Famous People from Rhode Island: How many of these 50 famous people do you know?

Rhode Island has its fair share of famous people.

It's not just part-time people like Taylor Swift who own a house here, but can't lay claim to the title of Rhode Islander. We've got plenty of people who were born here or who have lived here for an extended period, who have gone on to become famous.

Who's the most famous person from Rhode Island? That's hard to determine, but we've compiled a list of 50 famous living people from Rhode Island. Take a look at who they are and their connection to the state.

Viola Davis

An EGOT, Viola Davis has won and been nominated for more awards than we have space to list and has become one of Hollywood’s leading ladies. She’s also well-known for giving back – to Central Falls High School (where she graduated from) as well as other schools in programs in the state.

 James Woods

A Rhode Island native, 75-year-old actor James Woods still lives in his home state. Oscar-nominated actor and conservative firebrand James Woods graduated from Pilgrim High School in Warwick and lives in Exeter.

Bobby John Farrelly

With his brother (see below), he directed and produced "There’s Something About Mary," "Dumb and Dumber," "Shallow Hal," "Kingpin," "Stuck on You," and "Fever Pitch."

Peter Farrelly

In addition to the films he worked on with his brother, Peter Farrelly co-wrote and directed "Green Book," which won two Oscars, and is one of the directors of "Lucky Hank."

Olivia Culpo

Named Miss Universe in 2012, the Cranston native has gone on to be a well-known public figure, with her reality television show and is a co-owner of several restaurants in the state.

Meredith Vieira

Raised in East Providence, Meredith Vieira is a staple on broadcast television. She was the original moderator of “The View,” currently hosts “25 Words or Less,” and has been on many other shows including “The Today Show” and her own talk show.

Jim Langevin

The first quadriplegic elected to Congress, Jim Langevin’s first election was to a student government seat his first year at Rhode Island College. He’s currently teaching at the University of Rhode Island and Brown University. He graduated in 1990.

Demetrius Andrade

A professional boxer, Demetrius Andrade, also known as “Boo Boo” is a two-division world champion. His nickname comes from being a bit of a daredevil during his time growing up in Providence, where he still lives today.

Paul Michael DelVecchio Jr.

His big break was Jersey Shore, but Johnston High School graduate DJ Pauly D has spun that moment into more. Since then, he’s been successful as a DJ and is believed to be the most financially well-off of the cast members.

Carolyn Rafaelian

As the former CEO of Alex and Ani, Carolyn Rafaelian had a meteoric rise alongside the popularity of the company’s signature charm bracelet. She’s been on Forbes's list of America's Richest Self-Made Women but has since fallen off. Her current jewelry project is Metal Alchemist.

Pete Wells

The restaurant critic for The New York Times, Pete Wells grew up in Providence and rumor has it he still has a love for “swirling a steamer clam around in the broth that pools at the bottom of a cup.”

David Macaulay

An author and illustrator, David Macaulay has long been driven by curiosity, using his talent for drawing and understanding how mechanical things work to explain it to the rest of us. The Cumberland High School graduate’s work includes "Cathedral" (1973), "City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction" (1974), and "The Way Things Work" (1988). He also illustrated two murals along I-95.

A.O. Scott

The longtime chief movie critic for the New York Times, A. O. Scott attended Classical High School. He recently switched to being a critic at large for NYT’s book review. 

Sylvia Poggioli

A foreign reporter with NPR for 41 years, Sylvia Poggioli didn’t live in Rhode Island for very long, but she was born here, while her father taught at Brown University.

JVKE

The Golden Hour singer Jacob Dodge Lawson, known on stage as JVKE, has been rising in the music industry. He’s originally from Cranston.

Danny Smith

An executive producer, writer and voice actor, Danny Smith is the only writer on “Family Guy” who is actually from Rhode Island. Seth McFarlane just went to college here. Smith went to Smithfield High School and Rhode Island Community College.

Bob Ballard

In 1985, Bob Ballard found the R.M.S Titanic, launching him into popular culture. However, the scientist, who is an oceanography professor at The University of Rhode Island, would prefer if we would all remember him for the discovery of the first hydrothermal vents and their exotic chemosynthetic animal communities.

Ann Hood

A New York Times best-selling author, Ann Hood was born in West Warwick. Rhode Island is the place she’s always come back to, even after a career as a stewardess and growing up in a military family. Rhode Island is ever-present in her memoirs.

Gregory Zuckerman

A New York Times best-selling author and an investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal, George Zuckerman grew up in Rhode Island. His latest book is “A Shot to Save the World” about the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Don Reo

A Cranston native, Don Reo is a television producer and creator. Some of the shows he’s been a creator of include “Blossom,” “My Wife and Kids,” and “The Ranch."

David Kessler

Even if you don’t immediately recognize the name David Kessler, you probably are familiar with his work. A grief expert, Kessler, who was born in Rhode Island, worked with psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross on the five stages of grief and co-authored two books with her. He’s also written several of his own books, including his most recent the bestselling “Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief.”

John McCauley

The frontman for the alternative rock band “Deer Tick,” John McCauley is a Rhode Islander through and through. The band, founded by McCauley in 2004 with the membership solidified in 2009, got its start playing gigs in Providence.

Vanessa Carlton

The “A Thousand Miles” singer moved to Rhode Island in 2021 with her husband, Deer Tick frontman John McCauley.

Richard Jenkins

He’s been in over 80 movies, but the Oscar-nominated Richard Jenkins has a funny way of being somewhat anonymous. He came to Rhode Island to join Trinity Repertory Theatre, and he only left once – briefly – before coming back Jenkins lived in Providence, then Cumberland, and then moved back to Providence again.

