To give credit where it’s due, this is jumping off from something I read on NJ Monthly. We know with so many movies and TV filming happening now in the Garden State that more and more famous people are living in Jersey at least temporarily if not permanently. 

But New Jersey’s proximity to New York City has always made it appealing to famous people from other realms, too, like sports and business. Even CC Sabathia, a former MLB pitcher, lives in Alpine, for example. 

Well, NJ Monthly ran an article on Montclair's famous residents. The list is longer than you’d think. After reading theirs, I did more research and found plenty more than they mentioned.

Scroll below to see just a few. 

MONTCLAIR’S MANY FAMOUS FACES 

Stephen Colbert

Arguably the most famous current resident of Montclair. He and his wife have made the Essex County town their home for many years and the TV host is very active and involved in the community. 

Gov. Mikie Sherrill

Dagmara Dominczyk

An actress who appeared in the hit TV show “Succession” and many movies. If you don’t know her, she has a quote about you. She once said, “Those who know me know I love to write. Those who know me a little bit know I'm an actress. Those who don't know me know I'm married to Patrick Wilson.”

Patrick Wilson

Yes, Dagmara Dominczyk’s husband, and often playfully referred to as a Scream King because of his work in horror franchises like “Insidious” and “The Conjuring,” Wilson has lived in Montclair for a long time. 

Christina Ricci

The lovely actress was born in California but parents moved her to Montclair where she grew up and went to school from elementary years straight through high school. 

Joe Walsh

The Eagles rocker spent his high school years in Montclair. Get this, he played oboe in the high school band. Hard to imagine, right? 

Adam Schlesinger

The Fountains of Wayne bassist grew up in both Manhattan and Montclair and he attended Montclair High School just like Joe Walsh, but no word on whether he played the oboe. 

Buzz Aldrin

The astronaut who was the second man to walk on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission was raised in Montclair and attended their school system. So after the moon landing he remained a hero to the town and an inspiration to the students for many years to come. 

Kal Penn

Born in Montclair, so a Montclair native, but this Jersey guy moved around later also living in Freehold and Wayne. But there’s no denying his Jersey card. Not everyone knows he’s famous in two areas, as a comic actor but he also for having worked for the Obama administration. 

Olympia Dukakis

The late actress who won an Academy Award for “Moonstruck” was born in Massachusetts but in her late 30s moved to Montclair to start and raise a family with her husband. 

Michael Strahan

The football great turned broadcaster wasn’t born in New Jersey. But in 2002, he bought and refurbished a mansion in Montclair and lived there for several years until the breakup of his first marriage. 

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

Report a correction 👈