Who are the most famous people from Kansas and Missouri? This list might surprise you
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Who comes to mind when you think of famous people from Missouri and Kansas?
In Kansas, one might point to actors Paul Rudd or Jason Sudeikis, who grew up in Johnson County and have come back regularly over the years to raise money for Children’s Mercy through the Big Slick event they founded with others from the Kansas City area.
In Missouri, you might think of Brad Pitt, who grew up in Springfield.
But none of those celebrities made this list of the top five famous people in each state, created by the data tracking website Famouspeople.io.
The website put out its 2023 list of the most famous people in each state based on a few specific metrics, including — crucially — the state the person was born in, even if that person was not closely associated with that state from then on.
The site generated its answers from a national survey, where participants were presented with a series of famous people and asked if they were familiar with them.
That may help explain how the website topped its Kansas list with Kirstie Alley and the Missouri list with Dick Van Dyke.
Did they get it right? You can judge for yourself.
Most famous people from Kansas
Kirstie Alley, an actress born in Wichita
Bob Dole, former Senate Majority Leader who was born in Russell
Melissa Etheridge, a folk-rock singer born in Leavenworth
Annette Bening, an actress born in Topeka
Martina McBride, a country singer born in Sharon
Most famous people from Missouri
Dick Van Dyke, an actor born in West Plains
Eminem, a hip-hop artist born in St. Joseph
John Goodman, an actor born in Affton
Sheryl Crow, a rock musician born in Kennett
Rush Limbaugh, a political commentator who was born in Cape Girardeau
While Brad Pitt didn’t make the list for Missouri, he was named the most famous celebrity in Oklahoma. Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
The top five for Missouri and Kansas may have been born there, but the majority did not stick around. For example, Van Dyke graduated high school from Danville, Illinois and Bening moved to San Diego, California, before graduating high school.
