When the thought of famous fans and alumni comes to mind, oftentimes the mind goes to Hollywood and schools such as UCLA and USC. Los Angeles is a hotspot for the famous to appear at sporting events, both college and professional.
With that said, the University of Iowa does have a number of famous fans of its own. Whether they are alumni of Iowa or just fans, this is a list of ten of the most famous fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
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Gene Wilder
Kicking off the list of famous fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes is Gene Wilder. Wilder graduated from the University of Iowa in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and theater arts, before pursuing an illustrious career as an actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker.
Gene Wilder is most notably known for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Following his graduation from Iowa, Wilder would enlist in the Army, serving as a paramedic from 1956-1958.
Wilder would then begin his career studying and working various roles through the 1960s, before auditioning to play Willy Wonka in 1971.
The late Gene Wilder is trending and we are reminiscing on this amazing Hawkeye grad, award-winning actor, and legendary comedian. pic.twitter.com/fCevg9ArjH
— University of Iowa (@uiowa) April 22, 2022
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Elijah Wood
Next on the list is a famous actor and Cedar Rapids, Iowa native Elijah Wood. Wood made his film debut in the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II. However, he is most known for his roles in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, playing Frodo Baggins.
Throughout the course of his career, Wood has become a very decorated actor, winning his first award, Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture in 1993, for his performance in Radio Flyer. He would later win Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama Film in 1998, for his performance in Deep Impact.
Moving on to his performance in Lord of the Rings, Wood would win awards for Best Actor and Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance – Male, in 2004.
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Jake Johnson
Moving down the list is another former student at the University of Iowa, Jake Johnson. The actor, comedian, filmmaker, and screenwriter wrote a play during his time at Iowa which would earn himself admission to the Dramatic Writing Department at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Throughout his career, Johnson has appeared in films and television series, most notably as Nick Miller in the television series, New Girl. He has written plays and has even been featured in video games, providing voice for Lego Jurassic World and Lego Dimensions.
Nominated for numerous awards throughout his career, with the majority of them coming from his performance as Nick Miller, in New Girl, winning an award for Best Actor in 2013. Jake Johnson also won an award for Voice Acting, for his performance in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, in 2018.
For Your Emmy® Consideration: Jake Johnson – Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series pic.twitter.com/KlpHJOGuo6
— New Girl (@New_GirlTV) June 9, 2014
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Brandon Routh
Another native of Iowa, from Des Moines, Brandon Routh spent one year as a student at the University of Iowa. Routh is most known for his role as Superman in the 2006 film, Superman Returns.
Another decorated actor on this list, the majority of Routh’s awards come from his performance as Superman, winning Best Actor, Best Male Newcomer, Best Superhero, and Male Star of Tomorrow, all coming in 2006 and 2007.
Despite Routh’s work as Superman seemingly being the highlight of his career to this point, he was also awarded Best TV Villain in 2010, for his performance as Daniel Shaw in Chuck.
So, we do play football in Iowa.
And today, some pretty good football at that.#IowaVSOhioState#GoHawks#Hawkeyes
😉👊🏻— Brandon Routh 🇺🇦 (@BrandonJRouth) November 4, 2017
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Shawn Johnson
The Des Moines area has been a hotspot so far for famous fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes, and Shawn Johnson is no exception to that.
Taking a break from this list of actors through this point, Shawn Johnson is a former gymnast, most known for her performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Johnson would win four medals at the Beijing Olympics, winning Silver in Team, All-around, and Floor exercise, while also winning Gold on the Balance beam.
My story began in Iowa where I fell in ❤️ w/ gymnastics,now I help others follow their dreams too. @nike #justdoit pic.twitter.com/r1uu5sPxEo
— Shawn Johnson East (@ShawnJohnson) July 21, 2016
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Tom Brokaw
Not many on this list have had as illustrious a career as Tom Brokaw. From 1976-1981, Brokaw served as the co-anchor on The Today Show, before spending 22 years as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, from 1982-2004.
Although Tom Brokaw only attended the University of Iowa for one year, the school still holds a special place in his heart, as does Brokaw to the University. The University of Iowa’s Special Collections at the UI Main Library in Iowa City now holds thousands of documents and pieces from Brokaw’s career, which he donated, and are available to the public.
Tom Brokaw would be recognized on the court at Iowa’s basketball game against Wisconsin on January 23, 2018.
back in iowa city where i partied hard,dreaded mid winter walks across the iowa river, made life long friends and still regret i didn’t hit the library more often
now that library has a collection from my career.
probably should include my iowa gpa to prove anything is possible
— Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) January 27, 2020
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Tom Arnold
This list is one that consists of fans of the Hawkeyes. Tom Arnold is not just a fan of Iowa, he is obsessed with them. A native of Ottumwa, Iowa, actor, comedian, and television host, Arnold studied business administration and writing during his time as a student at the University of Iowa.
