James Beard

Perhaps Oregon's most famous son, at least in the world of food and foodies, James Beard is a legendary chef, cookbook author, television personality and is the inspiration beyond the highly coveted annual awards ceremony that bears his name and recognizes the best in the world of cuisine. Beard was born in Portland, but it was during his family vacations to Gearhart where he was exposed to the Pacific Northwest cuisine that would become an inspired staple in his repetoire. 

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Thomas Beatie

Known as the first "pregnant man" Thomas Beatie (born Tracy Lehuanani LaGondino) used to live in Bend, Oregon with his legally married wife Nancy Gillespie. As a man, he gave birth to all three of his children from 2008 to 2010. During that time he was featured in an article in The Advocate Magazine which resulted in him telling his story on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." 

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Brian Michael Bendis

Dubbed as "Marvel’s chief ambassador for converting moviegoers into comics readers" by New York magazine. For the last fifteen years, Bendis has penned much of what we know about Spider Man. A super writer in the world of super heroes, Bendis also teaches both at Portland State University and the University of Oregon.

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Carrie Brownstein

Guitarist and vocalist for Portland's own Sleater-Kinney  Brownstein was born in Seattle, raised in Redmond but has pretty much spent her adult life in Portland. Speaking of Portland, her IFC comedy show with Fred Armisen, "Portlandia, has catapulted Carrie and the city of Portland to sketch comedy stardom. 

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Ty Burrell

Ty Burell is best known for his role as Phil Dunphey in the sitcom "Modern Family." He was born in Grants Pass and attended the University of Oregon.

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Chelsea Cain

A hippie chick turned thrilling mystery writer, this Iowa native has long called Portland home is perhaps best known for her series of Gretchen Lowell novels including Heartsick (2007), The Night Season (2011) and Let Me Go (August 2013). 

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Bruce Campbell

A cult fim actor best known as the "King of The B's" for such films as "Evil Dead" and "My Name is Bruce" Campbell currently lives in Jacksonville, Oregon.

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Randy Couture

Ultimate Fighting World Champ and mixed martial arts legend Randy Couture was an Olympic wrestling alternate who lived in Corvallis, Oregon, throughout much of his career, where he served as an assistant wrestling coach and a strength and conditioning coach for Oregon State University. It was in Corvallis that he decided to pursue the world of MMA. It was in Gresham that he established Team Quest with Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson, a training camp for fighters.

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore (see image here) via Wikimedia Commons

Ann Curry

The former Today Show host and longtime NBC news reporter Ann Curry lived in Japan as a child, before moving to Ashland, Oregon, where she graduated from Ashland High School. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism at the University of Oregon in 1978.

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Martha Davis

The lead singer of The Motels, Martha's haunting voice can be found on such classic tracks as "Suddenly Last Summer" and "Only The Lonely." Martha herself can be found on a ranch just outside of St. Helens. For the last several years Davis has based herself out of Oregon as she continues to travel the world with her band. 

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Johnny Depp

It has been reported by locals that one of the biggest stars in the world ("Edward Scissorhands," "Ed Wood," "Pirates of the Caribbean") has a home somewhere in the hill country outside of Ashland. 

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Sam Elliott

Actor Sam Elliott ("Mask", "Tombstone," Hulk") moved from California to Oregon during his teenage years, where he graduated from David Douglas High School in Portland. He attended Clark College in Vancouver, Washington where he got a two-year degree before moving to Los Angeles to become an actor.

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David Fincher

Film director David Fincher was born in Colorado, grew up in San Anselmo, California and moved to Ashland, Oregon during his teen years. That is where he, like Ann Curry, graduated from Ashland High School. Making movies since a very early age he would go on to make classic films like "Fight Club" from the book by longtime Portland resident and Northwest native Chuck Palahinuk. 

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Matthew Fox

"I got a DUI in Bend, Oregon, where I live now, very happily," actor Matthew Fox said. "I was not happy about the DUI at all." Known for his work in "Lost" and "Party of Five" the slightly reclusive star has family in Bend. 

