Film & TV · born 1961Eddie Murphycomedian, actor, singerBrooklyn-born comedy star whose Axel Foley, the wisecracking Detroit police detective of Beverly Hills Cop, is one of the most famous Detroiters in film.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.
- 664 famous people
- 66 Detroit places
- 14 fields
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
15 people
Clear filtersFilm & TV · born 1961Eddie Murphycomedian, actor, singerBrooklyn-born comedy star whose Axel Foley, the wisecracking Detroit police detective of Beverly Hills Cop, is one of the most famous Detroiters in film.
Comedy · born 1964David Spadestand-up comedian, actor, podcasterSarcastic Saturday Night Live alumnus and Tommy Boy star, born in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham before his family moved west.
Film & TV · 1961–2023Tom SizemoreactorDetroit-born, Wayne State-trained character actor of Heat, True Romance and Saving Private Ryan.
Film & TV · born 1965Sherilyn Fennactress, authorTwin Peaks' Audrey Horne, born in Detroit into the Quatro rock family: Suzi Quatro is her aunt.
Comedy · born 1969Ken Jeongcomedian, actor, physicianDetroit-born comedian and licensed physician, famous as Mr. Chow in The Hangover and Ben Chang in Community.
Film & TV · born 1966Dean Cainactor, producer, former football playerTV's 1990s Superman in Lois & Clark was born at Selfridge Air Force Base in Macomb County, northeast of Detroit.
Film & TV · born 1969Martin Klebbaactor, stunt performerTroy native and Athens High School graduate, best known as the pirate Marty in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Film & TV · born 1965David S. Goyerscreenwriter, director, producerAnn Arbor-born writer of the Blade and Dark Knight films, whose Batman v Superman turned Detroit into Gotham and Metropolis.
Film & TV · born 1965Mike Henryvoice actor, writer, producerFamily Guy writer and longtime voice of Cleveland Brown, born in Pontiac, Michigan.
Film & TV · born 1968Cynthia WatrosactressDaytime Emmy-winning soap star and Lost's Libby, born in Lake Orion and a former Macomb Community College student.
Film & TV · born 1965Ted Raimiactor, director, writerDetroit-born character actor of the Evil Dead films and Xena, younger brother of director Sam Raimi, who started out in Detroit industrial films.
Comedy · born 1961Tim Meadowscomedian, actorTen-season Saturday Night Live veteran from Highland Park and Detroit's Conant Gardens, who learned improv at the Soup Kitchen Saloon and later moved back to the city.
Film & TV · born 1963Gail O'Gradyactress, producerThree-time Emmy nominee for NYPD Blue, where she played receptionist Donna Abandando, born in Detroit.
Film & TV · born 1961Al Jeantelevision writer, producerLongtime showrunner of The Simpsons, born in Detroit and raised in Farmington Hills, where he graduated from Harrison High School.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own.