Shawnee Taveras

A singer, Shawnee Taveras is a queen of salsa, awarded the Premio Conga de la Salsa in the Dominican Republic for best new musical act in 2019. She moved from the Dominican Republic to Providence as a child.

Kim Schifino

One half of the indie-band Matt and Kim, Kim Schifino graduated from East Providence High School. The band is probably best known for their gold-certified song “Daylight,” which has been used in TV shows, commercials and even in "The Sims 3: World Adventure."

More: 12 graduates from Rhode Island high schools that went on to do big things

Dale Chihuly

Not many glass artists become household names, but Dale Chihuly has for his stunning large-scale installations. He did his graduate work at RISD and is credited with starting the glass-blowing program there.  

Debra Messing

Most recognizable as Grace on “Will and Grace,” the actress started her career as a student at East Greenwich High School. When she received a Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in 2015 her former high school drama teacher, James Metcalfe presented her with the award.

Pete Gaynor

Pete Gaynor, who lives in Jamestown, was the FEMA Administrator during the COVID-19 pandemic, and very briefly in January 2021 served as the acting Secretary of Homeland Security.

Will Blackmon

Raised in Cranston, Will Blackmon is a former safety in the NFL. He played for the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Jacksonville Jaguars, to name a few.

Kevin Lima

From Pawtucket, Kevin Lima is a director and animator who has worked on some really big movies. He was the director of “Enchanted” and “Tarzan,” a writer for “Aladdin” and worked as an animator on movies like “The Brave Little Toaster.”

Richard Hatch

The winner of the first season of Survivor, Richard Hatch became notorious as “that naked guy.” Since then, he’s been on several other reality shows and in trouble with the law for tax evasion.

Frank Caprio

Well-known for his show “Caught in Providence,” Judge Frank Caprio served for many years as a municipal court judge in Providence. He’s known globally as a face for compassionate justice.

Gina Raimondo

United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo is still better known around these parts as the former governor of Rhode Island. She grew up in Smithfield.

Jared Haibon

First a contestant on the 11th season of "The Bachelorette," Jared Haibon is one of the successes of “The Bachelor” franchise. While he didn’t find love that season, in a return to the franchise he met Ashley Iaconetti. It was a bit of a rocky road, but they’re now married.

More: Do you remember these Rhode Islanders who were on reality television shows? Take a look

Omi Hopper

A delight to watch cook, Omi Hopper started making cooking videos during the pandemic to keep boredom at bay, and then says she kept at it because she loved educating about Puerto Rican cooking. She became so popular as a social media influencer that she landed a spot on season 2 of "Next Level Chef." She made it to the semifinals before being eliminated.

Wendy Carlos

A musician and composer, Wendy Carlos is considered one of the most important people in electronic music. From Pawtucket, her accomplishments include winning three Grammys for her album “Switched on Bach” and writing the score for “A Clockwork Orange,” “The Shining” and the 1982 production of “Tron.”

Jonathan Nelson

Rhode Island’s sole billionaire Jonathan Nelson, of Providence Equity Partners, lives in Providence and is worth $3.1 billion, according to Forbes.

More: RI billionaires club a lonely place. See who's a member.

Vinny Pazienza

A former professional boxer, the 2016 film “Bleed for This” is based on Vinny Pazienza’s journey back from injury. The International Sports Hall of Fame inductee is from Cranston.

Charlie Day

Best known as Charlie Kelly from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Charlie Day was actually raised in Middletown.

Joe Mazzulla

The head coach for the Boston Celtics, Joseph Mazzulla is from Johnston. In high school, he played for Bishop Hendricken High School, and as you might expect he was a standout.

Jeffrey Osborne

Born in Providence, Jeffrey Osborne started early in music. His father, Clarence "Legs" Osborne, was a trumpeter who played with the likes of Duke Ellington. In a Providence nightclub, Jeffrey Osborne met the other members of what would become Love Men Ltd. Years, later he launched a solo career earning four grammy nominations and five gold and platinum albums.

Rocco Baldelli

The manager of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball, Rocco Baldelli started his career in baseball at Bishop Hendricken High School. The Woonsocket native played outfield for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Boston Red Sox, until a condition called channelopathy cut his career short.

Ken Read

Considered one of the best sailors in the world, Ken Read was named the United States Rolex Yachtsman of the Year twice and has won more than 50 other titles. When he isn’t on a boat, he’s based out of Newport.

Mena Suvari

The youngest of four children, Mena Suvari spent her early years in an old stone mansion in Newport she believed was haunted until her family moved to South Carolina. The actress is best known her her roles in “American Pie” and “American Beauty.”

Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Another winner of Survivor, Elisabeth Hasselbeck used her success on the show to land a hosting gig on “The View” for 10 years. The Cranston native did a stint on “Fox and Friends” for two years before leaving in 2015.

Shanna Moakler

Providence native and 1995 Miss USA Shanna Moakler has been on several reality shows, including "Growing Up Supermodel," "Hollywood Exes" “Dancing with the Stars,” and "Meet the Barkers" as the ex-wife of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who is now married to Kourtney Kardashian.

Billy Gilman

First in the public eye as an 11-year-old when his single “One Voice” debuted, Billy Gilman has been singing ever since. The Rhode Island native was the runner-up in the 2016 season of “The Voice” and has been nominated for a Grammy twice.

Elizabeth Beisel

A three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist, Elizabeth Beisel is a swimmer from North Kingstown. In the 2012 Olympics, she won a silver in the 400m Individual Medley, and a bronze in the 200m backstroke.

Robert B. Capron, Jr.

As an eight-year-old, Robert Capron Jr. started his acting career at Trinity Repertory Company. He went on to star as Rowley Jefferson, Greg Heffley's best friend in “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movies.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Famous People from RI: How many of these 50 famous people do you know?