KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — From country superstars to championship athletes and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, Knoxville has been the birthplace of many notable people. While you’re probably familiar with Knoxville greats like Kenny Chesney or Cormac McCarthy , here are six celebrities you may not have known are from Knoxville.
Actor/singer Mary Costa
Mary Costa Courtesy Cynthia Moxley_1551062062934.jpg.jpg
Born in Knoxville in 1930, Costa is best known as the voice of Princess Aurora in the 1959 Disney animated film “Sleeping Beauty.” Of the three Disney Princesses created in Walt Disney’s lifetime, she is the last surviving voice actress. She was named a Disney Legend in 1999 and she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Donald Trump in 2020.
Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell
The reigning Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year was born in Knoxville but moved at a young age on account of his father’s career as an FBI agent. O’Connell spent several seasons as a backup quarterback in the NFL before joining the coaching ranks in 2015 and won a Super Bowl as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Rams.
He has been the Vikings’ head coach since 2022, where he coaches another notable Knoxville native, six-time Pro Bowl defensive back Harrison Smith .
Actress Cailee Spaeny
Born in Knoxville and raised in Missouri, Spaeny garnered critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination for her portrayal of Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s 2023 biographical film “Priscilla.” Other notable films she has appeared in include “Pacific Rim Uprising,” “Vice,” “Civil War,” and “Alien: Romulus.”
Cailee Spaeny poses for photographers upon arrival for the premiere the film ‘Priscilla’ at the 2023 London Film Festival in London, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Randy Orton during WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta, Georgia on April 3, 2011. (Paul Abell/AP Images for WWE)
WWE Superstar Randy Orton
While Orton spent most of his youth in St. Louis, the WWE Hall of Famer was born in Knoxville in 1980.
He’s widely considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and one of the most popular performers in the history of WWE.
He set a WWE record for most matches on pay-per-view events in 2021. The previous record was held by Kane, who has served as Knox County Mayor since 2018.
Actor David Keith walks the red carpet at the entrance to a Louis Boston party, Wednesday, July 28, 2004 in Boston. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)
Actor David Keith
The Knoxville native graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Theater in 1985. He first rose to prominence in the 1982 movie “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
He starred in the 1984 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “Firestarter” and appeared in numerous supporting roles in films like “Major League II,” “U-571,” and “Daredevil.”
His cousin Mike Keith is set to begin his first season as the play-by-play announcer for the University of Tennessee football and basketball teams.
Weezer guitarist Brian Bell
Brian Bell of the rock band Weezer performs in concert at The Sands Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013, in Bethlehem, Pa. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)
Bell’s father was a geography professor at the University of Tennessee. He credits an Elvis Presley concert at the Stokley Athletic Center in Knoxville with sparking his early interest in music.
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He moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Bearden High School in 1987, where he joined Weezer during the recording of its debut album in 1993.
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