List of people from Joliet, Illinois

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Joliet, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Joliet, Illinois.

Acting

• John Barrowman (born 1967), actor (Doctor Who, Torchwood)
• John Beck (born 1943), actor (The Other Side of Midnight, Rollerball)
• Nora Bayes (1880–1928), actress, singer, and comedian
• Jodi Carlisle (born 1960), actress
• Tyler Christopher (born 1972), actor (General Hospital)
• JoAnn Dean Killingsworth (1923–2015), actress and dancer, first person to play Snow White at Disneyland
• Andy Dick (born 1965), comedian, actor, musician and producer (NewsRadio)
• Janina Gavankar (born 1980), actress, musician (True Blood)
• Kathryn Hays (born 1933), actress (As the World Turns)
• Mercedes McCambridge (1916–2004), actress; 1949 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (All the King's Men, Giant)
• Melissa McCarthy (born 1970), actress and comedian (Mike & Molly, Bridesmaids)
• Nick Offerman (born 1970), actor and writer (Parks and Recreation)
• Larry Parks (1914–1975), stage and film actor (The Jolson Story)
• Anthony Rapp (born 1971), stage and film actor and singer (Rent)
• Lynne Thigpen (1948–2003), Tony Award-winning stage, film and TV actress (Carmen Sandiego, The Paper)
• Audrey Totter (1918–2013), actress (Lady in the Lake)
• Vince Vieluf (born 1970), actor (Rat Race)

Academics and writing

• Ann Bannon (born 1932), pulp fiction writer
• Robert Todd Carroll (born 1945), publisher of The Skeptic's Dictionary and fellow for Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
• John Houbolt (1919–2014), aerospace engineer
• Mort Kondracke (born 1939), political commentator and journalist
• Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (born 1933), children's and young adult fiction author
• Robert Novak (1931–2009), syndicated columnist, author, conservative political commentator
• Adam Rapp (born 1968), novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker and musician
• Johan Reinhard (born 1943), anthropologist, archaeologist
• James J. Stukel (born 1937), 15th President of the University of Illinois (born in Joliet)
• Edwin Way Teale (1899–1980), naturalist, photographer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Business

• John D. Goeken (1930–2010), founder of MCI Inc and Airfone
• John Fremont McCullough (1871‒1963), co-founder of Dairy Queen; opened first store in Joliet in 1940
• William Cornelius Van Horne (1843–1915), pioneering Canadian railway executive

Military

• Earl N. Franklin (1917–2003), Colonel of the United States Air Force and Tuskegee Airman; born and raised in Joliet, Illinois
• Frank Perconte (born 1917), non-commissioned officer with Easy Company (World War II); portrayed in the HBO/BBC miniseries Band of Brothers

Modeling

• Adrianne Curry (born 1982), model, best known as the first winner of America's Next Top Model
• Lois Delander (1911–1985), 1927 Miss America

Music

• Charlie Adams (born 1954), drummer for Chameleon and Yanni, spokesman for Autism Society of America
• John Barrowman (born 1967), Scottish singer, actor, dancer, musical performer and media personality
• Jimmy Chamberlin (born 1964), drummer, songwriter and producer, formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins
• Da Brat (born 1974), born Shawntae Harris, Grammy-nominated rapper and actress; first female solo rap act to have a platinum-selling album
• Five Pointe O, alternative rock music group, active 1999 to 2003
• Janina Gavankar (born 1980), actress and musician
• Height of Roman Fashion, rock band formed in 2004 that recorded the theme song for Inked
• Frank Marocco (1931–2012), accordionist
• Don Murray (1904–1929), jazz clarinet and saxophone player
• Kerry Muzzey (born 1970), film and television composer
• Ron Nelson (born 1929), composer of classical and semi-classical music, retired music educator
• Ann Nesby (born 1950), R&B, gospel, and dance music singer/songwriter and actress, former lead singer of Sounds of Blackness
• Doug Pinnick (born 1950), bass guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for King's X
• Lionel Richie (born 1949), Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer
• Steve Rodby (born 1954), bass guitarist for Pat Metheny Group

Politics and law

• Edward C. Akin (1852–1936), Illinois Attorney General and Mayor of Joliet
• Richard J. Barr (1865–1951), Illinois State Senator and Mayor of Joliet
• Lewis E. Reed (born 1962), first African-American president of the Board of Aldermen in St. Louis, Missouri (2007–present)

Religion

• Lawrence Jenco (1934–1996), Roman Catholic priest and author; taken hostage in Beirut on January 1985, held for 564 days
• Roger Kaffer (1927–2009), auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet (1985–2002)
• Tamara Siuda (born 1969), founder and current head of Kemetic Orthodoxy and the House of Netjer

Sports

Baseball

• Sweetbreads Bailey (1895–1939), pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Robins
• Jesse Barfield (born 1959), outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Yomiuri Giants (Japan)
• Sean Bergman (born 1970), pitcher for five MLB teams and one team in the NPB league of Japan
• Bobby Burke (1907–1971), pitcher for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies
• Kevin Cameron (born 1979), pitcher for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics
• Kelly Dransfeldt (born 1975), shortstop for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox
• Brian Dubois (born 1967), pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
• Gordie Gillespie (1926–2015), coach, member of College Baseball Hall of Fame
• Mike Grace (born 1970), pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
• Mark Andrew Grant (born 1963), pitcher for six MLB teams
• Bill Gullickson (born 1959), pitcher for six MLB teams; played baseball at Joliet Catholic Academy
• Larry Gura (born 1947), pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals
• Jack Hendricks (1875–1943), outfielder and manager for several MLB teams
• Ed Lagger (1912–1981), pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics
• Mark Leiter (born 1963), pitcher for eight MLB teams
• Chris Michalak (born 1971), pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, and Cincinnati Reds
• Bill Moran (1869–1916), catcher and left fielder for the St. Louis Browns and Chicago Colts
• Steve Parris (born 1967), pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• Jack Perconte (born 1954), infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago White Sox; sports writer
• Jeff Reed (born 1962), catcher with six MLB teams
• Ed Spiezio (born 1941) third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and Chicago White Sox
• Scott Spiezio (born 1972), infielder for the Oakland Athletics, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, and St. Louis Cardinals
• Bill Sudakis (born 1946), third baseman for six MLB teams

Basketball

• Terry Gannon (born 1963), player for North Carolina State 1983 NCAA champions, sportscaster
• George Mikan (1924–2005), Hall of Fame center and coach for DePaul and the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers
• Roger Powell (born 1983), small forward for Illinois 2005 NCAA finalists and the Utah Jazz
• Alando Tucker (born 1984), small forward and shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns

Football

• Mike Alstott (born 1973), fullback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Gordie Gillespie (1926–2015), college football coach
• Harlan Gustafson (1917–84), 1939 All-America end for University of Pennsylvania
• Eric Parker (born 1979), wide receiver for the Houston Texans and San Diego Chargers
• Daniel Ruettiger (born 1948), college football player, motivational speaker; inspiration for the film Rudy
• Eric Steinbach (born 1980), guard for the Cincinnati Bengals 2003–2006 and the Cleveland Browns 2007–2010
• Tom Thayer (born 1961), center and guard for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins
• Jim Valek (born 1928), player and head coach for University of Illinois football team

Martial arts

• Randall Kleck, martial artist; World Karate Union Hall of Fame

Wrestling

• CJ Parker American professional wrestler currently working on the independent circuit under the ring name Juice Robinson