Noel and Liam Gallagher, Marcus Rashford and Tony Wilson.
Every man and his dog knows they’re from Manchester. But what about the celebrities whose Greater Mancunians credentials are less well-known?
Here are 18 famous people who, you might be surprised to learn, once lived in our region.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch
(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f)
After leaving posh private school Harrow the Hollywood star studied drama at the University of Manchester.
In 2015 a university pal told the Guardian he stood out a mile in the city, not only because he was one of the course’s “most brilliant” actors, but also “because he was very posh and seemed even posher in Manchester.”
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“He was like the exotic aristocrat, but always very humble and possibly a little embarrassed about the fact he’d been to Harrow,” they said.
JK Rowling
J.K Rowling
(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
The Harry Potter author lived in Manchester with her boyfriend for a short spell in 1990, working first as a secretary at the Chamber of Commerce and then, after being laid off, in a similar role at Manchester University.
Incidentally the idea for the schoolboy wizard is said to have come to her as sat on a train travelling from Manchester to London.
Nico
Nico pictured with members of the Velvet Underground
(Image: Livepool Echo)
The Velvet Underground singer lived at various squats and houses in Hulme, Prestwich, Whalley Range and Salford from 1980 to 1988, until a few months before her death.
At the time she was in what has been described as a ‘domestic relationship’ with punk poet John Cooper Clarke.
During her time in the city she also recorded a version of the Velvet’s All Tomorrow’s Parties with legendary Joy Division producer Martin Hannett.
Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp
(Image: Mirrorpix)
The flamboyant actor and gay icon spent his final days in Chorlton and died while staying with a friend on Claude Road in 1999.
His funeral and cremation took place at Southern Cemetery on nearby Barlow Moor Road,
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
It’s probably wise to take this one with a pinch of salt but on EU referendum night the Mean Girls star, or someone pretending to be her, told her Twitter followers she once lived in Manchester.
As she lived tweeted referendum results Lohan wrote: “i lived in manchester!! be conscious! #fauxpaux” before bizarrely tagging The Wanted star Max George and rugby player Danny Cipriani in the post.
Lohan was also particularly dismayed by Bury’s leave vote tweeting “#bury what’s wrong with you manchester??????,” although there was some scepticism that it was the real Lohan tweeting.
Will Young
Will Young
(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
The actor and pop star lived in Ramsbottom for three months while filming the spooky drama Bedlam in 2011.
In an interview with the M.E.N. he described Manchester as his ‘second home’ and told how Rammy was ‘really special to me’.
He added: “I would walk the dogs and I remember there was a shop that had a micro pig and I would feed it bananas. And they had a parrot and it was terrifying. It would bite everybody.”
Dodie Smith
Dodie Smith
The 101 Dalmatians author was born in Whitefield in 1896 and was raised in Old Trafford until her late teens.
In 2007, Trafford council unveiled a Blue Plaque in her honour at her childhood home on Stretford Road.
Timmy Mallett
Timmy Mallett presenting the Wide Awake Club in 1990
Most people don’t know that Mallett, famous for wielding that pink blow-up hammer, is from Stockport.
Born and raised in Marple the former Piccadilly Radio host attended nearby Rose Hill Primary.
In an interview with the M.E.N. he credited his home town with inspiring his love of art, saying: “We grew up in Marple, so there were lots of opportunities for painting, along the canal and so on. There were beautiful views – it was a stunning place to live and that got me into painting.”
Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson
Rik Mayall (left) and Ade Edmondson
The comedy duo met while students at Manchester University in the mid-70s and Rik’s digs in East Didsbury were said to be the inspiration for their groundbreaking sitcom The Young Ones.
The pair cut their comedy teeth at The Band on the Wall with alternative comedy company 20th Century Coyote, formed by Salford University lecturer, actor and writer Lloyd Peters.
Ian McShane
Ian McShane
(Image: Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
The Lovejoy, Deadwood and Pirates of the Caribbean star was born in Blackburn, but raised in Manchester and says he still considers the city his home despite having lived in Los Angeles since the 80s.
He’s an ardent Red, which is not surprising given his dad Harry played for United in the early 50s and was later a scout and PA announcer at Old Trafford.
Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield
(Image: (Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images))
The scandal-hit This Morning presenter was born in Oldham, but moved to Cornwall aged two.
But he still has family in the region and in 2014 was spotted dining in the Waterside Inn at Hollingworth Lake while visiting relatives.
Carl Cox
Carl Cox in July 1999
(Image: Daily Record)
He might talk like a Southerner but the techno and house music legend was in fact born and raised in Oldham with his Barbadian parents and two sisters.
In his teens the family moved to London, where his DJ career began to take off.
In an interview ahead of his slot at this year’s Parklife festival he said: “I was born in Oldham so it feels like coming home.”
Chloe Sevigny
Chloe Sevigny
(Image: Variety via Getty Images)
Uber-hip Hollywood star Chloe spent six months in our city in 2012 while she filming her starring role in Sky drama Hit And Miss.
But it’s probably fair to say she won’t be coming back any time soon.
Speaking after the show had aired she described Manchester as ‘the grimmest place’ she’d ever been adding: “It was very hard being in Manchester… I was there for so long. I hardly had any visitors. I was so alone.”
Benedict Wong
Benedict Wong
(Image: Photo by rune hellestad/Corbis via Getty Images)
The second Benedict on our list was born and raised in Eccles.
The Prometheus and Doctor Strange star studied at Salford City College and worked as an usher at the now defunct Green Room theatre on Whitworth Street.
Christopher Biggins
Christopher Biggins
(Image: Carl Sukonik/TheVain.co.uk)
Another Oldhamer, the larger-than-life panto legend was born in the town in 1948.
But after to moving to Salisbury in Wiltshire as a child he reportedly took elocution lessons alongside drama lessons, which effectively got rid of his northern accent.
Alan Carr
Amanda Holden and Alan Carr attend the Attitude Awards 2023
(Image: 2023 Getty Images)
As a fledgling comic making his way in the industry Alan lived in Stretford, and used to drink in The Drum pub.
In an interview with the M.E.N. in 2011 he reminisced about his time in the city and the venues he played saying: “The Dancehouse Theatre, I remember when I performed there for an anti-BNP thing, The Briton’s Protection, Ice Cream Sundays at The Comedy Store.
“It was an amazing time. People wouldn’t believe this but when we did Sheffield or Leeds me, Jason Manford, Justin Moorhouse and John Bishop would be in a car going across the Pennines on the Snake Pass.”
Brian McFadden
Brian McFadden and his fiancee Danielle Parkinson
(Image: Brian McFadden/Instagram)
The former Westlife star proudly calls Rochdale home after finding love with local P.E. teacher Danielle Parkinson.
Speaking in 2016 he said: “We met in Manchester through mutual friends and at the moment it’s my first home.
“I’m in Rochdale all the time now. It’s perfect for me because I’m a Manchester United supporter.”