Photo Credit: By Ewen Roberts (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Clark Gable

The legendary movie star of "Gone With the Wind" and "The Misfits" Clark Cable actually got his real acting break in, of all places, Astoria, Oregon where he performed with a local theater company. Prior to hitting the boards of Astoria, Gable sold neckties in the Mens Department of downtown Portland's Meier & Frank. 

Matt Groening

The creative genius behind tv classics "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" and the comic "Life in Hell" Groening finds much of his inspiration for his work in his home state of Oregon and his hometown of Portland. In fact many of the characters are named after local streets.

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Tonya Harding

Oregon's most infamous resident this ice queen was born in Portland but is best known for her time in the outskirts of the city where, from an early age, she trained to become an accomplished athlete and one of the top figure skaters of her time. In 1991 Harding landed four triple axels in competition but it was in 1994 that Harding really made a name for herself when she was linked to an attack on her fellow competitor Nancy Kerrigan. Harding, who has spent the last decade out of the spotlight is said to be living in the central Oregon town of Sisters.

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Gregory Harrison

Gregory Harrison was the title character in the television version of the sci-fi classic "Logan's Run" before appearing in "Trapper John M.D." another spin-off. In case the spin-off was of the television show that was inspired by the movie "M.A.S.H." Harrison is married to actress Randi Oakes (of CHiPs fame). He used to live in Gold Beach, Oregon, but as of 2007 is said to reside in Eugene.

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Katie Harman-Ebner

Katie Marie Harman-Ebner, known for being Miss America in 2002, and former Miss Oregon in 2001, is a classical vocalist and stage actress. During the September 11th attacks she was newly selected as Miss America and she provide support to the rescue workers. 

photo creidts: Katie Harman 2008, by Craig A. Hurst© under (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Jon Heder

Actor Jon Heder hit the screen hard with his feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film "Napoleon Dynamite." Heder and his parents moved to Salem, Oregon, when he was 2 years old. He attended Walker Middle School in Salem and graduated from South Salem High School in 1996.

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Margaux Hemingway

The granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway and older sister of actress Mariel Hemingway, Margaux was born In Portland, Oregon. A supermodel of the 1970's, the sometimes actress was as known as much for her partying ways as she was for her magazine covers. In 1996, one day before the anniversary of her grandfather's own suicide, Hemingway was found dead in her studio apartment in Santa Monica.

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Lisa Kennedy

Lisa is an American political satirist, radio personality, and former MTV VJ known merely as "Kennedy." She is also the co-host of 'the Independents' a Fox Business Channel show. She was born in Indianapolis, but raised in lake Oswego where she went to Lakeridge High. She left Portland in the early 90's and went to Los Angeles where she became a radio DJ.

photo credits: Lisa speaking at the 2013 International Students for LIberty Conference. credits to Gage Skidmore© , under (CC BY-SA 2.0) 

Ken Kesey

Ken Kesey, Oregon's literary gift to the world, was actually born in Colorado. In 1946 his family moved to Springfield, Oregon where Kesey became a champion wrestler. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1953 and attended college at the University of Oregon where he earned a degree from the university's School of Journalism in speech and communication in 1957. He would go on to write such classics as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Sometimes A Great Notion. 

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Justin Kirk

One of the stars of  Showtime's Mary Jane-centric "Weeds" it shouldn't be any wonder that this Emmy-nominated actor was born in Oregon. In fact, it was Salem, Oregon. But Kirk soon moved from the "big" town of Salem to the much smaller hamlet of Union, Washington with a population hovering below 600 citizens.

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Storm Large

Singer/songwriter, actress and author wasn't born in Oregon, but she has definitely made a name for herself here. From her earliest days at Dante's with her band "The Balls" to her time onstage at Portland Center Stage in both "Cabaret" and her own show, "Crazy Enough" which became the basis for her own memoir.  And, yes, she spent some time on a reality television show called "Rockstar Supernova." 

