At BetMichigan.com, we wanted to take a hyper-localized approach to see what celebrities who were raised in the state of Michigan are the most well-known.
So BetMichigan – your home for the best Michigan mobile gambling apps – used a weighted points system to choose the biggest celebs from the state. We compiled data from AhRefs.com Keywords Explorer and Google Trends over the past 12 months. We then averaged those numbers to determine the Top 10.
We defined “Michigan celebrity” as a person who resided in Michigan in their formative childhood and teenage stage for 5 years or more. The list includes only living actors/actresses, singer/songwriters, athletes, TV personalities, comedians, dancers and social media influencers.
Detroit alone has produced a bevy of musical legends so it is fitting that three record industry standouts, who burst onto the scene in three different eras, fight it out for the top spot.
Coming in at No. 1 is Madonna, now 40 years into her provocative music career. The now-Material Senior Citizen, from Bay City, has been churning out hits since the 1980s. When she’s not in the news for her music, fashion, personal life or views, she’s in the news for her appearance. Madonna, who turns 65 in August, is one of the biggest celebrities of the last half-century.
At No. 2 is Eminem, from Warren. The “Lose Yourself” rapper, 50, has been one of the most influential wordsmiths of the past 25 years. Aside from his deft rhymes and unique, staccato delivery, Eminem helped mainstream rap with hits like “The Real Slim Shady,” “Without Me,” “Stan” (with Dido), “Love the Way You Lie” and “The Monster” (both with Rihanna), plus numerous other hits. His comments and controversies have also consistently kept him in the news.
Lizzo, 35, from Detroit, is No. 3. With a plus-size body and an even bigger personality, Lizzo has turned out a series of empowering bangers and won over naysayers with a quick wit and loud laugh, whether she’s day drinking with Seth Meyers or doing carpool karaoke with James Corden. Lizzo – real name Melissa Jefferson – also made news when she played a flute that once belonged to James Madison, setting off a brief skirmish in the culture wars. Conversely, some of Lizzo's recent headlines haven't been so kind, as the singer has been accused by three former backup dancers of various forms of harassment.
NBA star Draymond Green, 33, from Saginaw, played college basketball at Michigan State before becoming a key piece in four Golden State Warriors’ championship runs. Green, No. 4 on our list, is a sharp-elbowed glue guy on the court, and controversy also sticks to him. He was most recently in the news for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock during a November regular season contest, drawing a five-game suspension.
NBA star Devin Booker, 26, from Grand Rapids, hits the list at No. 5. Unlike the chatty Draymond, Booker is more of a silent assassin – a lethal scorer with the Phoenix Suns trying to mesh with Kevin Durant. Next season he will have Bradley Beal as a new teammate, a new coach, and anywhere from +600 to +700 odds at MI sports betting apps to win the NBA title.
Multi-dimensional Huntington Woods native Kristen Bell, who turns 43 in July, hits our chart at No. 6. From “Veronica Mars” to “The Good Place” to “Frozen” to numerous commercials, Bell has even found the time to co-author two children’s books and host the vastly underrated Disney+ series “Encore!”
Model Kate Upton (No. 7) is from St. Joseph but the 31-year-old gets double Michigan cred because she’s married to former Detroit Tigers star pitcher Justin Verlander. They have one child.
No. 8 is Los Angeles Lakers and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson from Lansing. A two-year basketball star and national champion at Michigan State, Johnson is one of the greatest – and most liked – players of the past 45 years. Johnson, 63, is now a business tycoon. His Spartans are +1600 at Caesars Sportsbook MI to win the NCAA basketball title in 2024.
Actor/comedian Tim Allen, from Birmingham, charts at No. 9. Allen, who turned 70 on June 13, became a household name on the sitcom “Home Improvement.” He parlayed that fame into a number of hit movies (“Toy Story,” “GalaxyQuest,” “The Santa Claus”) and a second hit sitcom (“Last Man Standing”).
Rounding out the Top 10 is actress Selma Blair from Southfield. From “Cruel Intentions” to “Hellboy” and beyond, Blair has had a varied career in film and television. Blair, who turned 51 on June 23, has most recently been in the news because of her battle with multiple sclerosis.
Honorable Mentions: NFL player Kirk Cousins, former MLB player Derek Jeter and actor James Earl Jones.
Madonna, now 40 years into her provocative music career, is from Bay City, Michigan.
Lizzo, 35, is from Detroit, Michigan.
Yes, Kate Upton is from St. Joseph. She is also married to former Detroit Tigers star pitcher Justin Verlander.
Author
Joss has over a decade of experience in the US online gambling market. His analysis and writing cover every aspect of the business. After a career as an Army officer, he spent time in business, then took up online poker. Joss lives in Peru with his family. Joss is globally considered one of the leading voices in the gambling industry, especially North American sports betting.
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