As Columbus residents, we know how cool our neighbors are – and we have the celebrities to prove it. From world-renowned authors and Olympians to movie stars, television actors, musicians, Food Network stars and more, here are just some of the A-listers who are proud to say #yesColumbus.
Author R.L. Stein.
Robert “R.L.” Stein
Got goosebumps? Bexley native and the Ohio State University graduate R.L. Stein does! One of the best-selling authors in history, he’s most known for writing the spooky teenage series Goosebumps and Fear Street, and he’s sold over 400 million books in 35 languages to date. Dubbed "the Stephen King of children's literature," did you know he was originally known for his joke and humor writing? During his time at OSU, Stein was editor of the university’s humor magazine, The Sundial. He loved it so much that he even skipped class to work on it.
Ted Allen
Ted Allen – the longstanding host of Chopped, Top Chef judge and food and wine specialist on the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy – went to Old Orchard Elementary School in Columbus before moving to Indianapolis. He still comes back to Columbus once a year to visit his in-laws and has been known to publicly praise his favorite restaurant there, Katzinger’s Deli.
Matt Rife
Comedian Matt Rife, who stars in two stand-up specials on Netflix – Matt Rife: Natural Selection and Matt Rife: Lucid – was born in Columbus and raised just 45 minutes outside of it, in North Lewisburg. He kicked off his comedy career in Columbus at just 15 years old, and went on to be a regular on MTV’s Wild N’ Out and tour with big-time comedians like Dane Cook and Ralphie May before selling out his own shows. He currently lives in Los Angeles, but you can catch Rife back in Columbus when he brings his “Stay Golden Tour” to Nationwide Arena on August 9, 2025.
Jack Nicklaus at the 2013 Memorial Tournament. Source: 2013 Stan Badz/PGA TOUR
Jack Nicklaus
You read that right! The world’s greatest golf champion, Jack Nicklaus, who has won six Masters titles, five PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens and three Open Championships, was born right here in Columbus, OH. He studied pre-pharmacy at Ohio State University before launching his professional golf career at the age of 21. In 1976, he founded the annual Memorial Tournament, which brings a slew of golf pros and celebrities to Dublin’s Muirfield Village Golf Club each May, and still hosts it today.
Jesse Owens
Ohio State University athlete Jesse Owens broke records – and glass ceilings – with his track and field career. Even with a back injury, he set three world records and tied another at the 1935 Big Ten Championships, and went on to win four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, Owens did so well at the Berlin games that he surpassed racial barriers during a time when Adolf Hitler was pushing his Aryan race theory. While at OSU, Owens supported his family by working jobs all over Columbus in between classes and training. He was a night elevator operator, a waiter, worked at OSU’s library, pumped gas and was a page at the Ohio Statehouse.
Guy Fieri
One of our most popular homegrown celebrities is none other than the rockstar chef himself, Columbus-born Guy Fieri. With his spiky, platinum hair, larger-than-life personality, delicious food, hit Food Network television shows (like “Guy’s Grocery Games”), 175 Flavortown Kitchen locations and 80 scratch-kitchen restaurants, Fieri has amassed a huge following. The Emmy-winning chef and restaurateur came back to Columbus six times last year to film episodes of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” where he featured High Bank Distillery Co., Katalina’s, Joya’s, King Gyros Greek Restaurant, Tommy’s Diner and Wario’s Beef and Pork.
Archie Griffin (left) at an Ohio State Football Game. Source: Greater Columbus Sports Commission.
Archie Griffin
Archie Griffin, Ohio State University tailback, famously became the fifth junior ever to win a Heisman Trophy in 1974 – and the following year, his second. He set two NCAA Division I records during his time as a Buckeye: a rushing record of 5,589 yards and a record 31 consecutive 100-yard games. He was named the fourth greatest player in college football history in 2020, and still reigns as the only college football player ever to win two Heismans. Archie went on to play seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, but true Buckeyes still claim him as their own. The university added him to the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981, retired his #45 jersey in 1999 and erected a statue of Archie right outside Ohio Stadium.
Josh Radnor
Haaaave you met Ted? Bexley-born Josh Radnor (known to many as Ted Mosby, the lead character on How I Met Your Mother?) went to Columbus Torah Academy and graduated from Bexley High School. It’s safe to say that Bexley is where he fell in love with acting. He performed in high school productions of Oklahoma! and Cabaret, as well as summer theater productions with the Columbus Junior Theater (now Columbus Children’s Theatre). Catch Josh back in his hometown on May 8th, when he performs songs from his latest album, The Eulogy: Volume II, at The Athenaeum Theatre.
Simone Biles
11 Olympic medals. 30 World Championship medals. A record-setting six World titles in women’s all-around gymnastics. The most decorated gymnast in history. That’s right! The G.O.A.T. herself, Simone Biles, was born right here in Columbus, OH before moving to Houston, TX at the age of three.
Josh Dun with Brutus Buckeye. Source: Ohio State University.
Twenty One Pilots
Grammy-winning pop duo, Twenty One Pilots, is made up of two Columbus-born friends and musicians, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Always trying to show love for their hometown, they filmed part of their “Stressed Out” music video in Westerville, possibly named their “Clancy” album after Clancy Way (a street Joseph lived on), have included Columbus landmarks in their videos and even made a shout-out to 270 in their song, “At the Risk of Feeling Dumb.”
Rascal Flatts
Life is a Highway – and for Rascal Flatts, that highway might be 270. Lead singer Gary LeVox and lead bassist Jay DeMarcus Jr. (who are second cousins, by the way) both grew up in Columbus. Gary was born in Powell.
Maggie Grace
Worthington native Maggie Grace has made a name for herself in Hollywood. You might remember her as Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki in “Fear of the Walking Dead,” Shannon Rutherford in “Lost,” Faith in “Californication,” or Kim in the movie “Taken.”
Celebrities – they’re just like us! Let the city’s sports teams, concerts, theater, art, culture, restaurants and comedy clubs inspire you and tag your photos with #yesColumbus to show us what you found.