Courtney Love

The Yoko Ono of Nirvana. The lead singer of Hole. The muse of many a high fashion designer. And an actress. Courtney Love is many things, including a longtime resident of Oregon. Love and her family moved the family to the rural community of Marcola, Oregon in 1970  and attended elementary school in Eugene. In the early 80's Love spent time in Portland including many a night at the now long gone punk club Satyricon.

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Holly Madison

One of Hugh Hefner's many ex-girlfriends Madison's stands out because she almost actually married the most famous bachelor in the world. It was all caught on tape (of course) via the popular E! reality show "The Girls Next Door." She also appeared on her own show called "Holly's World." Madison was born in the North Coast town of Astoria. After moving away for a few years, Holly and her family moved back to the small town of St. Helens where Holly would commute to Portland State University to study theater and psychology.

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Tobey Maguire

It is said that the first "Spiderman" to hit the big screen had a tulmultous childhood that resulted in the young Tobey being shuttled from state to state including several times in both Oregon and Washington. 

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Johnny Marr

One of the founding members of The Smiths, alongside Morrissey, this music-minded singer, songwriter and guitarist spent at least five years in Portland before returning his native land of Great Britian and his home in Manchester. 

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Kaitlin Olson

The son of longtime Portland publishing magnate, Don Olson, Kaitlin grew up in Tigard, Oregon before going off to Hollywood to pursue her dream of an acting career that eventually landed her the role  ofDeandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds in the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

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Bettie Page

Bettie Page once was the "queen of pin-up" modeling due to her distinctive hour-glass shaped body, black bangs and skimpy swimsuits. She was alternately a glamour gal, bondage model and one of Playboy magazine's first "Playmates of the Month." Flirting with the edge of erotic  took a toll on Page. In the late 1950's she became an evangelical Christian. It was during this time in her life she attended the Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland. 

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Chuck Palahniuk

The author of the cult classic "Fight Club" and many other masculine and minimalist tomes, Palahniuk was born in Pasco, Washington (and grew up nearby in the small town of Burbank, Washington) before bolting after his high school graduation to the big city of Portland, Oregon. His oft-mispronounced last name has not stopped him from becoming a household name to readers from all over the world. Chuck has lived in or near Portland for over 30 years. 

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Linus Pauling

One of the greatest scientists of all time, Pauling is one of only two people to be awarded Nobel Prizes in different fields, the other being Marie Curie. The first was in 1954 for chemistry and in 1962 received the Nobel Peace Prize.  Although he lived most of his life in Portland, Oregon he died at the age of 93 in Big Sur, California.

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Julianne Phillips

Born in chilly Chicago but raised in the comfy confines of Lake Oswego, this model/actress—best known for her role in the television show "Sisters"—is actually more well known for being the girlfriend and first wife of New Jersey's first musical son, Bruce Springsteen. After Sisters and Springsteen Moore pretty much has retired from public life. 

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River Phoenix

River Phoenix was born River Jude Bottom on August 23, 1970, in Metolius, Oregon. He would go on to make two seminal films in Oregon: 1986's "Stand By Me" and 1991's "My Own Private Idaho" directed by longtime Portland resident Gus Van Sant. River's career and life was cut short in 1993 when he died of drug-induced heart failure outside a club in Los Angeles. 

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Mitch Pileggi

Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is perhaps best known for his creepy role as Walter Skinner on "The X-Files." Currently the Portland native has an even creepier role as Harris Ryland in TNT's updated version of the night time soap "Dallas."

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Jane Powell

One of the stars during "The Golden Age of Holllywood" Jane Powell grew up in Portland to become the  "Oregon Victory Girl" where she traveled around the state for two years, during World War II, singing and selling victory bonds. During her time as the Oregon Victory Girl, Powell had two weekly radio shows. Powell is best known for her role in the musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"  with Howard Keel.

