Iowa isn’t exactly known for having famous people. We’re mostly known for our great agriculture, scenery, midwest values, or simply put: corn. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have our own set of people that have reached a high level of fame outside of agriculture. That being said, I decided to find 5 of those very same figures you may not know are from Iowa!
#5: Danai Gurira
Born in Grinnell, Iowa, in 1978, Danai is both a citizen of Zimbabwe and the United States. Her parent both worked for Grinnell college before moving around the midwest and back into Zimbabwe for some time.
She would come back to the U.S. for her post-secondary education, and soon after would break into the world of acting. In 2012, she officially joined the cast of the hit show: The Walking Dead as the character Michonne. In 2018, she took the role of General Okoye in the Marvel classic: Black Panther, which has gone on to earn 1.3 billion dollars worldwide.
#4: Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson was born in 1925 in Corning, Iowa. He lived in Iowa until he was 8 years old and then grew up in Nebraska. He originally wanted to be a magician, and while serving in the Navy he realized he had a talent for entertaining others.
He is known best for his late night talk show The Tonight Show, which he hosted for nearly thirty years. Bringing in celebrities of all walks of life, Johnny pioneered much of the late-night broadcast we see today.
#3: Elijah Wood
Born in Cedar Rapids in 1981, Elijah Wood started acting from a very early age. His family sold their local store for him to pursue acting in California, which in turn resulted in him being very successful.
Elijah held major roles in movies when he was a child actor, but then went on to host even bigger projects. In 2001 he received the role of Frodo in the Lord of the Rings franchise, one of the biggest movie franchises ever. Shortly after, he would go on to voice act in the movie Happy Feet, which also received rave reviews.
#2: Adam Devine
Where are my pitch perfect fans at? Adam Devine is most well known for his role in the extremely popular Pitch Perfect movie, where his character Bumper is the main villain. Before that though, he was born in Waterloo, Iowa before growing up in Lincoln Nebraska. When he was 11, he was hit my a concrete truck that almost cost him his life.
Adam has gone on to star in other shows and movies, and can be seen in many cameos throughout Hollywood. He is known for his unique comedic style, which he helped shape during the show Workaholics.
#1: John Wayne
John Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa, in 1907. He moved out to Southern California at an early age, but went on to be one of the most well known male actors of all time. He has appeared in 179 productions, and has claimed great success as a pioneer in the Western genre.
After his death, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor one can achieve. You can still visit his house in Winterset though, and still watch his many western movies online.
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