Wolverines football schedule for your smartphone. Christine Lahti earned her bachelors degree in 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. He was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, Robert James Shiller (born March 29, 1946) is an American economist (Nobel Laureate in 2013), academic, and best-selling author. The Detroit native was known for his work at General Motors and as the founder of the DeLorean Motor Company. MSU ties: Hill graduated from MSU in 1997 and regularly supports the Spartans on social media. Brooke Shields, Vanessa Bryant and some other celeb parents are shedding a few tears while sending DeLorean earned his masters degree in business administration from U-M and enjoyed a long career as an executive in the automotive industry. 1. 15 Celebrities From Detroit, Michigan Everyone Should Know. The Ohio native (pictured right) was a Major League Baseball executive elected to the Hall of Fame in 1967. The presidential hopeful graduated fromthe University of Michigan School of Medicine with a specialty in neurosurgery in 1977. Prominent graduates from University of Michigan include celebrities, politicians, business people, athletes and more. ", "I had to just drop him off at LAX, and I'm getting no sympathy from someone," she joked as she turned the camera to her husband, Valeri. Born in New York City, the 54 year old is a writer, lawyer and controversial political commentator. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, 98 Degrees: Invisible Man (Color Version). Shannon died in 2001 at age 84. From pro athletes to music superstars, this historic Ann Arbor institution has seen its share of famous faces. Detroit native Jemele Hill graduated from Michigan State before launching a sports journalism career that's taken her from covering Spartan football and basketball for the Detroit Free Press all the way to a seat at ESPN, where she currently co-hosts the show His and Hers on ESPN2. After sending their youngest child Joaquin off to college at University of Michigan (to be part of the wrestling team! Green, a stand-out player during his college years at Michigan State University, was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. The outspoken political commentator received her J.D. The 42 year old New Jersey native is best known for playing Dr. Zack Addy on the FOX series "Bones." The most famous person from each of Michigan's 83 counties, The second most famous native from every Michigan county, These famous people were all born in Grand Rapids. #GoBlue. Gibson was more of a football player until it was suggested he play college baseball. The goal puts the Wolverines one win ahead of the Badgers in the best-of-three series. I love you so. Susan Spencer was a student of Michigan State University's journalism program; she is most known for her work on the CBS show 48 Hours Mystery, for which she won an Emmy. Martin played professionally for 15 seasons, spending much of the time with the New Jersey Nets and the Denver Nuggets. Just a few years after graduating from U-M with a bachelors degree in computer engineering, Larry Page would begin to transform how many of us use computers in our daily life. Although the DeLorean Motor Car Company ultimately was a financial failure, its legacy lives on in pop culture as the time-traveling vehicle featured in the Back to the Future movie trilogy. Who's with me?". He lived in Grand Rapids and attended the University of Michigan in the early 1930s. The notorious former mayor of Detroit, convicted in 2013 on 24 federal felony counts, received his doctor of law degree from the Detroit College of Law -- now the Michigan State University College of Law -- in 1999. (Naples Daily News photo / USA TODAY Network). This former MLB pitcher started out playing collegiate baseball for the Spartans. Since signing with IMG Ken Jeong is an American actor, comedian, and physician. He is the son of Helen Veronica (Wall), a secretary, and Francis Richard Moore, who worked on an auto assembly line. He said he felt like he was learning to skate all over again. Experts said its part Louis and Tom Borders (co-founders of Borders Bookstores), William Davidson (Former Detroit Pistons owner), Manuel Luis del Valle (President of Bacardi), Stephen Ross (Real Estate Developer and owner of the Miami Dolphins), Joel Dorfman (President of Thorn Apple Valley), Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky (co-founders of Groupon), Jerry Murrell (founder of Five Guys Burgers), Philip Smith (CEO of General Foods / Pillsbury). (Sthanlee B. Mirador / Sipa USA via AP Images), Christine Lahti earned her bachelors degree in drama from U-M on her way to an award-winning career in film and television. A graduate of Grosse Point South High School, Fadell graduated from the University of Michigan in 1991. The internet star and activist now has more than 8 million followers on the platform, and in 2015 was named one of Time magazine's "30 most influential people on the Internet.". 1969). He worked in leadership roles at Packard, Pontiac and Chevrolet but might be best known for the 1980s sports car that bears his name. Mark Harmon: Actor Major: Communication studies Advertisement Its hard not to love NCIS Gibs! I love you, my son!". Actor Algee Smith was born Nov. 7, 1994 in Saginaw. Celebrity Kids Graduating from High School, College (and More!) He left after his junior year when his family moved to the East Coast; two years later he found himself inGreenwich Village, where he met his future bandmates Peter Yarrow and MaryTravers. Liu was a member of the Chi Omega sorority. