[This is an updated version of the original page from messengers.org ]
Being a messenger often is a jumping-off point for people, or perhaps just something they're doing while waiting for their real calling to take off... Some have gone on to be a bit more well-known, and some of these are more well-known than others...
| Who | That was then... | ...This is now (or at least sometime after "then"...) |
| 50
Cent |
NYC |
Rapper, Actor, Writer |
| Aleksandar
Hemon |
Chicago |
Author (Nowhere Man, Lazarus
Project), Winner of McArthur Foundation Genius Grant |
| Andrew Carnegie | Pittsburgh | Industrialist |
| Bill Nighy | London? | Actor |
| Bob
McLeod |
Toronto |
Cyclist (1934 British Empire
Champion, 1936 Olympics) |
| Cécile Gambin | Toronto | Cyclist (Downhill MTB Masters World Champion, 2000) |
| Charles Pelissier | Paris | Cyclist (French cyclocross champion, 1924-26) |
| Charles Terront | Paris | Cyclist (winner of the first Paris-Brest-Paris, 1891; early French champion cyclist) |
| Chuck D | NYC? (1970s) | Musician (Public Enemy) |
| Chuck Palahniuk | Portland | Author (Fight Club) |
| Claude
Shannon |
Petoskey, Michigan |
founded digital computer and
digital circuit design theory (Father of information theory) |
| Cordy
Milne |
Pasadena |
4 time American Speedway Racing
Champion |
| Dave Reid | Toronto | Ex-NHL (Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs) - used to messenger in the off-season |
| David
Cross |
Boston |
Comedian, Actor (Arrested
Development, Chipmunks) |
| Damon
Wayons |
NYC |
Comedian, Actor (Living Color,
My Wife & Kids) |
| Fausto Coppi | Italy (1942) | Cyclist (do I *really* need to list his palmares?) |
| Freddy Curci | Toronto (late 80s) | Musician (Sheriff, Alias) "When I'm with you" |
| Gene Autry | America's favorite singing cowboy, DUH! | |
| Glenn Curtiss | Aviation Pioneer | |
| Greg Wrangler | NYC | Actor |
| Graeme Obree | Glasgow | Cyclist (Former hour record holder) |
| GZA
(Gary Grice) |
NYC (~1992) |
Rapper (Wu-Tang Clan) |
| Henry Miller | Western Union, Brooklyn (1920-1924) | Author |
| Ivonne Kraft | Per Rad, Karlsruhe Messenger World Champion (women) 1994-6, 1998 |
Cyclist (Olympian, 2004) |
| Jack Dempsey | Pugilist | |
| Jack
Milne |
Pasadena |
1937 World Speedway Racing
Champion. |
| Janeane Garofalo | Boston | Comedienne, Actress, and outspoken Iraq war critic |
| Jacqueline
Nearne |
WWII behind enemy lines |
Special Operations Executive
(SOE) during WWII |
| Jeffrey
Wright |
NYC |
Actor (Manchurian Candidate,
Casino Royale, Syriana) |
| Jeff Ballard | NYC | Musician (drummer w/ Chick Corea) |
| Jennifer Aniston | NYC | Actress - supposedly working on a film script based on her time messengering... |
| Jim
Casey |
Seattle (1907) |
Founded the American Messenger
Company (renamed UPS) |
| John Linnell | NYC | Musician (They Might Be Giants) |
| Kadeem
Hardison |
NYC (1980's) |
Actor (Dwayne Wayne on A
Different World) |
| Larry Romano | NYC | Actor |
| Lenny McGurr | NYC | Graffitti Artist (Futura 2000) |
| Liev
Schreiber |
NYC |
Actor (Scream, X-Men Origins,
Salt) |
| Lise
de Baissac |
WWII behind enemy lines |
Special Operations Executive
(SOE) during WWII |
| Louison Bobet | Paris? | Cyclist (Tour de France winner, 1953-55; World Champion (road), 1954) |
| Malcolm
McDowell |
London |
Actor (Clockwork Oranage,
Caligula) |
| Marla Streb | San Diego? | Cyclist (Downhill MTB World Champion, 2003) |
| Max Bulla | ? | Cyclist (Austrian Champion (road), 1926 & 1927; Tour de Suisse winner, 1933) |
| Mary
Katherine Herbert |
WWII behind enemy lines |
Special Operations Executive
(SOE) during WWII |
| MC
Lyte |
NYC (1989) |
Rapper, Actor |
| Michael Pitt | NYC | |
| Mick Smiley | London | Comedian, Writer |
| Nancy
Wake (the white mouse) |
WWII behind enemy lines |
Special Operations Executive
(SOE) during WWII |
| Nelson Vails | Brooklyn (~1980) | Cyclist (Olympic silver & US National Champion (sprint), 1984) |
| Odette
Hallowes |
WWII behind enemy lines | Special Operations Executive
during WWII (The 1950 movie "Odette" is about her) |
| Ottmar
Liebert |
Boston (1979) |
Musician, Guitarist (solo, Kenny
Loggins, Diana Ross, Celine Dion) |
| Paula Poundstone | SF (~1980) | Comedienne, Actress |
| Peter
Stebbings |
Vancouver |
Actor |
| David "Puck" Rainey | SF | Celebrity (MTV, "The Real World") |
| Rachel
Maddow |
Washington DC |
Journalist, TV host MSNBC |
| Rene
Gagnon |
Manchester, NH |
Immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's
WWII photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. |
| Ricky
Powell |
NYC |
Photographer, Author, TV (Rappin
with the Rickster), the 4th Beastie Boy |
| Rob Zombie | NYC | Musician (White Zombie,solo) Film production/soundtracks |
| Richard Ashcroft | London? | Musician (The Verve,solo) |
| Ron Sexsmith | Toronto (walker) | Singer/Songwriter |
| Sade | London | Singer/Songwriter |
| Scott Thunes | SF | Musician (bassist w/ Frank Zappa) |
| Seal |
London |
Singer/Songwriter |
| Sonya
Butt (Sonia d'Artois) |
WWII behind enemy lines |
Special Operations Executive in
WWII. Included in the movie "Ten Days to D Day" |
| Stephen Adly Guirgis | NYC? | Playwright/Writer (Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train - messenger content) |
| Steve Brodie | NYC | Infamous Brookyn bookie and bridge jumper |
| Steve DeMarchi | Toronto (late 80s) | Musician (Sheriff, Alias) |
| Sven "Svängis" Johansson | Stockholm (1920s) | Cyclist (Swedish National Champion (multiple events), 1938) |
| TAKI 183 | NYC | Graffitti Artist (THE original tagger - the movie Turk 182 is homage to him) |
| Thomas Edison | Inveterate Tinkerer | |
| Todd Louiso | DC | Actor |
| Vidal
Sasson |
London (WWII) |
Hairstylist, Entrepreneur |
| William Saroyan | Postal Telegraph, Fresno (1916-?) & SF (1926-?) | Author (see The Human Comedy for messenger content) |
| W.
W. Hodkinson |
Ogden, Utah |
aka the man who invented
Hollywood (Founded Paramount Pictures ) |
Spike Lee (Director - She's Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing, etc
- some w/ messenger content, possibly semiautobiographical)
Spike Jonze (Director - Being John Malkovich, various music videos;
Founder - Girl Skateboards)
Jean Robic (Cyclist - Tour de France winner, 1947; French National
Champion (cyclocross), 1945; World Champion (cyclocross), 1950)
several other professional cyclists throughout history - im working on
it