A Look at Four Famous People From Springfield, MA

Photo by Larry Ferreira on Unsplash

Whether they were born here, moved here, or just passed through, several famous people have called Springfield, Massachusetts home.

This will just be a quick look at some of those well-known people. In a short list like this, it's impossible to include everyone, so some of your favorites may unintentionally be left off.

This list is also in no particular order and is to provide a quick snapshot of some of the talents who come from here.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell was born in Springfield in 1951. Both his parents were in the entertainment industry. His father, Bing, was an actor, and his mother was a dancer.

Russell got into acting at a young age and even appeared in a movie where he got to kick Elvis Presley in the leg.

Fun fact: Russell would end up providing the voice of Elvis in Forrest Gump

He appeared in several TV shows and at age 13 had a guest spot on an episode of Gilligan's Island.

If you remember some obscure Disney movies, Russell starred in one called "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes." It was actually a big hit and got him many future roles.

The amazing thing—while all this was going on—was that Russell was playing minor league baseball. He played in the California Angels minor league system as a switch-hitting second baseman.

Even though his baseball career was cut short due to injury, his acting career took off. He has appeared in a ton of big-time movies. Here is just a sampling:

• Tequila Sunrise
• Escape From New York
• The Thing
• Big Trouble in Little China
• Tango and Cash
• The Hateful Eight
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Chloe Sevigny

Chloe Sevigny is an actress, model, fashion designer, and filmmaker. She was born in Springfield in 1974.

At a young age, Sevigny attended theatre camps and appeared in plays put on by the YMCA. In 1992, she got into modeling after she was spotted in the East Village in New York.

It was during this time that she got into fashion and also worked as a seamstress. In 1993, an article in The New Yorker claimed her to be the new "it girl."

This was around the time Sevigny got back into acting. She has appeared in several independent films that found success, such as Kids and Boys Don't Cry. This role would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Over the years, Sevigny has appeared in other projects such as American Psycho, Portlandia, American Horror Story, and Zodiac.

Along with Oscar nomination, she has also been nominated for several Screen Actors Guild Awards and has won a Golden Globe, an Independent Spirit Award, and a Satellite Award.

Paige Turco

If you grew up in the 90s, you absolutely know who Paige Turco is. She played April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.

Turco was born in Boston, but moved to Springfield when she was one. She attended Walnut Hill School in Natick. She studied ballet, but an ankle injury robbed her of a professional career.

Turco had a love of the theatre and got into acting. She appeared on soap operas such as Guiding Light and All My Children.

In 1993, she got the opportunity to star in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. She appeared in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 and 3.

Turco has also appeared in TV shows such as Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, Blue Bloods, and The Good Wife.

Dr. Seuss

It's sometimes easy to forget that Dr. Seuss was a real person. The name and stories have become so famous that we often forget this was a real person and not a fictional character.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield on March 2, 1904.

Geisel attended Dartmouth College and worked for the school humor magazine called the Dartmouth Jack-O-lantern.

It was while working at this magazine that he started to use the pen name; Seuss. He continued his education and began a Ph.D. in philosophy in English Literature.

However, while he was there, his future wife encouraged him to get into illustrating.

He started creating cartoons which became successful. Geisel would move to New York, where he also worked in advertising.

At least 20 different publishers rejected his first children's book. Some say it may have been as many as 43.

A chance encounter with an old school friend allowed his first book to be published.

It's hard to cover the incredible history of Dr. Seuss in a few paragraphs, but we all know the rest of the story and it includes some of the most famous children's books ever written.

Wrapping it Up

As mentioned, this is just a really quick look at some of the well-known talents that have come from Springfield.

In a brief article like this, some favorites may be left off, but lets you see some of the talents who come from the city and who have had a big impact on the rest of the world