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney, Known for: The Evil Dead, Spiderman 1-3, Dr. Magic is still a huge advocate for the school and its sports programs. His parents divorced when he was four. Born in Mississippi, the 85 year old actor graduated from the University of Michigan in 1955. Sara Bareilles: Singer-songwriter Major: Communication studies 3. ", "We are all so very proud and we know you will change the world Gabriel," Hostin finished, saying of her son, "You are brilliant, humble and most importantly, kind. After years of growing pains, the business exploded into a national brand. He graduated from high school in 1961 before it was moving to Arizona. The 38th president of the United States was a football standout for the Wolverines who earned a B.A. With passion for authentic Mexican cuisine, celebrity chef Rick Bayless did doctoral work in anthropological linguistics at the University of Michigan before moving to Mexico to write his first book. Liu catapulted from a role in Alice in Wonderland as a Michigan senior to a long, successful career in television and film. He has been married to Michelle Dilgard since June 18, 2011. I know its not necessarily my role here to score goals, but I think the big players step up in big moments, he said. From actors and astronauts to business and technology trailblazers, countless successful luminaries have walked the fabled halls at U-M. With all that in mind, Wolverines Wire presents a list of celebrity alumni from the University of Michigan. Please check your email for a confirmation. He attended the University of Michigan in the late 90s. As a school project, Heft created a 50-star flag to replace the previous 48-star flag. While everyone knows Darth Vader and Madonna went to the University of Michigan, they 're not the only ones who have claimed some fame after their Tree Town He died in 2011 at age 83. A Shayna Maidel (Timeline Theatre, Chicago): Emily Glick Alice By Heart (off-Broadway): Nkeki Obi-Melekwe All Night Strut (Milwaukee Rep): Katherine Thomas Altar Boyz (The Cape Playhouse, MA): David Barnes (Mark) Among the Furies (NY International Fringe Fest): Trevor St. John-Gilbert Annie (MUNY): Britney Coleman (Grace Farrell) Celebrities Dropping Their Kids Off at College in 2021. Ford fought in the Pacific during World War II and then embarked on a political career in the late 1940s. She added, "Missing forever," presumably referring to her late daughter Gianna and husband Kobe Bryant, who died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020. But my baby is BEGINNING one of the most important adventures of her life to dateNOW!". Broad put his MSUdegree in accounting (minor: economics) to good use: The billionaire entrepreneur is claimed to be the only person to ever found two Fortune 500 companies in completely different industries. After all, he is a famous UCLA alumni. Mar 4, 2023, 05:17 AM EST. Tyler Oakleyposted his first video to YouTube during his freshman year at Michigan State, where he studied communication and marketing before graduating in 2011. Former NBA player and current NBA assistant coach Darvin Ham was born July 23, 1973 in Saginaw. One of the original Saturday Night Live cast members from the shows inaugural 1975 season, Radner attended U-M in the 1960s before dropping out as a senior. Anne Fletcher was born on May 1, 1966 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Elizabeth Berkley was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to Jere, a gift basket business owner and Fred Berkley, a lawyer. Christopher M. Bjornberg, Special to the Free Press. (PHARM: Ph.D. 1967), chairman of Ranbaxy in 1993 until his death in 1999; the market capitalization of the company went up from Rs.3.5 to over Rs. In recent years she'sappeared in roles on several television shows, including Castle, How to Get Away with Murder, and others. Before he entered show business, he earned a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan State in 1971. List features graduates like Madonna, Tom Brady, and many more, Politician, Sports commentator, American football player, Journalist, Photojournalist, Photographer, American Football coach, American football player, Businessperson, Television producer, Film Producer, Film Score Composer, Arranger, Record producer. Her film career, however, is another story. Wake up to the day's most important news. Even though their styles are quite different (Sheik being a wild hardcore-style brawler, known for throwing fire, cutting his opponent's forehead's up with foreign objects like a pencil, Robert James Ritchie or Kid Rock is an American rapper, rock musician, singer and actor from Romeo, Michigan. Born in East Lansing, Larry Page co-founded Google in 1998. More famous alumni from the College Wires Network: Ala / Ark / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn / TX A&M / UGA // Iowa / Mich /Mich St. / Neb / Ohio St. / Penn St. / Rut / Wisc // Okla / Texas // ND // Colo / Ore / USC // Clem / UNC /. ", Sharing a set of videos on her Instagram Story, the actress said, "So we just dropped our youngest, the baby, off at the airport to go to college and I'm very sad that I didn't get to go to take him to college. As of 2018, he serves as a Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale. Established in 1817 in Detroit and moving to Ann Arbor in 1837, this is the oldest university in Michigan. Who else should be on this list? TV personality and Spartan alumnus Suzanne Sena's broadcast career has ranged from beinga primetime anchor for Fox Newstorubbing elbowswith celebs as host for E! Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Artist E. Irving Couse was born Sept. 3, 1866 in Saginaw. His father, Carmine Coppola, was a composer and musician. Brandon Timothy Jackson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Beverly Yvonne (Bozeman) and Wayne Timothy Jackson. He has been married to Juanita Dorricott since July 10, 1993. A number of celebrity children are starting college this fall. There are athletes, musicians and actors that were born in this fine Michigan city. He is recognized for his contributions to a series of important aircraft, Robert McElhiney James (born December 25, 1939) is an American Grammy Award-winning jazz keyboardist, arranger, and record producer. MSU ties: Graduated from MSU in 1986 with a degree in construction management. (Ryan also represented Team USA in the 2010 and 2014 winter olympics.). CLICK HERE to see the most famous Eastern Michigan University Alumni. He dropped out of U-M in the spring of 1960 and opened the first Dominos Pizza restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, later that year. Her performances have consistently drawn Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in a New York suburb in a creative, supportive Italian-American family. The 53 year old businessman is the president and CEO of Activision Blizzard known for "Call of Duty," "World of Warcraft" and more. Rowan got a full family send-off, with her sister Grier, 15, and dad, Chris Henchy, taking a family photo in her decorated dorm. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The remarkable, hyper-ambitious Material Girl who never stops reinventing herself, Madonna is a seven-time Grammy Award-winner who has sold over three hundred million records and CDs to adoring fans worldwide. This list of distinguished University of Michigan alumni is loosely ordered by relevance, so the most recognizable celebrities who attended University of Michigan are at the top of the list. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The 60 year old actor and Detroit native graduated high school from Cass Tech and received a B.A. He appeared in Michael Bay's Pain & Gain (2013), as Johnny Wu, a motivational Taylor Daniel Lautner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Deborah, a software company worker, and Daniel Lautner, a pilot for Midwest Airlines. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Michigan. Raimi was born in Royal Oak and studied English atMSU fora few semesters before leaving to work on the film series he's most known for: the cult-horrorEvil Dead trilogy. He also acted in Boomerang, Little Nicky, Soul Plane, Vampire in Brooklyn, Black Jesus and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He is of English, as well as some German, Scottish, and Swiss-German, ancestry. In 1998, he co-founded Google, helping to create the company that eventually would dominate the internet search space. It was only on the suggestion of the coach, Darryl Rodgers, that Gibson play a season of collegiate baseball. MSU ties: The Bloomfield Hills native graduated from MSU in 1981 with a degree in telecommunication. WebFrom pro athletes to music superstars, this historic Ann Arbor institution has seen its share of famous faces. The 69 year old Muskegon native attended the University of Michigan in 1963 and 1964. Caan is most known for his role in 1972's The Godfather, where he played Santino "Sonny" Corleone a role that earned Caan the nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards as well as the Golden Globes. He played at the basketball teams Midnight Madness event in 2019. He is an actor and composer, known for Osmosis Jones (2001), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) and Sweet Home Alabama (2002). While at U-M, Phelps studied sports marketing and management and was a member of Club Wolverine. This Spartan alumnus is the voice behind Motel 6's slogan "We'll leave the light on for you" a line he supposedly ad-libbed. He was adopted as a child by a black father and a white mother. STEVEN HOLTZ! He's been the subject of media attention in recent yearsfor his revitalization work in Detroit, where his Rock Ventures group has been purchasing and restoring historic buildings downtown. She attended U of M in the mid 60s. WebWhen he moved to the University of Michigan in 1962, he recruited about 25 people to his game, including Robert Sklar, a history professor. She died of cancer in 1989 at age 42. Norman earned her degree from the University of Michigan in 1968. Elizabeth Banks Before starring in Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect, Elizabeth Banks attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she was in a sorority and graduated magna cum laude in 1996. There is no guarantee that fame comes with living in a space once occupied by Madonna (University Towers, Apt. Our 38th President was born in Nebraska. The 49 year old New York native is a sports writer and sports TV analyst. Before she became one of the biggest pop stars in the world and became known by a singular name, Madonna Ciccone attended U-M for two years in the 1970s and resided at University Towers. Story by Edward Pevos of MLive - epevos@MLive.com. He was an actor and writer, known for The Great Race (1965), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) and The Andy Griffith Show (1960). He set a career interception record while playing at Purdue and then went on to get picked by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft. USC, here she comes! There's no denying some of their degrees set them up for fames and riches. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. (Oh, and a 500 mile drive to Texas and back. Rock star and punk patriarch Iggy Pop briefly attended U-M after graduating from Ann Arbors Pioneer High School in 1965.