List of entertainers who have lived in or near Chicago

The following is a list of entertainers (not including athletes) who have lived in or near Chicago.

Famous actors or TV personalities

*Joan Allen (worked with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company)
*Gillian Anderson (born in Chicago but raised in the UK and Michigan, went to college in Chicago)
*Ann-Margret (grew up in Fox Lake and Wilmette, Illinois)
*Alan Arkin (a founding member of The Second City)
*Jennifer Beals
*James Belushi (aka Jim Belushi, grew up in Wheaton, Illinois)
*John Belushi (grew up in Wheaton, Illinois)
*Jack Benny
*Karen Black
*Lara Flynn Boyle
*Billy Campbell
*Steve Carell (Second City alum)
*Tim Carhart the former Tim Grunig grew up in Evanston, Illinois
*Dan Castellaneta (Second City alum)
*Stephen Colbert (Second City alum)
*Joan Cusack (grew up in Evanston, Illinois)
*John Cusack (grew up in Evanston, Illinois)
*Andy Dick (grew up in Joliet, Illinois)
*Kevin Dorff born and raised in Chicago (South Shore) (Second City Alum)
*Rachel Dratch (Second City alum)
*Michael Clarke Duncan
*Dennis Farina
*Chris Farley (lived in the John Hancock Center)
*Tina Fey (Second City alum)
*Skyy Black Porn star
*Harrison Ford
*Dennis Franz
*Jeff Garlin (grew up in Chicago, was once roommates with Conan O'Brien in Chicago)
*Jami Gertz
*Kathy Griffin
*Brad Hall
*Daryl Hannah
*Sean Hayes (grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois)
*Marilu Henner (grew up in Chicago)
*Charlton Heston (born in Evanston and grew up in Wilmette, Illinois)
*Jennifer Hudson (born and raised in Chicago)
*Rock Hudson (grew up in Winnetka, Illinois)
*Bonnie Hunt (grew up in Chicago)
*Laura Innes (went to Northwestern University, worked in Chicago theater)
*Jenny Jones (taped her TV show in Chicago)
*Michael Jordan
*Karyn Kupcinet (daughter of Chicago columnist Irv Kupcinet
*Julia Louis-Dreyfus (attended Northwestern University, was an improv performer in Chicago at ETC on Howard Street before moving to New York for Saturday Night Live)
*Bernie Mac (grew up in Chicago)
*Michael Madsen (grew up in Evanston)
*Virginia Madsen (grew up in the north suburbs)
*John Mahoney (settled in Chicago)
*Karl Malden
*John Malkovich (co-founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company)
*Joe Mantegna (born in Chicago, grew up in Cicero, Illinois, worked with the Organic Theatre Company in Chicago)
*Greg Mathis (aka Judge Mathis, whose TV show is taped in Chicago)
*Marlee Matlin
*Jenny McCarthy (grew up in the South Side)
*Tim Meadows (Second City alum)
*Laurie Metcalf (began her career as a cast member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company)
*Megan Mullally (worked in Chicago theater for six years after dropping out from Northwestern University)
*Bill Murray (grew up in Wilmette, Illinois)
*Brian Doyle Murray (grew up in Wilmette, Illinois
*Ajay Naidu (grew up in Evanston, Illinois)
*Bob Newhart
*Conan O'Brien (lived in Wrigleyville in the summer of 1988)
*Chris O'Donnell (grew up in Winnetka, Illinois)
*Adam Pearce (aka "Scrap Iron" Pearce - pro wrestler, grew up in Waukegan, trained in Chicago.
*William Petersen (grew up in Evanston, Illinois)
*Jeremy Piven (grew up in Evanston, Illinois)
*Amy Poehler (worked with Tina Fey in Chicago, still works with the Upright Citizens Brigade, which moved to New York in 1996)
*Harold Ramis (grew up in Chicago)
*John C. Reilly
*Denise Richards (grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois)
*Andy Richter (grew up in Yorkville, Illinois; worked with several improv groups in Chicago)
*Joan Rivers (performed briefly with Second City)
*Michael Rooker
*Pat Sajak (grew up in Chicago)
*Fred Savage (lived in Glencoe, Illinois in his childhood years)
*Randy Savage (grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois)
*David Schwimmer (co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company)
*Amy Sedaris (Second City alum)
*Gary Sinise (grew up in Highland Park, Illinois)
*Jerry Springer (part-time resident of Chicago whose TV show is taped in that city)
*Michael Stoyanov (Second City alum)
*Mr. T (grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes and lived in Lake Forest, Illinois)
*Vince Vaughn (grew up in Buffalo Grove and Lake Forest, Illinois)
*Michael T. Weiss (grew up in Northbrook, Illinois)
*Stephnie Weir (Second City alum)
*George Wendt (grew up in Chicago)
*Pete Wentz
*Fred Willard (Second City alum)
*Oprah Winfrey (lives in Chicago and Santa Barbara County, California; owns property in Maui, Hawaii)
*Billy Zane
*Michael Gross (Born in Chicago, attended the University of Illinois at Chicago)

