Famous Faces
In its more than 300 years of history, many famous faces have called Bucks County home. Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, World Series champions, world-renowned artists and Tony Award-winning composers have all lived and worked in the Philadelphia countryside.
Current Stars
Alecia Moore (P!nk)
"Music even had the power to transform Alecia Moore, growing up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, into the very colorful artist now known around the world as Pink. And may I say, it's been a beautiful transformation." ~ L.L. Cool J at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
Better known by her stage name, P!nk, the three-time Grammy Award winner is a native of Doylestown. In 2009, Billboard magazine named her the #1 pop musician of the decade, and in 2012 she was ranked #10 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music.
James Franklin
Introduced in 2014 as the new head football coach for Penn State University, James Franklin cut his teeth on the gridiron in Bucks County. Franklin was the star quarterback at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne before setting seven school records as the quarterback of East Stroudsburg University. Between 2011 and 2013, Franklin led the Vanderbilt Commodores to a 24-15 record as head coach and looks to continue Penn State's winning tradition beginning in 2014.
Lauren Holly
Born in Bristol, this actress is best known for her roles on the TV shows "Picket Fences" and "NCIS," as well as for playing Mary Swanson in the hit movie "Dumb & Dumber." In her career, she has appeared in more than 75 roles between television and movies.
Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones is a thoroughbred race horse and the winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Smarty made his racing debut at the Philadelphia Park Racetrack in Bensalem, now PARX Casino & Racing.
Patrick Kerney
Kerney is a retired NFL defensive end and native of Yardley. In an 11-year career spent with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks, Kerney recorded 82.5 sacks in 159 NFL games, placing him in the top 50 all-time.
Richard Kind
After graduating from Pennsbury High School, Richard pursued an acting career. He is best known for his roles in the sitcoms Mad About You (as Dr. Mark Devanow) and Spin City (as Paul Lassiter), and has also been a staple on Broadway for more than a decade.
Chef Jose Garces
After opening his first restaurant in 2005, Iron Chef Jose Garces has quickly become one of the nation's leading restaurateurs. He is now the owner of more than 12 restaurants in five different cities with eight of these ventures based in Philadelphia, PA: Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Village Whiskey, Garces Trading Company, JG Domestic, Distrito Taco Truck and his own Garces Catering which operates as a full-service event design and implementation company. Garces's Bucks County farmhouse, Luna Farm in Ottsville is a self-sustainable and all-organic 40-acre farm that helps to supply Garces's East Coast restaurants with locally grown fruits, vegetables, eggs and honey throughout the year.
Jamie Moyer
Moyer, a native of Sellersville, pitched parts of 25 seasons in the Major Leagues and was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies’ World Series team in 2008. He is also the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s).
Christina Perri
Bensalem native Christina Perri is a singer-songwriter best known for her top-10 hits “Jar of Hearts” “and “A Thousand Years. Her debut album Lovestrong reached #4 on the Billboard charts in 2011.
Asher Roth
The Morrisville-born rapper won two MTV Video Music Awards for his 2009 debut single, “I Love College” (Best New Artist and Best Hip Hop Video). The single peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, reached #5 on the album chart.
Steve Slaton
Born and raised in Fairless Hills, Slaton played college football for West Virginia University and was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2008 as a running back, rushing for more than 1,200 yards in his rookie season.
Brianna Taylor
The 2005 Central Bucks High School East graduate appeared on the fifth season of American Idol before being cast in the 20th season of the hit MTV show The Real World. Taylor has released two albums, Brianna Taylor in 2008 and Fireworks at the Fairground in 2009.
Troy Vincent
Vincent is a graduate of Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills. He played defensive back for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins during a 15-year NFL career. Vincent now serves as Senior Vice President of the NFL.
Justin Pugh
The No. 19 overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, Justin Pugh is a perennial starter and impact player for the New York Giants on the offensive line. Pugh grew up in Holland, PA and graduated from Council Rock High School South. He then graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 2012, where he was a two-time All-Big East First-Team selection (2011, 2012) and a team captain his senior season (2012). He was honored the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie selection in 2014. Off the field, Pugh is the national spokesperson for Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Giants’ regional ambassador for the Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative.
