Charleston’s famous alumni

Hollywood may be a solid 2,200 miles away, but our little city still manages to stay on the radar of many a celeb. There’s our resident celeb Bill Murray, part-owner of our minor league baseball team as well as both Container Bar and Rutledge Cab Co., Danny McBride, who relocated both his family and his production company to CHS and there’s the countless celebs who have either vacationed, filmed or even tied the knot in our area (looking at you, Blake Lively + Ryan Reynolds). If all that doesn’t have you convinced we’re essentially the La La Land of the East Coast – we’ve even got our very own Hollywood.

While many stars make their way to the Holy City at some point in their lives, there are a handful that were fortunate enough to call Charleston home from the very beginning.

Here are some of Charleston’s most famous alumni:

Band of Horses
Class of 2004 (formed)
Known for: Alternative rock group

Though often claimed by Seattle, the guys in Band of Horses are mostly from Charleston – and much of their music has been recorded right here. If you haven’t heard of their name, you’ve probably heard some of their music (like 2006’s “The Funeral”).

Charlamagne Tha God
Class of 1978
Known for: Co-host of “The Breakfast Club” radio show

Charlamagne Tha God was born in Moncks Corner and hosts several charitable events there every year through his non-profit organization, THIRD EYE Awareness.

Stephen Colbert
Class of 1964
Known for: The Colbert Report, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert was born and raised on James Island along with his ten older siblings. When Colbert was just 11, his father + two of his older brothers were killed in a plane crash. The Colbert Education Center and Library at MUSC are named after Stephen’s father, Dr. James W. Colbert, who served as the first vice president for academic affairs at MUSC.

DYK: Stephen Colbert may pronounce his surname with a silent ‘t’, but the rest of his family says ‘Col-bert’.

Andy Dick
Class of 1965
Known for: Road Trip, Employee of the Month

The controversial comedian was born Andrew Thomlinson in Charleston, S.C., and adopted at birth by Allen and Sue Dick. Dick’s adoptive father was in the Navy, so his family moved pretty frequently – but he does occasionally share memories of his time in S.C.

Thomas Gibson
Class of 1962
Known for: Dharma & Greg, Criminal Minds

Gibson attended Bishop England High School, then College of Charleston – but left CofC after a year and a half to attend Julliard on scholarship.

Charles Marvin Green, Jr., a.k.a. Angry Grandpa
Class of 1950
Known for: The Angry Grandpa Show on YoutubeGreen rose to fame on Youtube with the Angry Grandpa Show, garnering over 4 million subscribers before his death in 2017.

Green rose to fame on Youtube with the Angry Grandpa Show, garnering over 4 million subscribers before his death in 2017.

Shanola Hampton
Class of 1977
Known for: Shameless

Hampton was raised in Summerville and attended college at Winthrop University in Rock Hill before eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

Lauren Hutton
Class of 1943
Known for: Modeling and acting

After rising to fame as a model for both the Ford Modeling Agency and for Revlon, Hutton appeared in several movies, including a starring role in 1980’s “American Gigolo.”

Beth Daniel
Class of 1956
Known for: Winning the LPGA Tour in 1979

After learning to play golf at the Country Club of Charleston, Daniel went on to win 33 LPGA Tour events during her career. In 2000, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Shepard Fairey
Class of 1970
Known for: Street art

Shepard Fairey is arguably one of the most influential street artists in the world. The Wando High School grad is best known for the iconic “HOPE” poster depicting Barack Obama that was used during his (successful) 2008 presidential campaign.

A.J. Green
Class of 1988
Known for: NFL Career

The Summerville High School grad got his start playing for the University of Georgia before heading to the NFL. Green now plays wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Vanessa Minnillo Lachey
Class of 1980
Known for: TV Host

Though she was born in the Philippines, Lachey moved to Charleston at a young age. She represented South Carolina in the 1998 “Miss Teen USA” pageant, which she won. Later, she went on to co-host TRL on MTV, and later, “Entertainment Tonight” on the E! Network. Lachey is married to former boy-band star Nick Lachey.

Khris Middleton
Class of 1991
Known for: NBA Career
Before donning the #22 jersey for the Milwaukee Bucks, Khris Middleton played ball at Porter-Gaud.

Darius Rucker
Class of 1966
Known for: Hootie and the Blowfish + his solo career as a country artist

Darius Rucker reps South Carolina on the reg – in fact, his second solo album as a country musician was even titled “Charleston, SC 1966.”

Art Shell
Class of 1946
Known for: NFL Career

When he took the helm of the LA Raiders in 1983, Shell became the second African-American head coach in the history of pro football.

Melanie Thornton
Class of 1967
Known for: Lead singer of La Bouche

As part of the pop duo La Bouche, Thornton had several hits in the 90s – including “Sweet Dreams” and “Be My Lover.” The Charleston native died in a plane crash near Switzerland in 2001. She was 34 years old at the time.

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