For a city of a little more than 300,000 residents, Toledo Ohio has a variety of famous residents, past and present--from movie stars to sports personalities to writers. Learn more about famous Toledoans below.
Jamie Farr
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Toledo native and actor Jamie Farr is best known for his role as Corporal Maxwell Klinger on the television series M*A*S*H. While Farr's character on M*A*S*H was originally planned for one episode, he impressed producers and was kept on for the show’s 11-year run. The series finale of M*A*S*H drew a record number of viewers, over 125 million, and the show was chosen by TV Guide as the best television show of all time.
Farr is proud of his Toledo roots, having a park named after him and acting as host of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic since 1984.
Katie Holmes
(David Livingston/Getty Images)
Actress Katie Holmes, the now well-known as the wife of actor Tom Cruise, was born and raised in Toledo. Katie’s first professional role came in the 1997 film The Ice Storm while still in high school. Holmes comes from a Catholic family and attended parochial schools and graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1997.
From 1998 through 2003, Holmes played Joey Potter on the WB series Dawson’s Creek, the role that first made her famous. Since finishing the series, she has been a tabloid favorite, chronicling her life from the time she began dating Tom Cruise in 2005.
Read an interview by About.com Movies Guide Rebecca Murray with Katie Holmes.
Alyson Stoner
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Anita Baker
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Gloria Steinem
(Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine in 1972, a publication that focused on feminist issues. Steinem is also actively involved in American politics, including speaking about the 2008 presidential election.
Jim Jackson
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Jackson played three seasons at Ohio State University before entering the NBA draft. Jackson’s number, 22, was retired by OSU in 2001.
Jim Leyland
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Gene Kranz
(US Government Photo)
P J O'Rourke
(Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
PJ O’Rourke is a political journalist and author of 14 books including two #1 New York Times bestsellers. O’Rourke attended Miami University (Ohio) as well as Johns Hopkins University earning a MA in English.
After working as a freelance writer in the 80s, O’Rourke moved on to become head of foreign affairs at Rolling Stone. Currently, O’Rourke covered the 2008 presidential election with Bill Maher.
Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas, a comedian, producer and actor, lived in Toledo as a child though he was born in Deerfield, Michigan. Danny is well-known for his work on the televison series "Make Room for Daddy," which later became "The Danny Thomas Show."St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, which treats kids with cancer, was founded by Thomas in 1962. His daughter, actress Marlo Thomas, now runs the children’s hospital.
