10 Most Famous People from Virginia Beach

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10 Most Famous People from Virginia Beach

Everybody comes from somewhere and Virginia Beach is home to a slew of famous people. But what makes someone famous? Some people become famous because of their natural talents. These people might be famous for singing, acting, or hitting a baseball. In other instances, natural beauty or attributes might even lead you to become a famous person i.e. supermodel. Other people may become famous for things they do both good and bad. VA Beach is a world-famous tourist destination and as a city, it boasts of interesting history and a diverse people from all walks of life who call it home.

This city is also a cultural hub with wonderful locals, beaches, sand and surf and if you are keen enough on your people-watching will not fail to single out a star or two. Apart from being a major city in VA, one thing most people don’t know about Virginia Beach is that it is a place that their favourite celebrities call home. Therefore, be on the lookout for some famous celebrity faces during your vacation they just might be swimming, dining, or walking the boardwalk. The following is a list of 10 notable people who were born, raised or are closely associated with Virginia Beach.

Famous Music Celebrities from VA Beach

Pharrell Williams

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Pharrell Williams was born in 1973 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. The American musician was involved in a number of pop hits as part of the producing team The Neptunes as a songwriter and as a solo performer. Williams was a percussionist in his school band where he met his business partner, saxophonist Chad Hugo. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip-hop and R&B production house in the early 1990s with whom he has produced songs for various recording artists. In 1999, he became the lead vocalist of the band N.E.R.D., which he formed with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley. Williams has been widely referred to as one of the most influential and successful music producers of the 21st century and has had a significant impact on the sound of modern popular music, especially producing soul, hip hop and R&B music. He is also a good friend of Ariana Grande and helped produce her fourth studio album Sweetener. Williams has received numerous accolades and nominations. He has won 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (one as a member of the Neptunes). He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee: in 2014 for Best Original Song, for “Happy” (from Despicable Me 2); and in 2017 for Best Picture, as a producer of Hidden Figures.

Here are the top 10 facts about Pharell Williams.

 Jamia Simone Nash

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Jamia Simone Nash known simply as Jamia was born in Virginia Beach and is an American singer and actress. Her father, James Nash, CEO of The Popular Entertainment Group, manages her skyrocketing career. Jamia has been gaining attention in Hollywood for her growing acting career and is building a reputation as a much sought-after performer. Television critics took notice of her breakthrough performance in 2006 as a 10-year-old Fantasia Barrino (the 2004 American Idol winner) in the popular Lifetime television movie Life Is Not A Fairytale. However, Nash’s first national appearance was in Love & Basketball in 2000 in which she played Quincy and Monica’s baby. Showtime at the Apollo in 2002, where she sang the Alicia Keys song, Fallin. She performed at the 2003 Essence Awards, singing Michael Jackson’s song “Who’s Lovin’ You” in honour of Mary J. Blige. She and her younger sister Olivia sing the hook in the song “Black Girl Pain” on Talib Kweli’s 2004 album The Beautiful Struggle. February 24, 2008, at the 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony when she gave a rousing performance of the song Raise It Up from the Warner Brothers’ feature August Rush, a movie for which she received critical acclaim in her feature film debut as “Hope.”

Virginia Beach’s Famous Actors

Jason George

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Jason Winston George is an American actor and model. He is best known for his roles as Michael Bourne on the NBC daytime soap opera Sunset Beach, as J.T. Hunter on the UPN television sitcom Eve, as Dr. Otis Cole on ABC’s Off the Map, and as Dr. Ben Warren on Grey’s Anatomy and its spinoff Station 19. Jason George was born in 1972 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1994 with a double major in Rhetoric and Communication Studies and Drama. The actor was mostly cast as a cad and ne’er-do-well and was a staple of urban romantic comedies throughout the 1990s before breaking out with prominent roles in Clockstoppers (2002) and “Barbershop” (2002). As an actor and producer, he is better known for Fallen (1998), Sunset Beach (1997) and Breaking In (2018). He has been married to Vandana Khanna since July 10, 1999. They have three children. Even though he was featured in a number of films, George made his greatest impact on the small screen with a slew of guest-starring roles while becoming a regular on a string of Series.

To get a list of the best public schools in Virginia Beach, click here.

Chyler Leigh

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Chyler Leigh West, known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, singer and model. She is known for portraying Janey Briggs in the comedy film Not another Teen Movie, Lexie Grey in the ABC medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy, and Alex Danvers in the DC Comics superhero series Supergirl. A natural beauty with a girl next door appeal, her career was launched in her late teens, when she started to land recurring roles on shows like Safe Harbor (The WB, 1999) and 7th Heaven (The CW/The WB, 1996-2007), as well as a starring turn in the 2001 spoof-comedy, Not Another Teen Movie. Leigh continued landing roles on short-lived series throughout the early 2000s, before landing her breakout role on Grey’s Anatomy in 2007. Leigh played Dr. Grey for four seasons on “Grey’s,” while racking up legions of new fans. Chyler Leigh was born and raised in Virginia Beach, she is arguably one of the best actresses in modern history.