Barn Hunters' Sean Tracy
Sean Tracy, who traveled across the country restoring old barns into dream homes on Great American Country's television-show Barn Hunters, is now in Bucks County selling rum, moonshine and whiskey at his distillery Hewn Spirits. Stop by the store to sample and purchase their beverages and learn more about the character of their aged spirits.
Chef Tell
Friedman Paul Erhardt, the German-born cook known as "Chef Tell," moved to Bucks County in 1972 and became one of the world's first celebrity chefs. His jubilant and stage-worthy personality broke barriers for chefs. His rise to fame after multiple television appearances brought chefs out of the kitchen and into the public sphere where they could showcase their personality through their dishes.
Molly Ephraim
A star of the stage and small screen, this Bucks County native made her Broadway debut as Little Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods." Currently, Ephraim is starring in the ABC sitcom "Last Man Standing."
Odette Myrtil
This French musician, stage and screen artist, moved to New Hope after falling in love with the town. She managed The Playhouse Inn and later bought The River House restaurant, which she renamed Chez Odette.
Celebrities of the Past
Ezra Stone
Residing at Stone Meadow Farm in Langhorne for most of his life, Ezra Stone is best known for his work behind the scenes. Originally from the Broadway spotlight, he made a name for himself as a television director. Stone directed shows such as Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Lost in Space, Lassie, and The Munsters.
Sara Seegar
Sara Seegar married Ezra Stone in 1942, and was known for her work as an actress. Seegar, like her husband, got her start on Broadway, but was most famous for her roles on television, most notably as "Mrs. Wilson" inDennis the Menace. In addition, she had recurring roles on The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch,Bewitched, and The Jeffersons. Seegar was also a cast member in the film, The Music Man (1962).
HISTORIC NAMES
William Penn
The founder of Pennsylvania made his provincial home in what is now Morrisville, Bucks County. Pennsbury Manor, Penn’s palatial mansion along the Delaware River, is now a living history museum operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Aaron Burr
Vice President of the United States under Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr lives in infamy as the man who shot and killed political rival Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 pistol duel, after which Burr spent a week hiding in a tavern in New Hope. A bed and breakfast inn now occupies the site.
Oscar Hammerstein II
A writer and theatrical producer, the eight-time Tony Award winner wrote nearly 850 songs, including the title songs to “The Sound of Music” and Oklahoma.”
Henry Mercer
Founder of the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, the Doylestown native became a leader of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Moravian tiles can be found at world landmarks including Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood and the casino in Monte Carlo. Mercer left a lasting legacy by establishing the Mercer and Fonthill Museums in Doylestown after his death.
James A. Michener
Author of more than 40 titles, including Tales of the South Pacific, the Doylestown native earned both a Pulitzer Prize and Presidential Medal of Freedom for his literary works. He also helped establish the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown in 1988.
George Nakashima
One of the fathers of the American Crafts movement, George Nakashima was an innovator in furniture design, creating his signature table design of large wood slabs with unfinished edges. The James A. Michener Art Museum has a room dedicated to Nakashima’s vision.
William Lathrop
William Lathrop was a founding member of the American Impressionism art movement and helped create the prolific New Hope art colony in the early 20th Century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Smithsonian American Art Museum have works from Lathrop in their collections.
Pearl S. Buck
The Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck called Bucks County home for more than 30 years. The Pearl S. Buck House in Perkasie is now the headquarters for her children’s charities: Welcome House and Opportunity House.
Stan AND Jan Berenstain
Residents of Solebury, The Berenstains wrote and illustrated the famous children’s book series, "The Berenstain Bears," which has sold more than 260 million copies since the first installment was published in 1962.
Zeb Pike
Zebulon Pike was an United States Army captain and an explorer. He was the leader of an expedition that led to the discovery of what is now known Pikes Peak, named in honor of Zebulon. Pike spent some of his early years in Bucks County where he lived and attended school in Cuttalossa Valley of Solesbury Township.