Famous People From North Carolina

There are more famous people from North Carolina than you might think. Some of them still live there, some of them moved, and some are missed by people who loved them when they were around. So let’s talk about famous people from North Carolina as this state is becoming more and more popular among people. Not just because of these famous people of course. The quality of life in NC is completely different than in the rest of the United States. The schools are better, the parks are greener, the beaches are nice.

Zach Galifianakis

One of the most loved American actors Zach Galifianakis was born and raised in North Carolina. He has starred in films, such as The Hangover trilogy (2009–2013), Due Date (2010),  The Campaign (2012), Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), Masterminds (2016). He is well-known around the world for his funny comments and his good and vibrant personality. Zach attended but did not graduate from North Carolina State University, where he majored in communications. He began his acting career on television. Since then he has done so much. He hosted many fundraisers. He befriended a homeless woman in her 80s. She was living in a Santa Monica laundromat for 18 years. Galifianakis got her an apartment across the street from the laundromat. The story was revealed in a 2015 documentary Queen Mimi.

Ken Jeong

The co-star of Zach is also from North Carolina. Ken Jeong origins from South Korea but he was raised in North Carolina. Ken graduated at 16. And his achievements earned him Greensboro’s Youth of the Month award. He actually studied medicine. Jeong is a licensed physician in California. But he no longer practices medicine. He gave it up in favor of his acting career and he succeeded. He stared in many famous films and he has his own stand-up shows around the United States.

Not many people know that Ken is an actual doctor.   

Jermaine “J” Lamar Cole

A very famous rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer was born and raised in NC. He goes by the name of J. Cole. He started gaining popularity in 2007. So he has been on the stage for over 12 years now.  He has many albums and mixtapes. He is famous around the world and his fanbase is one of the most supportive ones. J. Cole talks a lot about North Carolina in his songs. And that is why many young people who are his supporters have been moving to NC lately with Moving Kings NC. Jermaine takes inspiration from Nas, Tupac, and Eminem.

J. Cole
One of the best rappers of today was born and raised in North Carolina. 

Julianne Moore

She is an American actress and children’s author. Moore won an Academy Award and two Golden Globes. Time magazine named Moore one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015. She began her career with a series of television roles. Moore wrote a series of children’s books. It is about a character named “Freckleface Strawberry”. Her books are loved by many children because she put a lot of love and hard work into them. She is a lovely person as they say and she loves helping others. She is currently 58 but she looks better than ever.

Michael Carlyle Hall

Known for his role in the Showtime series Dexter as Dexter Morgan. He plays a serial killer and blood spatter analysis. This role suits him so well that not many people know his actual name. They just call him Dexter which Michael doesn’t mind at all as Dexter is a very complex character. He was born in Raleigh, NC. Hall is a vegan. He lives in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City with his wife, Morgan Macgregor. They married on February 29, 2016. Hall is the face of the Somalia Aid Society’s “Feed The People” campaign. He is also a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Soupy Sales

Milton Supman was famous with the name Soupy Sales. He was an American comedian, actor, radio/television personality, and jazz aficionado. He is best known for his local and network children’s television show called “Lunch with Soupy Sales”. It is a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his trademark as many people and children loved it. He had a very vibrant soul. His smile was contagious. Now he is remembered because he made so many people laugh and smile and he created a character that many people love.

children laughing
Soupy made everyone laugh, especially children.

Jaime Pressly

Jaime Pressly is an American actress and a model. She is mostly known for her role in a sitcom My name is Earl. She was nominated for two Emmy Awards and she won one. And a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. At age 14, she appeared on her first cover of Teen Magazine. That is when she became the official spokesmodel for the International Cover Model Search. She currently plays Jill in the television series “Mom”. But if that is not what you like, there are plenty of movies starring black women that you can watch this year.

Theophilus Alphonso Pinson

For Theo Pinson moving from Greensboro, NC to a distant place wasn’t a problem as he moved to play in the NBA league. He is a basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets and he is very successful. In the summer of 2011, he won the gold medal in the USA Basketball U16 team with future Tar Heel teammate Justin Jackson.