 Mark Ruffalo

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Ruffalo spent his early childhood in Kenosha, Wisconsin when he was about 13, the family moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. While in high school he participated in wrestling and in his senior year he acted in a school performance of West Side Story. After his 1986 graduation, he moved with his family to San Diego, California. Mark first took classes at the Stella Adler Conservatory in Los Angeles and subsequently co-founded the Orpheus Theatre Company, an Equity-Waiver establishment, where he worked in nearly every capacity from acting, writing, directing and producing to running the lights and building sets while building his resume. He was a bartender for nearly a decade and it was by chance meeting that resulted in a working opportunity with playwright/screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan that changed everything. Like many other actors who were tagged “best of a generation,” Mark Ruffalo’s roots were in theatre and independent film where his honest, open character approach was applauded. His breakout stage role in Kenneth Lonergan’s acclaimed This Is Our Youth led Lonergan to give Ruffalo the lead in his film directorial debut You Can Count on Me (2000), which earned countless festival awards.

Click here fora brief history of Virginia Beach.

Tim Reid

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Timothy Lee Reid on December 19, 1944, in Norfolk and raised in Chesapeake, Virginia. Coming from a troubled, impoverished childhood. As a teenager growing up in Norfolk, Reid dealt with the horrors of segregation during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in Virginia’s Tidewater area. Later he straightened out his life enough to attend Norfolk State College (now Norfolk State University) and graduate with a business administration degree. Married to his wife Rita, whom he met at college both involved in the entertainment field. The Emmy-nominated actor, director and producer, has been a mainstay in the entertainment industry for the last three decades. He starred as Venus Flytrap, on the popular CBS television series WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 – 1982. Twice he has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award for “Best Actor in a Comedy” for his popular characters. Reid has had many starring roles over the years in several television series, including The Richard Pryor Show, Simon & Simon, Frank’s Place, Snoops, Save Our Streets, and the hit WB series Sister, Sister.

Virginia Beach’s Most Famous Olympian

Gabby Douglas

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Gabrielle Christina Victoria “Gabby” Douglas is an American artistic gymnast. She was a member of the United States women’s national gymnastics team, dubbed the Fierce Five at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she won gold medals in the individual all-around. Furthermore, she was the first U.S. gymnast to win the all-around and team titles at the same Olympic Games and the first African-American to take home Olympic gymnastics gold – both feats that an equally super athlete Simone Biles has replicated. By the time she was nine, Douglas knew she wanted to be an Olympic champion. Five years later she sacrificed her family life, moving from Virginia Beach to Iowa to train with celebrated coach Liang Chow. Her gamble worked as she was crowned team world champion in 2011 when she was still only 16. As a celebrated gymnast successes led to her life story adaptation in the film, The Gabby Douglas Story(2014). She also produced her own reality television series, Douglas Family Gold.

Famous Poet From Virginia Beach

Genesis the Greykid

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He was born in Tennessee but lived all around because his father was in the military. He spent most of his youth in Virginia Beach. Born Russell McGee Jr., Genesis the Greykid is a poet and fine artist who is well known for creating a new form and style of art called PoAnquardia that highlights internal thresholds in a poetic yet modern way. As he was growing up, Genesis was always interested in poetry, which first presented itself in the form of hip-hop lyrics. has always had a clear idea of what he wanted to do. Although he started with ghostwriting and hip hop, he soon transitioned those talents into the creative world. His art has a diverse group of patrons and has worked with names like Kanye West, Shaquille O’Neal, and Warren Buffet. As a musical artist, he has released two albums, one of which included the song Note to Pharrell in reference to fellow Virginia Beach native, Pharrell Williams.

Get to learn about the best black Poets of all time.

The Most Famous Baseball Player in Virginia Beach

Ryan Zimmerman

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Ryan Wallace Zimmerman is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman who played 16 seasons for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmerman graduated from Kellam High School in Virginia Beach and played college baseball at the University of Virginia. Nicknamed “Mr. National”, is a prominent feature in the Major League Baseball scene. He played for the Washington Nationals for 16 seasons from 2005-2021. He played as a third and first baseman but is best known for his performances over home plate as a batter. Zimmerman is a recipient of the Gold Glove Award and is a two-time winner of both the All-Star and Silver Slugger Awards. In 2019, he and the Nationals won the World Series. After he retired in 2021, Zimmerman’s number 11 was also retired by the Washington Nationals. He holds many Nationals records and is an all-time leader in hits, home runs and RBI.

Read about places you can play a round of golf in VA Beach.

The Most Famous Artist from Virginia Beach

Ryan McGinness

Ryan McGinness grew up in the surf and skate culture of Virginia Beach. He is a prominent artist who has his work exhibited around the world. His work is a product of his experiences growing up in Virginia Beach. McGinness creates abstract works that include images from logos and street signage. He lives and works in Manhattan, New York and is known for his original extensive vocabulary of graphic drawings which use the visual language of public signage, corporate logos and contemporary iconography. He also creates paintings, sculptures and environments. A McGinness canvas is densely packed and is likely to incorporate flora, fauna, chandeliers, and family crests, as well as imagery from the bathroom and street signs, all layered with a whirlwind of tightly rendered abstract patterns and motifs. His works are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Here are the most family-friendly neighbourhoods in Virginia Beach.