STARS WITH TIES TO MISSOURI
FIVE FAMOUS
FEMALE MISSOURIANS
ELLIE KEMPER
ACTRESS
ST. LOUIS
Ellie Kemper is one of 2015’s most beloved stars. Her
new role as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a hit. Kelly is
also known for her role as Erin Hannon in the NBC series
The Office, as well as her supporting roles in the films
Bridesmaids and 21 Jump Street. She is the granddaughter
of Mildred Lane Kemper, the namesake of the Mildred
Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University. She
graduated from John Burroughs High School and attended
Princeton. Ellie is married to Michael Koman, a former
writer on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and the cocreator of the Adult Swim series Eagleheart and Comedy
Central series Nathan for Y
ou.
Photo by Eric Liebowitz/Courtesy of Netflix
KATE SPADE
FASHION DESIGNER
KANSAS CITY
Kate Spade is known for her design powerhouse, Kate
Spade New York. The company has grown into a global
lifestyle brand that aims to inspire colorful living through
handbags and clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery,
eyewear, babywear, fragrances, tabletop items, bedding
and gifts. Her husband, Andy Spade, has served as her
partner, and over the years their business has blossomed.
JESSICA BROOKE
CAPSHAW
ACTRESS
COLUMBIA
Known for her role as Jamie Stringer in The Practice and
for her role on Grey’s Anatomy, Jessica Brooke Capshaw
is the daughter of actress Kate Capshaw and Robert
Capshaw. Her parents both attended the University of
Missouri. They divorced when Jessica was 3, and Kate
married director Steven Spielberg when Jessica was 15.
Jessica graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 1994
and Brown University in 1998 with an English degree.
She then attended acting classes at the Royal Academy of
Dramatic Arts in London.
KIMORA LEE SIMMONS
FORMER MODEL
ST. LOUIS
Born in St. Louis and a graduate of Lutheran North High
School, Kimora Lee Simons moved to Paris after landing a
modeling contract with Chanel. Her fashion design career
started shortly after marrying Baby Phat mogul Russell
Simmons. She is now a mother of four and a successful
business woman, married to her second husband, investment
banker Tim Leissner. They recently welcomed a new baby boy.
SARAH EVANS
MUSICIAN
BOONEVILLE
Sarah Evans was raised on a farm along with six siblings
in Boonville, Missouri. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee
in 1991 to be a country music artist. There she met fellow
musician Craig Schelske and left Nashville with him in
1992, moving to Oregon. She and her three children are
now settled in Birmingham, Alabama with former pro
quarterback-turned-sportscaster Jay Barker, whom she
married in 2008.
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GAZELLE STL