Born here
38
notable people
Best known
Loudon Wainwright III
in 27 Wikipedia languages
Most common field
Film, TV & Stage
11 people
Also called it home
13
notable residents
What stands out about Chapel Hill’s famous people ★ What stands out · Known for What Chapel Hill is known for The field furthest above the usual share is performers, at 3.1 times.
Film, TV & Stage 11 people 29%3.1× usual Sports 8 people 21%below usual Writing & Arts 7 people 18%1.8× usual Music 6 people 16%2.9× usual Politics & Law 3 people 8%below usual Science & Medicine 2 people 5%about usual Notable 1 person 3% The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years When Chapel Hill’s famous people were born The 1960s alone account for 9 of the births charted here.
Mills & railroads The American century Today 1900 1950 2000 Jack Hogan Film, TV & Stage Sports Writing & Arts Music Politics & Law Science & Medicine Notable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
The best known Born in Chapel Hill Loudon Wainwright III has articles in 27 languages, Taylor Sheridan in 27 and Floyd Council in 21.
#1 Music Loudon Wainwright III born 1946 American singer-songwriter, humorist, and actor
TS #2
Film, TV & Stage Taylor Sheridan born 1970 American producer, screenwriter and director
FC #3
Music Floyd Council 1911–1976 American blues guitarist and singer
Everyone Everyone else born in Chapel Hill Another 35, the earliest born in 1883.
All · 35 Politics & Law · 3 Sports · 8 Music · 4 Film, TV & Stage · 10 Writing & Arts · 7 Science & Medicine · 2 Notable · 1
Any time Mills & railroads · 3 The American century · 18 Today · 14
John Haymes Newton born 1965 American actor
Robert Schenkkan born 1953 American playwright, screenwriter, and actor
SB Sean Bridgers born 1968 American actor and director
Jack Hogan 1929–2023 American actor
BF Ben Fountain born 1958 American writer
RW Ricardo Lagos Weber born 1962 Chilean politician
NB Ned Brower born 1978 American musician
BS Brook Steppe born 1959 American basketball player
AA Alex ter Avest born 1993 American actress
BG Ben Griffin born 1996 American professional golfer
JR Jahon Rad born 2001 American soccer player
NH Nick Holliday born 2006 American soccer player
BJ Benton Johnson 1928–2024 American sociologist
BT Blair Tindall 1960–2023 American journalist and oboist
KR Kaveh Rad born 2001 American soccer player
LG Louis Graves 1883–1965 American newspaper editor
PG Paul Green 1924–2018 American electrical engineer
RM Rosalind McGee 1937–2015 American politician and activist
SS Scott Speiser born 1980 American actor and writer
WT Willie Trice 1910–1976 American Blues musician
AC Andrea Long Chu born 1992 American writer
CS Chris Stamey born 1954 American musician, singer, songwriter
CH Clarkston Hines born 1967 All-American college football player, wide receiver, College Football Hall of Fame member
DE Dovonte Edwards born 1982 Player of American and Canadian football
GH Gill Holland born 1964 American film producer
JJ James Johnston 1895–1967 Co-owner of the Washington Senators of the American League
JF Jax Forrest born 2006 American wrestler
JC John Collins born 1969 American director, born 1969
LS Lew Schneider born 1961 American comedian
MH Matthew Humphreys born 1974 American actor
MD Michelle Dorrance born 1979 American tap dancer, performer, choreographer, teacher and director
SS Sam Summerlin 1928–2017 American journalist
KH NR Nicholas Rowe born 1981 Musician and songwriter
RJ Robert T. Tally Jr. born 1969 American academic in literature
No one matches both filters.
Show all 35 A chosen home Also called Chapel Hill home 13 notable people born elsewhere made the town home, John Grisham the best known.
JG John Grisham born 1955 American writer
LB Lewis Black born 1948 American comedian and actor
DJ Donald Johnson born 1968 American tennis player
Kizzmekia Corbett born 1986 American immunologist
PF Ping Fu born 1958 Chinese computer scientist and entrepreneur
AR Albert Ernest Radford 1918–2006 American botanist
WL William Leuchtenburg 1922–2025 American historian and political scientist
MG Maddie Gardner born 1993 Nationally recognized allstar cheerleader.
DS David Steinmetz 1936–2015 American historian
DP Diane Pozefsky born 1901 American computer scientist
MF Margaret Ferguson born 1968 American political scientist
MP Mark Pryor born 1967 Mystery novelist
PS Pranab K. Sen 1937–2023 American statistician
The town’s pick Who’s the most famous person from Chapel Hill? Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Town Square → Your pick
Loudon Wainwright III TS Taylor Sheridan FC Floyd Council John Haymes Newton Someone else → No picks yet
Be the first to say who Chapel Hill’s most famous person is.
Or tell us
Did you grow up with someone famous from Chapel Hill? → Who should be on this list but isn’t? → Next door Famous people from the towns next door Around it, Durham has the most people on record, 23 of them.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Chapel Hill and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (6) Loudon Wainwright III: Carl Lender at https://www.flickr.com/photos/clender/, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons John Haymes Newton: Department of Defense/William D. Moss, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Robert Schenkkan: Jay Godwin, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Jack Hogan: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons Kizzmekia Corbett: Kizzmekia Corbett, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons Fred Brooks: Copyright owned by SD&M (www.sdm.de), CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons