Surprising Revelations: Celebrities You Didn’t Know Hail from North Dakota
I find it funny when I am around people, and they find out what I do for a living. I work at a radio station. I get to talk with you on a daily basis. More times than not they always say, ooohhh...I am talking with a celebrity! I try not to think that way. I am just Scott. I get to record advertisement spots to help a client get more customers. I get to play music and be a part of many people's day. I will tell you I have the best job in the world. That is until you actually find out there are more people that just might have had a better job than me. Some are indeed celebrities, and there are a few you may not have known who actually were born in North Dakota.
Josh Duhamel
Duhamel was born in Minot in 1974. As an actor, he has been In four of the Transformers movies, including the most current one, Transformers: The Last Knight, Duhamel made his film debut as one of the primary characters (2017). Moreover, he appeared in the films You're Not You, Safe Haven, New Year's Eve, Life as We Know It, While in Rome, and Life as We Know It (2014). On the short-lived CBS crime drama Battle Creek in 2015, Duhamel co-starred. Along with that, he has appeared in a number of video games, most notably Call of Duty: WWII (2017). He made an appearance in the 2018 coming-of-age movie Love, Simon. As Sheldon Sampson in the Netflix superhero series Jupiter's Legacy in 2021, Duhamel played the lead. In The Callisto Protocol, he also played Jacob Lee.
Angie Dickinson
Born Angeline Dickinson in Kulm, she is an American actress. Dickinson began her career in TV, appearing in some anthology series during the 1950s, before getting her breakthrough role in Gun the Man Down in 1956. She also had a major role in Rio Bravo in 1959 and earned a Golden Globe for that performance. In her six-decade career, Dickinson has appeared in more than 50 films,
Jim Kleinsasser
This powerhouse was born in Carrington in 1977. He is a former NFL football player who played fullback, H-back, and tight end for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at North Dakota and played for the Vikings his entire career since being drafted in 1999.
Carson Wentz
Carson James Wentz, a quarterback for the National Football League's Washington Commanders, was born on December 30, 1992, in Bismarck. Wentz won two consecutive NCAA FCS national titles while playing college football for North Dakota State as the team's starting quarterback. The Philadelphia Eagles picked him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, making him the highest-drafted player from the FCS. In 2017, when he helped the Eagles to an 11-2 record, Wentz had the most success with the team.
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz was born in Minot in 1987. He is the child of military parents, and moved here to there several times. Now, an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor he goes by Wiz Khalifa. He joined Warner Bros. Records in 2007 after releasing his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006. In 2008, after receiving attention on urban radio and appearing on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts, his Eurodance-inspired song "Say Yeah" became his first modest hit.
Shadoe Stevens
Jamestown is where Shadoe Stevens was born in 1947. Stevens is a voice actor, radio host, and even a television host. From 1988 to 1995, he hosted American Top 40. He currently conducts the globally syndicated radio program Top of the World and co-hosts Mental Radio, a lighthearted look into UFOs and other paranormal subjects. He served as the lead continuity announcer for the Antenna TV network as of July 2015, and he was the announcer for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS. Moreover, he provided the voiceover for "G.O.D." in the Off-Broadway production of Altar Boyz. Stevens can frequently be heard on Hits & Favorites, where he calls in at least once a week to impart wisdom to their mutual friend Lori St. James, as well as to his brother Richard Stevens.
These are just a few that I recognized that stood out to me. There are many more celebrities that were born in North Dakota too, like Carmen Berg (Playboy Playmate), Warren Christopher (Secretary of State), Ed Schafer (former governor and Secretary of Agriculture), Sally Fraser (Actress), and Virgil Hill (boxer). You can see the complete list of North Dakota's own on Wikipedia.
Celebrity Names People Can't Seem to Spell Correctly
Gallery Credit: Jacklyn Krol