‘Big Bang Theory,’ ‘Star Trek’ Stars Got Their Start at the Shore Plus 9 Others

From comedy legends to big-screen stars, and the Golden Age to today, the Shore is home to many famous actors. Some were born here, some moved here — and one even came back for a summer job busing tables. The Shore’s rich arts scene and proximity to New York City nurtured a lot of stars. Here are 11 with ties to Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Best known as the “straight man” in the legendary comedy duo with Lou Costello, Bud Abbott was born in Asbury Park around 1897 (the exact year of his birth is disputed). “Mr. Abbott was tall, thin, sardonic, insulting, ever ready to slap down his partner for some idiotic prank, while Mr. Costello was the buffoon, short, fat and always the sympathetic character,” wrote the New York Times when Abbott died in 1974. The duo’s iconic “Who’s On First” is among their most well-known skits.

Danny DeVito, star of television’s “Taxi” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and films like “Twins” and “Matilda,” was born in Neptune in 1944 and raised in Asbury Park. In 2023, the actor made a $500,000 donation to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The hospital “is very dear to my heart because, you know, I was born here,” said DeVito, 78. “I guess I had a really good time. I don’t remember the exact moment. But I’ve been here before, visited the place. I’ve probably had splinters taken out here.

The prolific Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy nominee Kirsten Dunst was born in Point Pleasant in 1982. The “Interview with The Vampire” and “Spider-Man” star was raised in Brick and attended the Ranney School in Tinton Falls.

The 30-year-old Midori Francis from Rumson is having quite a breakout streak on television. Star of Netflix’s “Dash & Lily” in 2020, she went on to join the main cast of “The Sex Lives of College Girls” on HBO Max in 2021 and was named a series regular on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2022. She attended Rumson-Fair Haven High School.

The storied actor Jack Nicholson, born in 1937, was raised in Neptune and graduated from Manasquan High School. The “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “As Good As It Gets” actor has received three Academy Awards and earned 12 nominations, making him one of the most nominated male performers. He also received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honor.

Kevin Smith, an actor, writer, and director is one half of his creation Jay and Silent Bob with Jason Mewes, seen in his films like “Mallrats,” “Clerks,” and “Dogma.” Smith also owns Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash comic shop in Red Bank, the setting for the reality television show “Comic Book Men.” In 2022, he purchased the Atlantic Moviehouse, renaming it SModcastle Cinemas. Smith was born in Red Bank in 1970 and grew up in Highlands.

Jason Mewes, who plays Jay, was born in Highlands in 1974 and made his film debut in 1994’s “Clerks.” Jeff Anderson, who appeared as Randal Graves in the “Clerks” movies, was born in Connecticut in 1970 and grew up in Atlantic Highlands. Smith, Mewes, and Anderson all attended Henry Hudson Regional High School, though Smith and Mewes met at a recreation center in Highlands.

The 21-year-old actor Gaten Matarazzo, known for his role as Dustin in the smash hit “Stranger Things,” was born in Connecticut but grew up in Little Egg Harbor. He got his start on Broadway as a child, appearing in “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” and “Les Miserables.” He recently appeared in “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Sweeney Todd” on Broadway. With “Stranger Things” on hold during the pandemic, Matarazzo worked as a runner at a restaurant in Long Beach Island.

Melissa Rauch, 44, best known for playing Bernadette Rostenkowski on the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” grew up in Marlboro and attended Marlboro High School. She has a younger brother, Ben, who is a musician. Rauch currently stars in NBC’s revival of “Night Court.”

Paul Wesley, the “Vampire Diaries” (Stefan Salvatore) and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (James T. Kirk) star was born in New Brunswick in 1982 and grew up in Marlboro. He spent time at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, Marlboro High School, and Monmouth Academy in Howell, then known as Lakewood Prep School.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press

Source: Asbury Park Press