Tom Arnold is best known for playing Arnie Thomas in the television show Roseanne, from 1989-1993. Oftentimes when teams start to have success, we see some famous people emerge as fans, but that is not the case with Tom Arnold.
Iowa was introduced to Arnold very early in his life, as he was frequent at football games with his grandfather in the 1960’s.
Tom Arnold is quite possibly the most outspoken fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the world of fame, as he has been featured on ESPN to talk about his love for the Hawkeyes and can frequently be found tweeting about Iowa sports.
Arnold has even gone as far as to say that he will be buried in an Iowa football locker, as his wife purchased one for him for only $200 when the locker room was renovated.
It’s always great to be an Iowa Hawkeye but this weekend was special pic.twitter.com/fKbfmEtVCh
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) October 10, 2021
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Zach Johnson
Another athlete joining the list, professional golfer Zach Johnson is a born and raised Iowa fan, as he was born right in Iowa City. During his time on the PGA Tour, Zach Johnson has 12 victories, as well as two majors, which include The Open Championship in the 2014-2015 season, as well as winning the Masters Tournament in 2007, becoming one of only six golfers to ever win both events.
Johnson is Top 25 in career earnings on the PGA Tour, having won a total of $48,274,337 throughout the course of his successful golf career.
Despite the fact that Zach Johnson did not attend the University of Iowa, attending Drake University instead, he has still remained a lifelong fan of the Hawkeyes, even posting pictures wearing Hawkeyes Christmas sweaters on his Instagram page.
During the 2015 season, Zach Johnson was named an honorary captain for the team’s game against Maryland, where he was given the opportunity to speak with the team.
In his talk, Zach Johnson addressed the work ethic the coaching staff instills in their players, even touched on some players’ journeys leading up to Iowa, and spoke about his passion for the team. While Zach Johnson is known for his success on the golf course, the Iowa Hawkeyes are one of his true passions when he is away from work.
𝐌𝐕𝐂 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞
Drake's own Zach Johnson will be recognized as one of the Missouri Valley Conference's greats!
📰 https://t.co/4pNnu6TN1h#DSMHometownTeam pic.twitter.com/Fixk39QIsK
— Drake Athletics (@DUBulldogs) December 13, 2022
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Lance Armstrong
A fairly unconventional member of this list, Lance Armstrong is not from Iowa, he did not attend the University of Iowa, and was not raised an Iowa fan. Armstrong was born in Richardson, Texas and has always been a fan of the Longhorns. Lance Armstrong is one of the most decorated cyclists of all time, most famous for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999-2005, after recovering from testicular cancer.
These achievements would later be stripped after it was revealed that Armstrong had been using performance-enhancing drugs. Prior to the seven year victory streak, Lance Armstrong had won the Tour de France twice, in 1993 and 1995.
Armstrong became an Iowa fan in 2006, when he came to address RAGBRAI, Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa and its 10,000 participants. There, Armstrong has presented a black and gold Iowa football jersey with the number seven on it, with his last name, Armstrong, on the back, by head football coach Kirk Ferentz.
Lots of questions if I wish I was in Paris. Know what? I'm pretty damn happy in Harlan, Iowa.
— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) July 22, 2013
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Ashton Kutcher
Rounding out the list of famous fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes is Ashton Kutcher, who has become a household name over the years. The actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model has had one of the more illustrious acting careers of anyone out there.
Over the years, Kutcher was nominated for 37 awards, winning 18 of them, which include Choice TV Actor: Comedy, for his work in That ‘70s Show, in 2003, Choice TV Male Personality for his work in Punk’d, in 2005, and Choice Movie Actor: Romantic Comedy, for his work in No Strings Attached, in 2011.
Kutcher, the native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa has been an outspoken fan of the Hawkeyes throughout his entire life, often being seen at Iowa athletic events, talking to the media about the Hawkeyes, or posting his support on social media.
How bout them Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/E5Rgvic9Us
— ashton kutcher (@aplusk) October 9, 2021
Final Thoughts
If there is one thing that the University of Iowa has, it is a large and loyal fan base. Included in that fan base are quite a few notable names. From athletes to movie stars, the Hawkeyes are well supported among the famous community, some of which are more outspoken than others.
While oftentimes famous individuals will come out at convenient times to show their support for a currently successful program, Iowa’s list of notable fans has stuck with the program through thick and thin, showing unconditional support for their beloved Iowa Hawkeyes.
Credits on Featured Image: Foxhunt king at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
