Our list of the most famous people from each county in Wisconsin received a lot of feedback and many suggestions for people we missed, but we went through a very scientifically sound process of trusting Wikipedia. I support it.
To measure their relative popularity, we aggregated Wikipedia pageview data over the past five years to approximate public interest in each individual, and we calculated the most “famous” Wisconsin counties from each of the 72 counties. I found someone.
It's obviously not a perfect list, but I can name a few that didn't make the cut. How about about 20 pieces?
First, let's list some people from Milwaukee County. There are many people in Milwaukee County who are not on the list. Based on our data, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had the most hits on Wikipedia searches in Wisconsin, with 82,252,001 hits (Netflix probably had a lot to do with this) doing).
Here's an overview of other highly searched people in Wisconsin who aren't already listed by county.
milwaukee county
Christopher Scarver (1969-present), 16,621,154 views. The Milwaukee native also has a fondness for Dahmer's story. He is a convicted triple murderer who murdered Dahmer and another inmate, Jesse Anderson (5,314,372 views, from Ozaukee County), at Columbia Correctional Facility in 1994.
Rachel Brosnahan (1990-present), 10,463,455 View. The Milwaukee-born actress has been involved in a number of high-profile projects, but she broke new ground when she won a string of awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award, for her role as Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Reached.
Gene Wilder (1933-2016), 10,050,524 views. The Milwaukee-born comedic actor is most associated with his iconic role as Willy Wonka in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and has starred in Mel Brooks hits The Producers and Blazing. He also appeared in “The Saddles'' and “Young Frankenstein.'' . ”
Heather Graham (1970-present), 8,065,418 views. The Milwaukee native shot to fame with her role in the 1997 film “Boogie Nights,'' but has also appeared in notable films such as “Swingers'' and “The Hangover.''
Ava Max (1994-present), 5,835,996 views. Born Amanda Ava Corsi in Milwaukee, the American singer has produced a number of huge pop hits, including “Sweet But Psycho” and “Kings and Queens.”
Rose Namajunas (1992-present), 5,513,775 views. The mixed martial artist from Milwaukee has won the UFC women's strawweight title twice and is currently ranked in the top 10 of the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
Liberace (1919-1987), 5,267,778 views. Walter “Lee” Valentino Liberace grew up in West Allis and became a famous pianist, singer, and actor, which underlines his extraordinary personality. At the height of his fame, he had a concert residency in Las Vegas and was the highest paid performer in the world.
Chris Gardner (1954-present), 5,077,341 View. A Milwaukee-born American businessman and motivational speaker, Gardner's penniless-to-riches story is told in Will Smith's film The Pursuit of Happiness, where he rose from homelessness to raise his infant son. The story depicts his upbringing and founding his own securities company.
Spencer Tracy (1900-1967), 4,921,705 View. The Milwaukee-born actor became a Hollywood cornerstone and won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Actor. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him the ninth greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema. Tracy attended Ripon College and had a 25-year relationship with superstar actress Katharine Hepburn.
Tyler Herro (2000-present), 4,878,131 View. Herro, a Greenfield native and basketball star at Whitnall High School, quickly became a star player for the Miami Heat and was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2022. Herro famously reversed his plans to attend the University of Wisconsin and entered the University of Kentucky.
Dan Harmon (1973-present), 4,872,575 View. The Milwaukee-born writer and producer is best known for creating the sitcom “Community” and the animated “Rick and Morty.” He attended Brown Deer High School and Marquette University.
Famous Wisconsinites from outside of Milwaukee
Dane County: Liz Cheney (1966-present), 10,744,380 views. The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, she represented Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023 and became known for her vocal opposition to Donald Trump. She was born in Madison while her parents were attending the University of California, Madison. Dane County on our list: Chris Farley (12,058,326 views).
Kenosha County: Orson Welles (1915-1985), 10,445,563 views. Born in Kenosha, Welles became one of Hollywood's most famous figures, and as a director, actor, screenwriter and producer, was considered the driving force behind Citizen Kane, considered the greatest film of all time. His 1938 radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” famously convinced listeners that an alien invasion was actually occurring. Kenosha County on our list: Mark Ruffalo (12,443,445 views).
Brown County: Brett Favre (1969-present), 8,073,135 people View. Mr. Favre is not a famously native Wisconsinite, having been born in Mississippi (and still lives there, embroiled in a fraud scandal involving the state government). But he is primarily known for his work place, where he led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl championship and set numerous NFL records in the process. Brown County on our list: Zack Snyder (9,396,553 views).
Dane County: Stacey Abrams (1973-present), 7,604,037 views. The Georgia politician is one of the most well-known faces of the Democratic Party and has pushed hard to fight voter suppression and increase voter turnout in his home state. She served in the Georgia House of Representatives before running for governor. Although she grew up in Mississippi, she was born in Madison.
Brown County: Tony Shalhoub (1953-present), 7,010,073 views. When the actor returns to his hometown of Green Bay, he sometimes shows up at Packers games. Consider this his second “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on the list. However, he is also known for playing the title character on the TV show 'Monk'. He graduated from Green Bay East and attended the University of California, Green Bay.
Waukesha County: Ben Askren (1984-present), viewed 6,528,267 times. The two-time NCAA champion wrestler at the University of Missouri competed in the Olympics in 2008 before returning to his mixed martial arts career. A graduate of Arrowhead High School in Hartland, he now runs a wrestling academy that bears his name. Waukesha County on our list: JJ Watt (8,519,563 views).
Rock County: Paul Ryan (1970-present), Viewed 6,232,092 times. Ryan, who finished a close second to Danica Patrick, served as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019 and was running mate Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012. The Janesville native was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1999. Rock County on our list: Danica Patrick (6,280,301 views).
Dane County: Bradley Whitford (1959-present), 5,848,558 views. The Madison-born actor is best known for his role as White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC drama “The West Wing.” He is a two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner and a graduate of Madison East University.
Rock County: Tom Welling (1977-present), 5,272,124 views. The actor, known for his role as Clark Kent on the TV series “Smallville,” briefly lived in Janesville as a child, where his younger brother Mark was born.
Who do you think is the most famous Wisconsinite? Let us know here.