Famous musicians

*Emma Abbott, noted opera singercite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who |date= 1967]
*Billy Corgan
*Bo Diddley
*Buddy Guy
*Chicago
*Lupe Fiasco
*Nat "King" Cole
*Freddy Cole
*Janet Jackson (born & raised for the first 3 years of her life in Gary
*Michael Jackson (entertainer) (born & raised in Gary, located in northwest Indiana)
*Chaka Khan
*Ludacris
*Ted Nugent (grew up in Arlington Heights, Illinois)
*Minnie Riperton
*Styx (band)
*Eddie Vedder (lived in Evanston, Illinois in his childhood years)
*Muddy Waters (Chicago blues musician)
**Kanye West (grew up in Chicago)
*Deniece Williams (born & raised in Gary
*Fall Out Boy
*Twista
*Common Originally Common Sense
* [(Chaka Khan]
*Wilco
*Kurt Elling
*Nicole Mitchell
*Ed Wilkerson
*Little Walter Jacobs
*Big Walter Horton
*Chuck Berry
*Willie Dixon
*The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
*Seigel-Schwall Blues Band
*Steve Miller
*John Campbell (jazz pianist)
*Mel Torme
*Homer & Jethro
*Michael Bloomfield
*Sam Lay
*Johnny Griffin
*Gene Ammons
*Fred Anderson
*Joseph Jarman
*Roscoe Mitchell
*Wilbur Ware
*Von Freeman
*Ari Brown
*Henry Threadgill
*Muhal Richard Abrahms
*Steve McCall
*Steve Goodman
*Cryan' Shames
*Shadows of Knight
*The Flock
*The Impressions
*Gene Krupa
*Jimmy McPartland
*Bud Freeman
*Ron Dewar
*John Young (pianist)
*Jodie Christian
*Orbert Davis
*Art Hoyle
*Alkaline Trio
*Paul Wertico
*Steve Rodby
*William Russo
*Clifford Jordan
* Herbie Hancock
*Maurice White (founder Earth Wind and Fire)
*Donny Hathaway
*Henry Johnson
*Bobby Broom
*Ray Fuller
* [Benny Goodm
*Art Porter
*Ramsey Lewis
*Young, Holt Unlimited
*Ahmad Jamal
*Lou Rawls
*Jerry Butler
*Gene Chandler
*Major Lance
*R. Kelly
*Sam Cooke
*Jon Walker (Bassist Panic! at the Disco)
*Yung Berg

Other notable musicians

*Anastacia (grew up in Chicago and New York)
*Neko Case (moved to Chicago from Seattle)
*Al Jourgensen (moved to Chicago)
*Lucy Kaplansky (grew up in the South Side)
*Tom Morello (grew up in Libertyville, Illinois)
*Liz Phair (grew up in Winnetka, Illinois and lived in Wicker Park)
*Jimmy Reed (Chicago blues musician)Rita J (grew up in the South Side)

References