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Ahmad Rashad

Born Robert Moore in Portland in 1949 this now well-known sportscaster used to play football at the University of Oregon. In 1972, Bobby Moore converted to Islam, and changed his name to Ahmad Rashād. He has been married four times including to actress Phylicia Rashad of "Cosby" fame and Sale Johnson who is the ex-wife of Johnson & Johnson billionaire heir, and New York Jets owner,Woody Johnson.

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Lisa Rinna

A soap opera acting legend (and sometimes adult undergarment pitch person) Lisa Rinna plays "Billie," just one of the conivving women who make up the cast of the long-running "Days of Our Lives." Born in Medford, Lisa now lives in Los Angeles with her longtime husband, actor Harry Hamlin.

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Katee Sackhoff

Born in Portland and a graduate of Beaverton's Sunset High School Katee would go on to international geek and sci-fi stardom as "Starbuck" on the re-boot of the television series "Battlestar Galactica." She currently stars in the A&E series "Longmire" as Deputy Sheriff Victoria "Vic" Moretti. This gal is tough. 

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Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant was not born here (it was actually in Kentucky) but probably has more to do with people knowning what Oregon looks like over the last couple of decades via his seminal films such as "Mala Noche," "Drugstore Cowboy," "My Own Private Idaho," and "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues." Although he calls Portland his home Gus spents a good portion of his time on the road (and in Los Angeles) making his films.

Photo Credit: By Gorup de Besanez (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons (Image cropped) 

Elliott Smith

Singer/songwriter smith gained noterity for his music in the town where he spent a good portion of his short life: Portland. Smith, who graduated from Lincoln High School, played in local bands like Heatmiser, before reaching acclaim and appearing on The Academy Awards for the song "Miss Misery" that appeared in Gus Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting."

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Mindy Stearns

Mindy Burbano was merely a Forest Grove dental hygenist. That was until she was "discovered" by Oprah Winfrey during a taping of the "Oprah" show—were Mindy let out a big "cockle doodle doo" and became forever known on that show and to the world as "The Rooster Lady." Mindy parlayed her affinity for animal noises into a career in entertainment grew up in the Portland area. Her acting credits include "The Princess Diaries," "Dickie Roberts," and  Mrs. Glenn Stearns on "The Real Gilligan's Island." 

photo credits: Mindy's official site

Sally Struthers

A Portland native, actress Sally Struthers is best known as "Gloria," the daughter of the ill-tempered Archie Bunker on "All In The Family" as well as countless late-night commercials.  

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Courtney Taylor-Taylor

Lead singer and co-founder of the alternative band, The Dandy Warhols, Taylor-Taylor spends a good time at his home in Portland when he isn't travelling the world with his band. 

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Lindsay Wagner

The original "Bionic Woman," Lindsay Wagner attended Portland's David Douglas High School as well as the Unversity of Oregon. After winning an Emmy as "Jamie Sommers" Wagner would go onto make a career out of appearing in televison series, movies of the week, and more recently as the pitch person for a bed company. 

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Abby Wambach

One of the biggest stars in professional soccer this two-time Olympic gold medalist splits her time between Portland and New York State where she currently plays for Western New York Flash in the National Women's Soccer League.

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M. Ward

Matt Ward, better known as M. Ward, is a singer songwriter has lived in Portland since his post-college days. It's here where he gained promience in the indie music scene and it is here where, legend has it, he has invited actress Zooey Deschanel (his bandmate in She & Him) to perform at local coffeeshops.

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Myrlie Evers-Williams

The widow of civil rights leader Medgar Evers and an out-spoken activist in her own right, Myrlie is an accomplished author and journalist. After her husband's death, Evers would eventually marry fellow activist Walter Williams and moved with him to  Bend, Oregon in 1989. 

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Bridgette Wilson-Sampras

This former "Miss Teen USA" (one of two such crown holders from Oregon) is from the coastal town of Gold Beach, Oregon. After her reign Bridgette would go on to co-star in films with the likes of Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Wilson is the wife of tennis great Pete Sampras, and the mother of two sons. 

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