A long list of Hollywood actors, musicians, and television hosts were born in Iowa, many in small towns. Here are some of the best-known names and where they came from.
Hollywood Legends
John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison in 1907 in Winterset. His birthplace and museum still operates in town. Donna Reed, who starred in It's a Wonderful Life and won an Oscar for From Here to Eternity, grew up on a farm near Denison. Cloris Leachman, the Oscar-winning actress known for The Last Picture Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, was born in Des Moines in 1926.
Modern Movie and TV Stars
Cedar Rapids produced two: Ashton Kutcher, star of That '70s Show, and Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings films, were both born there. Brandon Routh, who played the lead in Superman Returns (2006), is from Des Moines.
Music and Late-Night Icons
Bandleader Glenn Miller, one of the biggest names of the big band era, was born in Clarinda in 1904. Singer Andy Williams, known for "Moon River," came from Wall Lake. Johnny Carson, host of The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, was born in Corning in 1925 before his family moved to Nebraska. Comic actor Tom Arnold is from Ottumwa.
A Frontier Showman
Buffalo Bill Cody, who built his Wild West shows into a global spectacle, was born in 1846 near Le Claire, on the Mississippi River. The town still marks the connection.
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