Famous Washington Natives You Probably Didn’t Know

Did you grow up with someone who eventually became a household name across America? My wife knew the family of Chris DeGarmo, who went on to play guitar for the Seattle band Queensrÿche. Back in 8th grade, I played against Poulsbo's Aaron Sele in Babe Ruth baseball. Sele eventually played Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners and later the Boston Red Sox.

Growing up somewhere small can hide greatness in plain sight. Our corner of the state has more famous alumni than most people realize. Garrett Dillahunt, the actor with a long list of TV and film credits, graduated from Selah High School. Colleen Atwood, an Oscar-winning costume designer, once attended Quincy High School before dropping out. Moses Lake sent Pierson Fode to Los Angeles with an associate’s degree and a plan.

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Yakima native, Cooper Kupp (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Now Scroll Through the Rest

Across the rest of the gallery, the names get bigger. Rainn Wilson, better known as Dwight Schrute, graduated from Shorecrest High in Shoreline. Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson went to Bellevue High School. Golden Globe winner Lily Gladstone graduated from Mountlake Terrace High. Bing Crosby graduated from Gonzaga Prep in Spokane. Kurt Cobain walked the halls of Aberdeen High before dropping out.

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Some of them finished school, and some didn’t. Every one of them started as a regular Washington kid. Scroll on and see who else made the list, then think about who you grew up next to.