The Hoosier state is known as the birthplace for a handful of pretty famous, or perhaps infamous, people - and you probably already know they are from Indiana. I can guarantee you, though, that there are a whole bunch of celebrities you DIDN'T know were born in our great state. How can I make such a bold statement? How can I guarantee that? Well, I've lived in Indiana my entire life (over four decades) and I was surprised, shocked even, to discover some of the people on the list below were born here. I've worked in radio for 25 years and part of my job is to know useless things like this, and all this time I did not know it - so I feel really comfortable saying that YOU did/do not know it either.

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One of the names you'll recognize on this list is Brendan Fraser - he was actually the inspiration for this list. Did you know he was born in Indiana? I sure didn't, but when I learned that fact, I wondered who else I didn't know about - and this list was born.

So, the list below isn't made up solely of people you didn't know were born in Indiana - some are obvious, and common knowledge. If that's the case for you then just keep on scrolling, odds are the next celebrity will be one you didn't know about.

Before I get to the list, I wanted to share a few 'honorable mention' celebrities. The only reason they're not on the list is that I couldn't find a picture of them that I had permission to use. They are...

  • Jimmy Hoffa: The famous American labor union leader was not known for where he was born (in Brazil, IN), or where he died. No, he's most famous for the mysterious location of his final resting place. Do you know where he's buried?
  • Jim Jones: Yep, that Jim Jones, the one who killed over 900 people back in 1978. Yep, he was born in Crete, IN.
  • Alex Karras: Alex is best known for his time in the NFL and for his acting career. You might remember him as Mongo in Blazing Saddles, or as Emmanuel Lewis' dad on the 80s sitcom Webster. Alex was born in Gary, IN.
  • Izzy Stradlin: Izzy is one of the guitarists and co-founder of Guns N' Roses, along with Axl Rose (who you'll find on the list below). Izzy was born in Lafayette, IN.

And now for the rest of them...

38 Celebrities Who Were Born in Indiana

There are a bunch of famous folks that everyone knows were born in Indiana, but there are even more that you didn't know about. Most of this list is arranged in alphabetical order, except for the handful of celebrities born in our neck of the woods here in southern Indiana. I gotta give them a little preferential treatment.

Take a Delicious Journey Along These 21 Indiana Food Trails

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Indiana Foodways Alliance has the MOST food trails in America. Taste the very best that Indiana has to offer when it comes to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. Plan to visit some or all of these yummy stops all throughout the Hoosier state.

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