Film & TV · born 1980
Kristen Bellactress, singerStar of Veronica Mars, The Good Place and Disney's Frozen, born in Huntington Woods and raised in Detroit's northern suburbs.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,949 famous people
- 516 Detroit places
- 15 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
86 people · 1/2 page
Clear filtersFilm & TV · born 1980Kristen Bellactress, singerStar of Veronica Mars, The Good Place and Disney's Frozen, born in Huntington Woods and raised in Detroit's northern suburbs.
Sports · born 1982
Tara Lipinskifigure skater, sports commentator1998 Olympic champion, the youngest in figure skating history, who trained at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills during her rise.
Music · born 1988Lizzosinger, rapper, flutist, actressGrammy-winning singer and rapper of “Truth Hurts” and “About Damn Time,” born in Detroit in 1988 and raised there until age ten.
Sports · born 1989
Bojan Bogdanovićbasketball player, small forwardCroatian forward who anchored the Detroit Pistons' offense for two seasons, signing a contract extension before an injury-shortened tenure ended in a 2024 trade.
Sports · born 1985
Darko Miličićbasketball player, centerSerbian center whom the Pistons drafted second overall in 2003, ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, and who won an NBA championship ring with Detroit in 2004 despite barely playing.
Sports · born 1980Tayshaun Princebasketball player, small forwardDefensive-minded small forward on the Pistons' 2004 championship team, remembered in Detroit for "The Block," his chase-down rejection of Reggie Miller in the 2004 playoffs.
Film & TV · born 1985Crystal ReedactressDetroit-raised actress, Allison Argent on Teen Wolf, who graduated from Roseville High School and studied acting at Wayne State.
Music · born 1988Big Seanrapper, songwriterRapper raised in Detroit from infancy whose albums Detroit and Detroit 2 honor his hometown; he runs a youth foundation in the city and works with the Pistons.
Music · born 1988Mike Posnersinger, songwriter, record producerDetroit-born singer-songwriter raised in Southfield, known for "Cooler Than Me" and "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" and for co-writing hits for other stars.
Comedy · born 1984Brandon T. Jacksonactor, stand-up comedian, rapperDetroit-born comedian and actor of Tropic Thunder and the Percy Jackson films, who first performed at youth nights in his father's Detroit church.
Politics · born 1984Abdul El-Sayedepidemiologist, public health official, politicianMetro Detroit-raised epidemiologist and Rhodes Scholar who rebuilt the Detroit Health Department after the city's bankruptcy and became Michigan's 2026 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate.
Sports · born 1983
Ben Gordonbasketball player, shooting guardSixth Man of the Year winner who signed a big free-agent deal with the Pistons in 2009 and spent three seasons as Detroit's instant-offense scorer off the bench.
Sports · born 1988Boban Marjanovićbasketball player, centerOne of the tallest players in NBA history at 7 ft 4 in, the Serbian center signed a three-year offer sheet with Detroit in 2016 and became a fan favorite off the bench.
Sports · born 1987
Jonas Jerebkobasketball playerSwedish forward drafted by the Pistons in 2009 who spent six seasons in Detroit, the longest stretch of his ten-year NBA career.
Sports · born 1988Patrick Kaneice hockey right wingerOne of the most decorated American-born players in NHL history, Kane trained as a teenager in the Detroit area before returning in 2023 to sign with the Red Wings.
Sports · born 1987Meryl Davisice dancer, Olympic championRoyal Oak-born ice dancer who, with childhood friend Charlie White, trained in metro Detroit and won America's first Olympic ice-dance gold in 2014.
Sports · born 1980Henrik Zetterbergice hockey player, forward, team captainRed Wings forward who played his entire sixteen-year NHL career in Detroit, won the 2008 Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy, and captained the team from 2013 until his retirement.
Music · born 1981Jimmie Wilsonsinger, musical theatre actorDetroit-born singer and stage actor who represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in a duet with Valentina Monetta.
Sports · born 1989Gustav Nyquistice hockey forwardSwedish forward drafted by Detroit in 2008 who became a top scorer for the Red Wings over nearly a decade with the club.
Sports · born 1985Arron Afflalobasketball playerUCLA All-American guard whom the Pistons drafted 27th overall in 2007 and who spent his first two NBA seasons in Detroit.Austin Dayebasketball player, small forwardLanky forward drafted 15th overall by Detroit in 2009 who spent parts of four seasons developing with the Pistons before later winning an NBA title with San Antonio.
Film & TV · born 1983Jana Krameractress, country singerActress and country singer from Rochester Hills in metro Detroit, known for One Tree Hill and the top-ten country hits "Why Ya Wanna" and "I Got the Boy."
Music · born 1981Danny Brownrapper, songwriter, podcasterDetroit-born rapper whose off-kilter voice and blunt stories of the city made him one of hip-hop's most acclaimed left-field artists.
