Catherine Keener, actress
It's still kind of hard for us to believe that the woman who picked up Oscar nominations for her work in Becoming John Malcovich and her turn as To Kill a Mocking Bird author Harper Lee in Capote was born in Hialeah, of all places, and yet it's true. Perhaps best known in the mainstream for her role as Steve Carrel's love interest in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Keener spent her first 18 years in Miami's favorite wacky suburb, and graduated from Monsignor Edward Pace High School in current-day Miami Gardens. Her younger sister Elizabeth Keener, best known for her role on The L Word, is also a Hialeah native.
Rita Rudner, stand up comedian
Local fans of comedy may be relieved to know that SNL star turned Tea Party wackadoo Victoria Jackson was not the only lady native to Miami who made national waves on the comedy seen in the '80s. Rita Rudner, famous for her glib lines and glamorous stage presence, was born in Miami in '53, but left town at the age of 15 to pursue a career as a dancer. After appearing in a few Broadway shows she turned to comedy, and appeared in her own HBO specials and on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Today she headlines her own show in Vegas.