Chicago's Best Actors

Big screen, small screen, computer screen or all of the above. Here are some of Chicago's top working actors. Each still have deep roots to the city and can be spotted around local establishments year-round.

David Schwimmer

David Schwimmer was born in New York, but moved to Los Angeles at an early age, where he began learning how to act. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Theatre and Speech. His first on screen performance was in a made for television movie in 1989. Afterwards he gained a number of roles on shows including The Wonder Years and NYPD Blue. In 1994 he gained his most notable role as Ross Geller in the extremely successful television sitcom, Friends. This exposure led to him landing roles in several movies, including Kissing a Fool (1998) and Picking Up the Pieces (2000). He has since performed in Broadway shows, and directed the off-Broadway production Fault Lines in 2008.

Jeremy Piven

Jeremy Piven was born in New York City, but grew up in Evanston, IL. His parents were both actors, and founded the Piven Theatre Workshop, where he honed his acting skills. His first major role came on HBO's the Larry Sanders Show in 1992, and also appeared on Seinfeld in 1993. He has appeared in numerous successful films, including PCU, Black Hawk Down, Heat, Old School, and RocknRolla. His most notable role was as Ari Gold on HBO's Entourage, for which he has won three Grammy's for Best Supporting Actor. He continues to star in Entourage and major motion pictures.

John Cusack

John Cusack was born in Evanston, IL, the son of a documentary filmmaker and a math teacher. He starred in several 1980's teen movies, including the Sure Thing and John Hughes' Sixteen Candles, gaining him notoriety in the film world. Since then he has played a wide variety of roles, in successful movies including Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, and Gross Point Blank. He frequently appears in films with his sister Joan, as well as longtime friend Jeremy Piven. More recently, Cusack has appeared in the disaster film 2012, and the comedy Hot Tub Time Machine