There are more famous people from Oregon than you might think! The list of celebrities born in Oregon is quite long. Among them, there are writers, artists, entertainers, politicians, scientists, and more. It's not surprising that most of the famous people born in Oregon are from Oregon's largest city, Portland. But, there are lots of famous people from small town Oregon, too. Here are a few of them and the towns from which they come.
1. Ty Berrell (Grants Pass & Applegate)
Ty Berrel is an actor who is most famous for his role as Phil Dunphy on the long-running sitcom Modern Family.
He was born in Grants Pass which isn't that small of a town, but he was raised in Applegate, near the California border, which is much smaller.
2. River Phoenix (Madras)
River Phoenix was an incredible young actor who died long before his time in 1993 at the age of 23.
He was born in Madras, Oregon, north of Bend. His parents moved frequently, though, so he didn't spend much time there.
3. Holly Madison (Astoria)
Holly Madison is a television personality who has appeared in several reality television series.
She was born in Astoria, in the northwest corner of the state, but she and her parents moved to Alaska when she was just two years old.
4. Doc Severinsen (Arlington)
"Doc" Severinson was born and raised in Arlington, Oregon on the Columbia River. He's a famous jazz trumpeter and has been playing since he was a child, but most people know him as the bandleader on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Arlington is a very small town on the Columbia River in Central Oregon. Even today, the population is just 600.
5. Johnnie Ray (Dallas)
Johnnie Ray was a musician that many consider to be one of the people who ushered in the rock n' roll genre. He was a singer, pianist, and songwriter.
Johnnie Ray was born in Dallas, Oregon, and lived there through elementary school; his family moved to Portland at the beginning of WWII and he attended high school there. Dallas is west of Salem.
6. Beverly Cleary (McMinnville & Yamhill)
Author Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville and spent her pre-school years in nearby Yamhill before her family moved to Portland.
Yamhill is in the Willamette Valley. Today, it has a population of about 1,100.
Oregon is full of beautiful and charming small towns! It's no wonder that some of those small towns produced famous folks who ended up being known around the country and across the world.
Want to learn more about famous people in Oregon? Check out this list for several more famous people from our great state!
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!