Celebrities from Indiana

Indiana is predominantly known for three things: the Indy 500, basketball, and corn. However, some rather famous people are from the state. For your amusement, here is an entertaining list of celebrities who are from Indiana.

Sydney Pollack, Academy Award-winning film director, actor, and producer was born in Lafayette, Indiana on July 1, 1934. Pollack has an immensely impressive resume that boasts: directed over 21 films and 10 television shows, starred in over 30 films and shows, and produced over 44 films. Some of Pollack's most memorable movies are Out of Africa, Tootsie, The Way We Were, The Firm, and Eyes Wide Shut.

The beautiful and talented actress, Vivica A. Fox was born in South Bend, Indiana on July 30, 1964. Some of the movies that Fox has been in are: Born on the Fourth of July, Independence Day, Set It Off, Booty Call, Batman & Robin, Soul Food, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Ella Enchanted, and Kicking It Old School. Fox is currently a member of the drama series, Missing on the Lifetime Television Network. Vivica is set to star in a movie about the rise and fall of Whitney Houston.

On April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana the night talk show host, David Letterman, was born. Letterman's first show was called The David Letterman Show. It was actually a morning comedy show on NBC. Critics loved the show, but it was a ratings failure. The David Letterman Show was canceled after a short run in the summer of 1980. NBC kept Letterman in his contract and tried to move him to a different time slot. Late Night with David Letterman made its debut in 1982. Letterman stayed with the NBC network for 11 years. He expected to replace Johnny Carson on the Tonight show when he retired. Instead, executives at NBC chose Jay Leno, Carson's frequent guest host. Letterman was a longtime protégé of Carson's and was bitter and angry at not having been named as Carson's replacement. It is rumored that in 1993 Carson advised Letterman to leave NBC and host his own show that would air opposite Tonight on CBS. Letterman took his mentor's advice and is still on CBS in the 11:30 timeslot opposite of Jay Leno. In keeping with his Indiana roots, Letterman is an IRL IndyCar Series car owner.

American labor leader, Jimmy Hoffa, was born in Brazil, Indiana on February 14, 1913. Hoffa was the controversial and very powerful leader of the Teamsters Union from 1957 to 1971. Hoffa allegedly had ties to organized crime and was convicted of fraud and jury tampering in 1964. Hoffa served four years in prison before President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence. Hoffa's mysterious disappearance still remains a mystery today even though the suspects were well known and their motives were well documented. Adding to the mystery, there are numerous rumors as to where Hoffa's body is and what happened to it. Some of the rumors are: his body was buried in concrete in the Straits of Mackinac Bridge; Hoffa's body was shipped across the border and is in Mondo Condo in Toronto, Canada; his body was buried in the concrete foundation of the Renaissance Center in Detroit; Hoffa's body was cremated at an animal crematory at the Wayne State University Medical School. Jimmy Hoffa's son, James, is the current president of the Teamsters.

Guns n' Roses frontman, Axl Rose, was born in Lafayette, Indiana. Rose has publicly stated that he was abused as a child by his step father and also witnessed the repeated beating of his mother at the hands of his step father. This led Rose to have poor relationships with women as an adult. Rose was kicked out of his home at age 16 because he refused to cut his hair. By age 17, Rose was hitchhiking and taking buses across the country. Before his success with Guns n' Roses, Axl took many unusual jobs to survive, including smoking cigarettes for a scientific study at UCLA for $8.00 an hour. Some of the most memorable songs that Axl Rose helped create with Guns n' Roses include: Don't Cry, Sweet Child o' Mine, and November Rain.

Gary, Indiana provided the setting for Michael, Janet, Latoya, Jermaine, Tito, Rebbie, Jackie, Marlon, and Randy Jackson as children. The nine Jackson children were raised in a two bedroom house in Indiana. The children have previously accused their father, Joe Jackson, of child abuse. Each Jackson found some level of success in the music industry. Pop, R&B, and blues are the various areas of music that the Jacksons are a part of. All siblings have had varied levels of success over the years, and the most well known of the Jackson children are Janet and Michael. Michael Jackson has been referred to as the King of Pop and is the greatest selling artist of all time. Janet Jackson is one of the biggest female acts ever. The only year that all of the Jackson children had albums on the market was 1984.

Rock star, actor, songwriter, and author, David Lee Roth was born in Bloomington, Indiana. Roth is best known for his part in the hugely successful band Van Halen. Roth got his first taste of show business at age 7 when he started hanging out at his uncle's popular New York City nightclub, "the Wha?". Some of the people working in the nightclub included Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, both of whom greatly influenced the young David Lee Roth.

Comedienne and actress, Shelley Long was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Long is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress. Long gained a great amount of fame for her role as Diane Chambers in the immensely successful television sitcom, Cheers. Long has made appearances in other television shows such as: Yes Dear, Boston Legal, Joan of Arcadia, Strong Medicine, 8 Simple Rules, Frasier, and Murphy Brown. Long starred in many successful movies including: Troop Beverly Hills, The Money Pit (with actor Tom Hanks), Losin' It, Night Shift, The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel.

Indiana has been home to more than the Indy 500, basketball, and corn. At one time or another, Indiana has been home to various celebrities.