Naturally, there are scads of men who have made the move from their roots in the Kansas City area to the bright lights of Hollywood. But, there are myriad women who have made good on the dream of making it big in the movie capital of the world. We thought it might be fun to take a look through the last century of ladies who have lit a fire and relocated to La-La Land, so enjoy this quirky journey west with us. (Our definition of “local” includes Topeka, Wichita, and other bits of Kansas.)

On the more seasoned side we find Jean Harlow, born Harlean Harlow Carpenter (1911-1937) starting the list. Jean, known as the “original blonde bombshell” was often referred to as the sex symbol of the 1930s. First cast by Howard Hughes in Hell’s Angels, she is also famous for roles in Red-Headed Woman and Dinner At Eight, among others. She grew up at 34th and Olive Streets, and she attended The Barstow School. Starring in dozens of movies, Jean was unfortunately stricken with influenza and died at the age of 26. 

We also find Ginger Rogers (1911-1995). Ginger, on the other hand, lived a long and productive life as an actress and dancer who died at the age of 83. Famously known for her pairing with Fred Astaire on the dance floor, Ginger hails from Independence, Missouri, and her birthplace was designated as a Historic Landmark Property in 1994. She lived in Kansas City with her grandparents after her parents divorced when she was young. The Academy Award-winning actress has a credit list a mile long, but most of us recognize The Gay Divorcee, 42nd Street, and Stage Door.

Born Lucille Fay LaSueur, Joan Crawford (1906-1977, although her birth year is debated) spent some formative years in Kansas City. Her mother and her mother’s third husband moved to the area after he had been accused of embezzlement in Lawton, Oklahoma. She attended St. Agnes Academy, and also attended Stephens College in Columbia, but soon dropped out as she realized she wasn’t ready for college. Joan won the Academy Award for Mildred Pierce in 1945, and is probably best known for her performances in Grand Hotel, Flamingo Road, and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? She had four husbands and four children, and unfortunately is ultimately best known as being Mommy Dearest – the title of her daughter, Christina Crawford’s memoir published in 1978.

Moving farther along the timeline, we recognize Dee Wallace (1948-), Kirstie Alley (1951-2022), and Annette Bening (1958-). Dee Wallace is, of course, best known for ET, and she graduated from Wyandotte High School and The University of Kansas, where she obtained an education degree. Kirstie Alley is also a Wichita native, and she attended Kansas State University, so she is an honorary localite. Best remembered for her role in Cheers, and the Look Who’s Talking franchise, she was also the commercial face for numerous companies, including Jenny Craig. Her Scientology views were controversial, and her untimely death from colon cancer was quite a cultural shock. Annette Bening was born in Topeka and lived in Wichita, but we claim her as a “local” also. The five-time Oscar-nominated star was in American Beauty and Being Julia and most recently she played Diana in Nyad. 

Our youngest group of local “sheroes” encompasses Melissa Etheridge (1961-), Gillian Flynn (1971-), Ellie Kemper (1980-), Heidi Gardner (1983-), and Janelle Monáe (1985-). Melissa, the singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-Grammy Award winner hails from Leavenworth, where she graduated from Leavenworth High School, and went on to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, and moved to Los Angeles, where she was discovered in Pasadena. She also won an Oscar Award for her song in the film, An Inconvenient Truth.

Gillian Flynn is an author and screenwriter whose most famous work is Gone Girl, which was made into a film in 2014 from her screenplay. She has won so many writer’s awards and film critic awards, we can’t list them all. Her other best-known novels are Sharp Objects and Dark Places.

The daughter of Dotty and David Woods Kemper, Ellie, is a local comedic gem! Noted for roles in The Office and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ellie Kemper was also in Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, and Home Sweet Home Alone. She has been nominated for numerous awards, including Emmy Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. She attended the John Burroughs School in St. Louis, where, interestingly, Jon Hamm was one of her instructors. 

Heidi Gardner is a true Kansas City sweetheart – she worked part-time at the Tivoli Theatre selling tickets and making popcorn. She graduated from Notre Dame de Sion High School in south Kansas City, and she attended both The University of Kansas and the University of Missouri. A staple on Saturday Night Live, Heidi has endeared herself to locals with her continued support of The Big Slick event each year to benefit Children’s Mercy Hospital. She still maintains a home in Leawood and loves to entertain – and we would love an invite!

Singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress, Janelle Monáe has captured the hearts of fans everywhere. Born and raised in the Quindaro community in Kansas City, Kansas, Janelle participated in the Coterie Theatre’s Young Playwrights’ Round Table as a teenager. She attended Schlagle High School and left to move to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where she was the only Black woman in her class. For her young age, Janelle’s musical journey has been complex, complicated, and prolific. Crossing musical styles and genres, she has now made a serious foray into acting, including roles in Hidden Figures and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. We suspect she has only scratched her artistic surface. 

There are certainly plenty of women we’ve missed, so here is a brief honorable mention list: Dianne Wiest (1948-), Broadway, films, Oscar winner; Nora “Dodo” Denney (1927-2005), television and film, including Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory; Vivian Vance, Cherryvale, Kansas, (1909-1979), I Love Lucy; and Hattie McDaniel, (1893-1952), Wichita, Kansas, Mammy in Gone With the Wind.

We can’t wait to see who graces our screens next from Our Town. With all of the networks and streaming platforms, we are optimistic that the talent pool here will continue to grow and that job opportunities in Tinseltown will be plentiful for women who have the talent and the desire to pursue their performing dreams. 

Featured in the March 22, 2025 issue of The Independent
By: Anne Potter Russ