4 Famous Actors Who Grew Up In Fresno

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Fresno is an incredible place to visit. And almost everyone who has been there knows what I'm talking about. After all, there's some spectacular landmarks nearby, as well as a plethora of fascinating locations to explore.

Fresno is an awesome place. Regardless, Fresno wasn't always a big city; it has produced many remarkable and renowned residents from Hollywood actors, television presenters, rappers, you name it.

Here are four famous people who are from Fresno that you may recall from TV shows and movies:

1) Steven Anthony Lawrence

From 2001 through 2003, Steven Anthony Lawrence was most recognized for his recurring role as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren on the television show Even Stevens.

Since then, he has been featured in many known films and television dramas from ER, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, and many more.

He was born on July 19th, 1990 in Fresno, California.

2) Christopher Gorham

Christopher Gorham was born on August 14, 1974 in Fresno, California, United States. He is an actor and director who has appeared in films such as Insatiable (2018), Covert Affairs (2010), and 2 Broke Girls (2011).

Roosevelt School of the Arts was his high school, and he graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film and Theater Arts.

He engaged in a variety of activities at college, including martial arts, stage fighting, fencing, rollerblading, and ballroom dancing. He began his acting career as an intern for Baywatch in 1979.

3) Mike Connors

Tall and attractive Armenian-American Mike Connors had a brief film career before starring as the immaculately dressed masculine detective Joe Mannix on the small screen.

His profits each episode averaged a respectable $40,000 at the end of the series. He was nominated for an Emmy Award four times and won the Golden Globe in 1969.

Mannix (1967) was groundbreaking at the time, with an upbeat jazzy score (composed by Lalo Schifrin), teasers, fast cuts from scene to scene, a car equipped with a computer that transmits and receives fingerprints, and an African-American co-star (the charming Gail Fisher, who played Joe's secretary Peggy Fair).

Many well-known guests appeared on the show, some of whom were just starting out in their careers (Diane Keaton and Martin Sheen, among others).

'Mannix' lasted eight seasons (1967-1975), demonstrating its continuing appeal.

In high school, Connors was an enthusiastic basketball player who earned the moniker "Touch" from his friends. He served in the United States Army Air Forces as an enlisted soldier during WWII.

After the war, he received a basketball scholarship and used the G.I. Bill to attend the University of California in Los Angeles, where he played under John Wooden.

Following in his father's footsteps, Connors attended law school and trained to become an attorney. He was a Phi Delta Theta fraternity member.

Coach Wilbur Johns introduced Connors to his buddy, director William A. Wellman, after a basketball game. Wellman was impressed by Connors' voice and expressive face while playing basketball and urged him to pursue acting.

4) Sid Haig

Sidney Eddie Mosesian was born on July 14, 1939 in Fresno, California. His parents, Roxy (Mooradian) and electrician Haig Mosesian, were both Armenians.

Sid's career path was a bit of a fluke. He was developing at such a rapid rate that he had lost all coordination.

It was agreed that he would take dance classes, and that was the start of it all.

He began dancing for paid in a children's Christmas concert at the age of seven, followed by a revival of a vaudeville performance... and so on.

Haig's first acting job was in The Host, a short student film produced by Jack Hill at UCLA in 1960.

This was the start of Haig's more than four-decade acting career, which included roles in more than fifty films and 350 television episodes.

In Hill's films such as Spider Baby, Coffy, and Foxy Brown, Haig became a mainstay.

In 1971, Haig starred in THX 1138, George Lucas' feature film directorial debut, as well as Diamonds Are Forever, a James Bond film.

What are your overall thoughts on these actors and were you a fan of them? Or did you look up to another actor not listed here? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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