10 Most Famous people from Boston

10 Most Famous people from Boston

Boston is the state capital of and largest city in Massachusetts’. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States of America, having been founded in the early 16^th century.

This city has been part of the American Revolution such as the Siege of Boston, The Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Boston Tea Party.

It is one of the most populous cities in Massachusetts. The city is regarded as a hub for higher education since several schools and colleges offer programs in a wide array of studies.

Boston has been home to several notable legends such as Benjamin Franklin, Wendell Phillips and Edgar Allan Poe.

Other famous people from Boston are Edward Norton, James Spader, Uma Thurman, Mike O’ Mally, Matt Damon, Chris Evans and Mark Wahlberg.

Here are some of the 10 famous people from Boston.

1. Maria Menounos – Media Personality

Photo by Chrisa Hickey – Wikimedia

Maria is one proud Bostonian. She grew up in Medford, loves Regina Pizzeria, went to Emerson, and was Miss Massachusetts Teen USA.

As a media personality, Maria has hosted Extra and E! News, served as a TV correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, and co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.

Additionally, she also co-produced the online podcast series network AfterBuzz TV. Menounos is currently signed to WWE where she has served as an ambassador since 2013.

She hosts the podcast Conversations with Maria Menounos. In 2014, her reality show Chasing Maria Menounos premiered on the Oxygen Network.

2. Rachel Dratch – Actress

Rachel Susan Dratch was born and raised in Lexington, Massachusetts. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 1988 and moved to Chicago, Illinois.

Rachel had her breakthrough after featuring in the NBC television show Saturday Night Live (SNL). She appeared in the show from 1999 to 2006.

Other than her work on SNL, Rachel has appeared as a guest star in television shows such as The King of Queens, Monk, and 30 Rock.

She has continued recurrence for the role of Klobuchar during sketches on the Democratic Party primary debates, specifically the fifth and sixth debates in November and December 2019.

3. Taylor Schilling – Actress

Photo by Dominick D – Wikimedia

Taylor is famous for her role as Piper Chapman on the Netflix original comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019).

She received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and 2 Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress.

Dark Matter was her first film that was produced in 2007. Her other short roles were in Mercy (2009–2010), Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), The Lucky One (2012), Take Me (2017) and The Titan (2018).

Taylor is also the winner of the Emerson College Playwright’s Festival Outstanding Performance Award.

4. Barbara Jill Walters – Broadcaster

Barbara is renowned for her neat interviewing skills and popularity with viewers. She has appeared as a host of numerous television programs, such as Today, The View, 20/20, and ABC Evening News.

Her journalism career began in the early 1960s as a writer for the Today Show. Furthermore, she was the segment producer of women’s interest stories.

It was in 1974 when she became very popular for hosting an American News program. This resulted in her getting more airtime and being the first woman to ever host the show.  

Jill Walters was an active journalist from 1951 up until 2015. She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989. Additionally, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.

5. Casey Affleck – Actor

Photo by Bex Walton – Wikimedia

Casey began his career as a child actor, appearing in the PBS television film Lemon Sky (1988) and the miniseries The Kennedys of Massachusetts (1990).

His breakthrough came in 2007 after he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

This was for his performance in the Western Drama the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. He was also featured in the crime drama Gone Baby Gone, directed by his brother Ben Affleck.

In 2020, Casey and his mother founded a fundraising effort, Stories from Tomorrow. The money raised from this foundation is used to ensure that children around the world have access to education and food.

6. Conan O’Brien – TV Host

Conan O’Brien is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost three decades.

His popular talk shows are Late Night with Conan O’Brien (1993–2009), The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (2009–2010) on the NBC television network, and Conan (2010–2021) on the cable channel TBS.

Before taking up hosting talk shows, Conan was a writer for Saturday Night Live (1988–1991) and The Simpsons (1991–1993).

He was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2010. In 2016, O’Brien hosted the 5th Annual NFL Honours in San Francisco, California.

7. Mark Wahlberg – Actor

Photo by Jorge A. Rosales – Wikimedia

Here is another famous person born and bred in Boston. Mark Wahlberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

In the mid-1990s, Wahlberg joined the music group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. While in the bands, they released the albums Music for the People (1991) and You Gotta Believe (1992).

He later transitioned from music to acting, his screen debut being in Renaissance Man (1994), followed by a leading role in Fear (1996).

Mark received critical praise for his performance as porn actor Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights (1997).

Wahlberg also worked as executive producer of five HBO series: Entourage (2004–2011), Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014), How to Make It in America (2010–2011) and Ballers (2015–2019).

8. David Ortiz – Baseball Player

David Américo Ortiz Arias, nicknamed “Big Papi”, is a former professional baseball designated hitter.

Big Papi was also the first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox. He has also played for the Minnesota Twins.

Ortiz is one of the players who received the highest signing bonus in the 1992-93 international class.

Other players that received the bonus were Blue Jays right-hander Jose Pett, who received a $675,000 bonus.

9. James Spader – Actor

Photo by Gage Skidmore – Wikimedia

James Spader is popular for his role in the series Blacklist as Reddington (2012-2022). This role earned him earned two Golden Globe Award nominations.

His other famous roles were in Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), Stargate (1994), Crash (1996), Secretary (2002), Boston Legal (1997-2008).

Spader won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2004 for his portrayal on The Practice and subsequently in 2005 and 2007 for Boston Legal.

His other accolade was the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical for Boston Legal in 2006.

10. Leonard Nimoy – Actor

Leonard became internationally famous for his role as Spock in the Star Trek franchise for almost 5 decades.

His debut was in the two pilot episodes in 1964 and 1965. While his last appearance was in 2013.

Nimoy also played himself in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Furthermore, he also directed films, including Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).

Sadly, Nimoy passed away in 2015 after a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In his memory, an asteroid was named 4864 Nimoy.