Whether you know it or not, there are a lot of famous people from Philadelphia. Some represent Philly proudly (like Will Smith), while others are less vocal (but still very proud) of their Philly roots. Here is a running list of famous people — both living and dead — from the City of Brotherly Love.
1. Boyz II Men
This legendary R&B group ruled the charts in the 90s with hits like “Motown Philly,” “On Bended Knee,” “End of the Road,” and more. Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris are all Philly natives and attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA). They’re even getting a street named after them at the end of June called Boyz II Men Boulevard in Philly.
2. Tina Fey
The acclaimed writer, comedian, actress and producer hails from Upper Darby — a suburb just outside of Philadelphia in Delaware County. Fey is best known for creating and starring in hit shows like “30 Rock” and more currently, “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
3. Bob Saget
Most famous for his role on Danny Tanner on the classic TV show “Full House,” Saget was born in Philadelphia and even attended Temple University’s film school.
4. The Roots
You can’t think of Philadelphia without thinking of legendary hip hop band, The Roots. Founded in 1987 by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter at CAPA (this high school has turned out so many famous graduates), The Roots have been the house band for “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” since 2014 and before that, served as the house band for NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” They come back to Philly on June 2 for the 10th annual Roots Picnic.
5. Richard Gere
Most famous for his roles in films like “Pretty Woman,” “Runaway Bride,” and “Chicago” Richard Gere launched his career in the 1980s as Julian Kaye in “American Gigolo.” Gere was born in Philadelphia in 1949.
6. Grace Kelly
The American actress who would go on to become the Princess of Monaco was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the East Falls section of the city, where the family home still stands. Known for her roles in films like “Rear Window” and “Dial M for Murder,” Kelly stopped her film career after marrying the Prince of Monaco.
7. Will Smith
Talk about Philly royalty, the world first fell in love with West Philly native Will Smith on his iconic TV show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” He followed that up with a stellar career on the big screen, which includes films like “Men in Black,” “Hitch” and “The Pursuit Happyness.”
8. Diplo
Diplo may have been born in Mississippi, but he began his career in Philadelphia. While studying at Temple, he started to DJ and started to throw parties under Hooked on Hollertronix. Since then, he’s launched the uber successful Mad Decent entertainment company and collaborated with artists like Shakira, Snoop Dogg, No Doubt and more.
9. Kevin Bacon
Renowned actor and musician, Kevin Bacon, was born in Philadelphia in 1958 but left at age 17 to pursue his acting career in New York. Some of his best-known works include “Footloose,” “Apollo 13” and “A Few Good Men.” He currently stars in the Amazon series “I Love Dick.”
10. Pink
The platinum-selling artist, famous for hits like “There You Go,” “Most Girls” and “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” was born in Doylestown, a suburb of Philadelphia, in 1979.
