List of Famous people born in North Carolina, United States of America
Kendall Hinton
Kendall Hinton is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wake Forest as a wide receiver and backup quarterback. He signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2020, where he made an appearance as an emergency quarterback following all of the team's quarterbacks being placed in COVID-19 quarantine for a week. In doing so, he became the first non-quarterback to play significant snaps at the position in an NFL game since running back Tom Matte did so for the Baltimore Colts in 1965.
Kizzmekia Corbett
Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett is an American viral immunologist at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health based in Bethesda, Maryland. Appointed to the VRC in 2014, she is currently the scientific lead of the VRC's Coronavirus Team, with research efforts aimed at propelling novel coronavirus vaccines, including a COVID-19 vaccine. In December 2020, the Institute's Director Anthony Fauci said: "Kizzy is an African American scientist who is right at the forefront of the development of the vaccine."
Nate McMillan
Nathaniel McMillan is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 2000 to 2005, the Portland Trail Blazers from 2005 to 2012, and the Indiana Pacers from 2016 to 2020. During his playing and coaching stints with the SuperSonics he was given the nickname "Mr. Sonic".
Pam Grier
Pamela Suzette Grier is an American actress. She achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitation and women in prison films for American International Pictures and New World Pictures, most notably Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974). Her other major films during this period included The Big Doll House (1971), Women in Cages (1971), The Big Bird Cage (1972), Black Mama, White Mama (1973), Scream Blacula Scream (1973), The Arena (1974), Sheba, Baby (1975), Bucktown (1975), and Friday Foster (1975).
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty, nicknamed "The King," is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. He was the first driver to win the Cup Series championship seven times, while also winning a record 200 races during his career, including the Daytona 500 a record seven times, and a record 27 races in the 1967 season alone. Statistically, he is the most accomplished driver in the history of the sport, and is one of the most respected figures in motorsports as a whole. Petty remains very active in the sport as both a NASCAR team owner in the Cup Series, and owner of Petty's Garage in Level Cross, North Carolina.
Tessa Blanchard
Tessa Blanchard is an American professional wrestler signed to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and Women of Wrestling (WOW). She is also known for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she is a former Impact World Champion and Impact Knockouts Champion. A third-generation professional wrestler, Blanchard is the daughter of Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard. She also performs as part of various independent promotions. In addition, Blanchard is a former The Crash Women's Champion, AAA Reina de Reinas Champion, and WOW World Champion.
Unknown Hinson
Stuart Daniel Baker, better known by his stage name Unknown Hinson, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, comedian, and actor.
Jay Bakker
Jamie Charles "Jay" Bakker is an American pastor, author, and speaker. He is the son of televangelists Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker Messner.
Coby White
Alec Jacoby "Coby" White is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. White was a top high school player in North Carolina, finishing his career as the top prep scorer in state history. After being selected by the Bulls in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.
Fortune Feimster
Emily Fortune Feimster is an American writer, comedian, and actress. Having made her television debut on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2010, Feimster starred as Colette on The Mindy Project (2015–2017). In July 2019, she began hosting What a Joke with Papa and Fortune with Tom Papa, interviewing comedians and celebrities, the first live programming on the Sirius XM's channel Netflix is a Joke. In 2019, reports confirmed Feimster would participate in The L Word: Generation Q, a reboot of The L Word.