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)
• Nora Bayes (1880–1928), actress, singer, and comedian
• John Beck (born 1943), actor (The Other Side of Midnight, Rollerball)
• Jodi Carlisle (born 1960), actress (The Wild Thornberrys)
• 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 (1933–2022), 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, comedian, and carpenter (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, Godspell)
• Audrey Totter (1917–2013), actress (Lady in the Lake, Our Man Higgins)
• Vince Vieluf (born 1970), actor (Rat Race)

Academics, arts, and writing

• Ann Bannon (born 1932), pulp fiction writer
• William Lincoln Bakewell (1888–1969), able seaman on Shackleton Antarctic expedition
• Thomas Bojeski (1946–1974), notable poet writing under the name of Thomas James
• Charles Bowden (1945–2014), educator and writer
• Robert Todd Carroll (1945–2016), publisher of The Skeptic's Dictionary and fellow of Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
• James Downey (born 1952), head writer for Saturday Night Live
• Wendy Anderson Halperin, children's book illustrator and writer
• 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
• Adele Fay Williams (1859–1937), artist and newspaper writer, born in Joliet

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
• Mike Wolfe (born 1964), owner of Antique Archaeology; cast member of American Pickers

Crime

• Milton Johnson (born 1950), serial killer

Military

• Joseph F. Ambrose (1896–1988), World War I veteran
• Earl N. Franklin (1917–2003), colonel of the United States Air Force and Tuskegee Airman
• Frank Perconte (1917–2003), D-Day veteran, member of Easy Company, 506th parachute infantry regiment, and portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by James Madio.

Modeling

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

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; 1985 graduate of Joliet West High School
• Jimmy Chamberlin (born 1964), drummer, songwriter and producer of The Smashing Pumpkins
• Mark Carman (born 1960), Grammy nominated producer, songwriter, musician, singer
• Edward Joseph Collins (1886–1951), pianist and composer
• Da Brat (born 1974), born Shawntae Harris, Grammy-nominated rapper and actress; first female solo rap act to have platinum-selling album
• Five Pointe O, alternative rock music group, active 1999 to 2003
• Janina Gavankar (born 1980), actress and musician
• Buffalocomotive, 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 (1929–2023), 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, composer of the Academy Award-winning song "Say You, Say Me"
• Steve Rodby (born 1954), bass guitarist for Pat Metheny Group
• Elisabeth Withers, neo-soul and R&B singer-songwriter

Politics and law

• Edward C. Akin (1852–1936), Illinois Attorney General and Mayor of Joliet
• Meade Baltz (1912–1994), businessman and Illinois state legislator
• Richard J. Barr (1865–1951), Illinois State Senator and Mayor of Joliet
• William G. Barr (1920–1987), Illinois state representative and businessman
• Joel Aldrich Matteson (1808-1873), 10th Governor of Illinois
• George H. Munroe (1844–1912), Illinois State Senator and businessman
• Lewis E. Reed (born 1962), first African-American president of the Board of Aldermen in St. Louis, Missouri (2007–2022)
• Richard Terrin (1890-1958), lawyer, military theorist and Asia expert
• Lawrence M. Walsh Sr. (born 1948), Illinois State Senator and farmer

Religion

• Lawrence Jenco (1934–1996), Roman Catholic priest and author; taken hostage in Beirut in January 1985 and held for 564 days
• Roger Kaffer (1927–2009), auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet (1985–2002)

Sports

Baseball

• Sweetbreads Bailey (1895–1939), pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Robins
• Rylan Bannon (born 1996), third baseman in the New York Mets organization
• 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
• Mark Carlson (born 1969), umpire in Major League Baseball
• Kelly Dransfeldt (born 1975), shortstop for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox
• Brian DuBois (1967–2023), 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
• Bill Haller (1935–2022), American League umpire and official from 1961 to 1985
• 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
• Bernice Metesch (born 1929), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• 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
• Margaret Murray, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• 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 (1946–2021), third baseman for six MLB teams

Basketball

• Cathy Boswell (born 1962), 1984 Gold Medal Olympian USA women's basketball
• Bulbs Ehlers (1923–2013), played basketball for Purdue and NBA's Boston Celtics
• Jeremy Fears Jr. (born 2005), point guard for Michigan State
• Terry Gannon (born 1963), player for North Carolina State 1983 NCAA champions, sportscaster for NBC Sports and the Golf Channel
• Bill Jones (born 1958), center for Northern Iowa Panthers and in Australia's National Basketball League; captained Adelaide 36ers to 1986 NBL Championship
• Ed Mikan (1925–1999), center for the Chicago Stags, Rochester Royals, Philadelphia Warriors, Indianapolis Olympians, and Boston Celtics
• George Mikan (1924–2005), Hall of Fame center and coach for DePaul and five-time NBA champion Minneapolis Lakers
• Roger Powell (born 1983), small forward for Illinois 2005 NCAA finalists and NBA's Utah Jazz
• Allie Quigley (born 1986), All-Star guard for WNBA's Chicago Sky
• Alando Tucker (born 1984), small forward and shooting guard for Wisconsin, 2007 Big Ten Player of the Year; NBA's Phoenix Suns

Football

• Mike Alstott (born 1973), fullback, 6-time Pro Bowl selection for the Super Bowl XXXVII champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Pete Bercich (born 1971), player and assistant coach for the Minnesota Vikings
• Gordie Gillespie (1926–2015), college football coach
• Mike Goolsby (born 1982), linebacker for the St. Louis Rams
• Harlan Gustafson (1917–1984), 1939 All-America end for University of Pennsylvania
• George Hartong (1896–1973), center for the Chicago Cardinals
• Elmer Madarik (1922–1974), running back for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins
• Eric Parker (born 1979), wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers
• Pug Rentner (1910–1978), halfback and quarterback for the Boston Redskins and Chicago Bears
• Daniel Ruettiger (born 1948), college football player, motivational speaker; inspiration for film Rudy
• Eric Steinbach (born 1980), guard for the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns
• Tom Thayer (born 1961), center and guard for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins
• Jim Valek (1928-2005), player and head coach for University of Illinois

Martial arts

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

Motorsports

• Danny Kladis, Indianapolis 500 driver and inductee of the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame

Wrestling

• Juice Robinson, professional wrestler in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling, 3rd IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion