The Bronx isn’t just the northernmost borough of New York City — it’s a cultural powerhouse that has given rise to some of the most influential figures in music, sports, politics, and entertainment. From the birth of hip-hop to world-class athletes and trailblazing artists, the Bronx has long been a breeding ground for talent, grit, and innovation. In fact, our borough is such an effective incubator for talent, a list of celebrities from the Bronx could easily reach into the hundreds. In order to narrow the field, we selected 10 categories and picked our favorite famous Bronxite for each one. See the list below for our picks.

 

GOVERNMENT

Portrait of Governour Morris. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Let’s start with the original famous Bronxite: Gouverneur Morris is best known as the drafter of the U.S. Constitution. He is the one who put the ideas of the Founding Fathers to paper. Morris was born to a wealthy family that owned a large estate in what is now the South Bronx. Many neighborhoods in the borough still bear his family’s name (think Morrisania, Port Morris and Morris Heights). Morris was known as a staunch opponent of slavery as well as a fierce proponent of freedom of religion. He led a colorful life: He had a wooden leg due to a carriage accident when he was 28. He used the wooden leg to fend off an angry mob while serving as a U.S. minister during the French Revolution. While in France, he carried on a torrid affair with the married Comtesse Adélaïde de Flahaut. He died at his family’s estate from a botched surgery to alleviate a blocked urinary tract. (He stuck a whale bone up his wee-wee).

 

MUSIC

DJ Cool Herc. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

There are so many famous music celebrities from the Bronx it’s hard to pick just one. But we have to go with Clive Campbell (AKA DJ Cool Herc), the Godfather of Hip Hop. Herc pioneered a DJ technique that prolonged “The Break,” the heavily percussive part of a record favored by dancers. On August 11, 1973, at 18 years old, Herc DJ’d a party in the rec-room of his apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. That party is considered by many to be the birthday of Hip Hop. Herc would host many more of the earliest Hip Hop parties in local parks and dance halls. He also coined the term “b-boys” and “b-girls” to describe the people dancing to the “breaks” in his music.

 

SCIENCE

Neil deGrasse Tyson. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He is best known for popularizing science through film and television, such as his series on National Geographic called Cosmos. Tyson grew up in Castle Hill and Riverdale. He attended PS 36 Unionport, PS 81 Robert J. Christen, the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (MS 141), and graduated from The Bronx High School of Science.

 

FILM

Portrait of Stanley Kubrick in 1949. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Director Stanley Kubrik grew up in the West Bronx during the 1930s and 40s. He attended PS 3 and PS 90 and graduated from the William Howard Taft High School in 1945. He is considered one of America’s greatest directors. His films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket, showcase his mastery of storytelling, innovative cinematography, and often unsettling exploration of human nature. His work has earned 13 Academy Award nominations.

 

ARTS

Stan Lee. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Stan Lee was a legendary comic book writer, editor, and the creative force behind many of Marvel Comics’ most iconic superheroes. As the co-creator of characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Hulk, Black Panther, and the Fantastic Four, Lee revolutionized the comic book industry by giving superheroes relatable human struggles. His charismatic public persona and passionate advocacy for comics helped transform Marvel into a cultural powerhouse. As a teenager, Lee’s family moved from Washington Heights to 1720 University Avenue in the Bronx. The street where he group up was renamed “Stan Lee Way” in 2021 — two years after his death.

 

WRITING

E.L. Doctorow. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

E. L. Doctorow was a novelist known for blending historical fact with fiction in imaginative ways. His works, including Ragtime, The Book of Daniel, and Billy Bathgate, reimagined American history through richly drawn characters and lyrical prose. Doctorow’s storytelling often explored themes of justice, identity, and the American experience, earning him numerous literary awards and a lasting place in 20th-century literature. He grew up on Eastburn Avenue — near Claremont Park — and attended The Bronx High School of Science.

 

ACTING

Al Pacino. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

This is another genre where it is difficult to pick one famous actor from the Bronx. There are so many to choose from: Kerry Washington, Wesley Snipes and Cuba Gooding Jr., to name a few. But there is one actor from the Bronx who is among the greatest to grace the silver screen: Al Pacino. You know his movies: The Godfather, Scarface, Heat, Serpico. . . we could go on. Pacino was raised by his mother in the South Bronx, attending Herman Ridder Junior High School in Morrisania. He had a troubled childhood, getting into schoolyard fights and using marijuana and alcohol at a young age. He eventually transferred to the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan to pursue is interest in acting.

 

SPORTS

Jake LaMotta. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Known as “The Bronx Bull,” boxer Jake LaMotta lived in a house on Pelham Parkway. His father recruited LaMotta to fight other boys in in their neighborhood and collected money from spectators to help pay the rent. LaMotta was known for his aggressive fighting style and iron chin. He fought some of the biggest names in boxing during the 1940s and 1950s, including a legendary rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson. LaMotta’s turbulent life inside and outside the ring was famously depicted in Martin Scorsese’s film Raging Bull, based on his autobiography.

 

BUSINESS

Calvin Klein. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The son of working-class Hungarian immigrants, Calvin Klein grew up in an apartment on Rochambeau Avenue in Norwood. He attended P.S. 80 in the Bronx, but graduated high school at Manhattan’s High School of Art and Design. He launched his namesake brand in 1968, quickly becoming a household name with his understated elegance and provocative advertising campaigns. From iconic denim and underwear to sleek fragrances and high fashion, Calvin Klein helped redefine American fashion. His brand remains a global powerhouse.

ACTIVISM

Stokely Carmichael. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Stokely Carmichael was a prominent civil rights activist best known for popularizing the term “Black Power.” Born in Trinidad and raised in Van Nest, Carmichael attended the Bronx High School of Science. He rose to national prominence as a leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), where he advocated for racial justice and grassroots organizing in the South. Disillusioned with the pace of change through nonviolence, he later became a key figure in the Black Power movement and aligned with the Black Panther Party. A passionate orator and thinker, Carmichael—who later adopted the name Kwame Ture—spent his later years promoting Pan-Africanism and global liberation struggles. His legacy endures as a powerful voice for Black dignity, self-determination, and resistance.