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The 8 Most Famous People from Portland

The city of Portland prides in being the home of creativity and wired analogies. Portland began as a small trekking outpost in the 19th century before turning into an industrial and commercial center at the turn of the 20th century. The movers and shakers, who’ve made Portland what it is include: movie actors and actresses, athletes, business executives, entrepreneurs, architects and musicians among others.  While thousands of people visit, party, and stay here, only a few people that we all know are from here. Below are the 8 most famous people from Portland, Oregon.

Matt Groening

Matt is famous for making the hugely popular TV show, “The Simpsons”. The long running TV series is actually based in the town of Simpson, Oregon. Matt is also credited for creating the “Tracy Ullman Show”, a popular animated short and a comic strip christened “Life in Hell”. The latter has been serialized in various newspapers and magazines, including the LA Weekly. The Portland native has also produced several films, including “The Simpson Movie” and “Futarama”. The Portland native was born in 1954 and lived most of his youth in the city before moving to Washington to pursue studies. The biggest influences in his life include Ronald Searle, Charles Burns and his father, Homer Groening, who is also a celebrated cartoonist and filmmaker.

Carrie Brownstein

Carrie is a multi-talented writer, musician and actress who calls Portland home. She has starred in many popular shows such as the Portlandia comedy show that went on to win several awards, including the Peabody and Emmy Awards. On her way to fame and glory, Carrie played guitar in an all-girl rock band called Sleater-Kinney. The band was established in the mid 90’s and continues to thrill fans to this date. The Portlandia star has also featured in nascent bands like Excuse 17 and Wild Flag. Excuse 17 was her very first sojourn in the music. The proud musician and actress is an alma mater of Evergreen State College and Western Washington University.

Courtney Love

The hugely admired musician and actress, Courtney Love is easily one of the most popular artists to come out of Portland. She grew up in the city and studied at the famous Portland State University. During her teen years, Courtney played a pivotal role in shaping local punk and grunge music topography. She was once married to the popular Nirvana band front man and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. In 2016, Courtney ventured into the fashion industry and unveiled the “Love Courtney” clothing line. In spite of the controversies that surrounded her late husband, Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love remains a role model for female instrumentalists and songwriters.

Gus Van Sant

Gus is a distinguished film director and screenwriter with a string of successful feats to his name. His most celebrated films include “My Private Idaho”, “Milk”, “Finding Forrester” and “Drugstore Cowboy”. Most of these films were shot in the city of Roses as Portland is widely-known. The Drugstore Cowboy chronicles the life of 4 drug addicts who break into a pharmacy to steal drugs in order to entrench their addiction. His list of success also includes high grossing films like “To Die For” (1995) and “Goodwill Hunting” (1997). The Kentucky born film director and Academy Award nominee lived in the city for many years. He also doubles up as a painter and author.

Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong is a famous NFL player from Portland. He once hit the headlines after signing a $114 million deal to play for the Miami Dolphins as a defensive player. To date, Ndamukong remains one of the highest paid players in the league. He currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his favorite position of defensive tackle. While playing college football at Nebraska, the Grant High School alumni earned the prestigious All-American honors. The other awards that cap his successful career include the Lombardi Award, AP College Football Player of the Year Award and the Outland Trophy. Besides football, Ndamukong also enjoys basketball and track and field athletic.

Sarah Mensah

Sarah Mensah was once the only black female Chief Operating Officer in the NBA. The Portland native did a lot to keep the Portland Trail Blazers alive. Her entree included selling tickets, promoting the brand and crafting strategies to grow revenue. She will be remembered for turning around the team to focus more on the community. Her tenure also saw the level of sponsorship for the NBA outfit, grow exponentially. Mensah joined blazer in 2007. After a 19 year stint at the Trail Blazers, Mensa joined NIKE in 2018 as VP and General Manager of sportswear APLA. Outside her work, Mensah sits on various boards, including the NW Autism Foundation.

Gene Sandoval

Gene is an accomplished architect who works for Portland’s largest interior design and architectural firm, the Zimmer Gunsul Frasca (ZGF). As a design partner, Gene work philosophy is founded on bringing to life refreshing, holistic and responsible ideas. ZGF is credited for designing several magnificent projects in downtown Portland. The most outstanding designs include the Port of Portland headquarters, University of Oregon athletic complex and the magnificent 12 west tower. The Chinese-Filipino immigrant is an alumnus of the University of Oregon. Oregon Business Magazine once named him one of the “Top 40 and under 40” business leaders in Portland.

Bill Wyatt

Bill was a top executive of the Port of Portland for a decade. During his tenure, the port invested a lot on various projects, including expansion of the railway system and Hi-tech logistical support. He is mostly remembered for growing exports to China and the greater East. The illustrious business executive once served as Chief of Staff for Oregon governor and led the largest industry alliance in Oregon. In 2017, he was appointed an Executive Director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports soon after the board announced a $3 billion airport expansion. Bill Wyatt leadership style encourages wide consultations, which has endeared him to many people in and out of business. He continues to command worldwide respect for promoting businesses in Portland, Oregon.