Real Estate Blog

Northern Virginia has really well-known faces, most of which typically garner a reaction of ‘really? Didn’t know they were from here’. It’s a region of the U.S that you expect politicians, business moguls, and prominent techies to be from, but less thought of are the pop culture figures who have their roots in NoVa. In case you need any ice breakers when you tell people you’re from the DMV area, if you enjoy factoids, or there’s a curiosity about who on the big screen reps NoVa, here’s a few famed names. 

Sandra Bullock 

"Sandra Bullock" by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity Photographer is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

In 2010 Bullock was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people, and her breakout roles in fun, action-packed films like Demolition Man and Speed launched her into being one of the highest paid actresses in the 2010s. Although most of this is known, what’s not known is she’s from Arlington county, specifically in the Woodmont Neighborhood. Her dad worked for the pentagon and if you ever want to visit her childhood home, stop by 2925 26th St N in Arlington which her family bought back in 1966. Before her mother died she would frequent the Whole Foods in the area, but since her passing she mostly sticks to her home in Texas. Arlingtonians remember her as sunny Sandra and say she wasn’t too different than how she is in the movies. She claims she was a total nerd, but according to the records at Washington-Lee High School she was voted class clown.

Warren Beatty 

"Warren Beatty" by Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Warren been nominated over a dozen times for academy awards, ranging from best actor to best director to original screenplay. You probably know him best as Clyde in Bonnie & Clyde or John Reed in Reds. He’s from Richmond , but he’s moved around a whole bunch within Virginia: Richmond to Norfolk to Arlington, then Waverly, and because Arlington’s so great, back to Arlington. In 1945 he attended Thomas Jefferson Junior High School and lived in middle-class neighborhood Dominion Hills. He played football at Washington-Lee High School, and was quite the star center and linebacker there. He got offered 10 football scholarships but ended up turning them down. Beatty’s  childhood home is a modest two story house on 930 N Liberty St in Arlington where he lived with his sister, famed actress Shirley MacLaine. Beaty once described what Arlington was like back in the day when he was a kid: "an atmosphere where not only were there no black people but a Catholic was exotic.”

Dave Grohl 

"Dave Grohl 1989" by Tobby Holzinger / Agentur Spirit is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Dave Grohl is a big influence in the grunge/punk music scene of the 90s. He’s the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, founder and longest member of the Foo fighters, and he also did a stunt in Nirvana circa early 90s. Dave was born in Ohio, but quickly after his family settled in Springfield Virginia where he went to Thomas Jefferson High School in the 9th grade. His parents divorced and his mother raised him in NoVa. He was elected class vice president, and with the title came the ability to blast Bad Brains and Circle Jerks over the school’s intercom before morning announcements. Eventually he transferred to Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria where he repeated his freshman year because his mother felt is excessive weed smoking was getting him low grades. He transferred again during sophomore year to Annandale High School. His childhood home resides on 5516 Kathleen Pl in Springfield, and at one point or another he owned a house in Arlington which the Foo Fighters recorded There is Nothing Left to Lose. 

Patton Oswalt

"Patton Oswalt" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Patton Oswalt is known for his stand-up comedy and his comedic roles in sitcoms— probably best known for his role on SNL. Born in Portsmouth, but he was an army brat who moved about a lot as a kid. Eventually when he was still quite young his family settled down in Sterling, Virginia, specifically the Sugarland Run area. He spent his entire youth there, even through college.  Oswalt graduated In 1987 from Broad Run High School in Ashburn (which he claims he really loved) and began studying English at College of William & Mary. Here he was- unexpectedly- in the Phi Kappa Tau frat. Patten says he really liked being a little kid in Loudoun County with all of the bike paths ad things to do— he also said back then public transportation wasn’t really invested in yet, so being a teenager was a bit rough and he didn’t get to go to D.C until his senior year of high school. He talks about being an usher at a movie theater in Sterling when he was younger, saying it wasn’t the best theater, and stating how the Alamo Drafthouse really improved the viewing scene out there. Oswalt says he still comes back to NoVa quite frequently because he likes to visit his family, but there aren’t any known ‘hang’ spots that he frequents. Patten says the one thing he really misses about Loudoun county is the summer time: “when it’s crazy hot during the day and then these massive, apocalyptic thunderstorms come in. I really, really miss those. I love that.” 

Dermot Mulroney

"Dermot Mulroney at the premiere of August -- Osage County, Toronto Film Festival 2013 (9737560380)" by GabboT is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Mulroney is a b list actor and musician best known for roles in films like Zodiac, Young Guns, and My Best Friends Wedding. He had only been in the show biz a year and a half before he started getting his name out there. Dermot is from Alexandria, and attended Matthew Maury Elementary School. In NoVa he also learned to play the cello, and act in local children’s community theater. The first half of his high school career he spent at George Washington High School and then transferred to T.C Williams High School for the latter half of high school. He was coxswain for the high school’s crew team and played the cello in half a dozen children’s orchestras too. Mulroney is spotted pretty frequently in Alexandria despite not living there— most recently due to being in town for his divorce filings. 

Diedrich  Bader 

"Diedrich Bader by Gage Skidmore 2" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Lay on my list is Diedrich Bader. He’s a private person so his history in Alexandria can be summed up in a few sentences. Bader is a well-recognized actor who got his start in television role and made it up to the big leagues with movies like Office Space and Napoleon Dynamite. Diedrich was born in Alexandria in the mid 1960s, though when he was two his family moved to Paris. When high school came around he came back to NoVa, specifically Fairfax county where he went to Groveton High School, followed by T.C Williams High School. 

Robert Duvall 

"Robert Duvall by David Shankbone" by David Shankbone is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Okay, yes I added Duvall as an exception. He’s not from Northern Virginia but he has lived in Herndon for the last 30 years and I figure that had to count for something. Duvall used to be spotted at Pedro Sauer’s JuJitsu HQ in Herndon when his wife used to take lessons and he’s occasionally watch their practice. Him and his Argentinian wife have turned a 250-year-old Virginia farm into a lovely, antique-filled house, and now at the ripe age of 94 Robert spends his time at this lovely estate with his pack of blue heeler dogs. 

Believe it or not, this list was just a few highlights. Northern Virginia has plenty of other renown names who are from the area, lived in the area for a brief time in their youth, or have come to the area because it’s a nice, non-attention drawing place as N.Y.C or California.