Sports · born 1984
Valtteri Filppulaice hockey player, centreFinnish centre who became the first Finn to play for the Red Wings, won the 2008 Stanley Cup scoring the second goal of the clinching game, and later returned to Detroit for two more seasons.
Sports · born 1987Amir Johnsonbasketball forward, coachForward drafted straight out of high school by the Pistons in 2005, who spent four seasons in Detroit learning the game before a long, productive career elsewhere.
Sports · born 1984Frans Nielsenice hockey forwardThe first Danish-born NHL player, who signed a six-year free agent deal with the Red Wings in 2016 and spent five seasons in Detroit.
Film & TV · born 1982Simone MissickactressMarvel's Misty Knight and All Rise's Judge Lola Carmichael, a Detroit native and graduate of Renaissance High School.
Science & invention · born 1981Adam Grantorganizational psychologist, authorWharton organizational psychologist and best-selling author of Give and Take and Think Again, born in West Bloomfield and raised in the Detroit suburbs.
Sports · born 1987Jodie Meeksbasketball player, coachSharpshooting guard who signed a three-year deal with the Pistons in 2014 and nearly broke a Joe Dumars franchise record for three-pointers in a game before injuries cut his Detroit tenure short.
Sports · born 1983Brandi Rhodesprofessional wrestler, ring announcer, executiveDetroit-suburb-born wrestling personality who rose through WWE and became a founding executive and performer at All Elite Wrestling.
Film & TV · born 1985Dan AmboyeractorDetroit-born actor from the Roeper School, known for Younger, Uncoupled and as Prince William in a royal-romance TV movie.
Sports · born 1989Evan Batesice dancerOlympic champion ice dancer born and raised in Ann Arbor, who trained for years in suburban Canton and won national silver in Detroit in 2019 with Madison Chock.
Sports · born 1985Reggie Bushfootball running backHeisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl champion who spent two seasons with the Lions late in his career, helping Detroit reach the 2014 playoffs.
Sports · born 1983Tim Gleasonice hockey defensemanOakland County-born NHL defenseman who played his youth hockey for the Detroit Little Caesars club before a long career elsewhere.
Sports · born 1981Willie Greenbasketball player and coachDetroit-born guard who starred at Cooley High School and the University of Detroit Mercy before a 12-year NBA career, later becoming an NBA head coach.
Sports · born 1984Jimmy Howardice hockey goaltender, broadcasterGoaltender who spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings, backstopping the team for over a decade before staying on in Detroit as a television analyst.
Sports · born 1984Ryan Keslerice hockey playerLivonia-born center and Selke Trophy winner who grew up playing Detroit-area youth hockey before a long NHL career, mostly with the Vancouver Canucks.
Sports · born 1988
Justin Meramsoccer player, wingerMetro Detroit-born winger, son of Iraqi immigrants who met in the Detroit area, who played for the Iraq national team and later returned home to play for the Michigan Stars.
Fashion · born 1984Naima Morafashion modelWinner of America's Next Top Model Cycle 4, raised on Detroit's northwest side and a graduate of Cass Technical High School.
Comedy · born 1984Sam Richardsonactor, comedian, writer, producerVeep and Ted Lasso actor who grew up in Boston-Edison, trained at Planet Ant and Second City Detroit and co-created Detroiters, a comedy shot on Detroit streets.
Sports · born 1982Chris Sabinprofessional wrestlerDetroit-born wrestler who trained in the Michigan independent scene before becoming a multiple-time champion, half of the Detroit-nicknamed tag team the Motor City Machine Guns.
Sports · born 1983Alex Shelleyprofessional wrestlerDetroit-born wrestler who, with tag partner Chris Sabin, built a career-long duo named for their hometown: the Motor City Machine Guns.
Film & TV · born 1984Jordan Vogt-Robertsfilm and television directorDirector of The Kings of Summer and Kong: Skull Island, who grew up in metro Detroit and graduated from Royal Oak's Dondero High School in 2003.
Sports · born 1986
Thomas Greissice hockey goaltenderGerman goaltender who signed with Detroit in 2020 and posted back-to-back shutouts during his two seasons with the Red Wings.
Sports · born 1984Peter Vanderkaaycompetition swimmerFour-time Olympic medalist swimmer born in Royal Oak who won relay gold for the United States and later worked in Detroit-area commercial real estate.
Music · born 1985Porcelain Blacksinger, songwriter, rapperSinger-songwriter raised in metro Detroit who mixes industrial rock with pop; known for "This Is What Rock n' Roll Looks Like" and "One Woman Army."
Film & TV · born 1984Jayson BlairactorActor from The New Normal and The Hard Times of RJ Berger, born in Detroit and a tennis player at L'Anse Creuse High School-North in Macomb Township.
Sports · born 1988Jordan Crawfordbasketball playerDetroit-born guard who attended a Detroit public high school before a college and NBA career that took him to Washington, Boston and several other franchises.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗
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