Once or twice over the years, we've heard people refer to Arizona as "L.A.'s backyard." It's a sort of demeaning description, most certainly, but also sort of an apt one, considering how many celebrities and VIPs escape from Los Angeles and head our way to get in some rest and relaxation.
Some even dig our state so much that they decide to take up roots in Arizona, or (at the very least) buy a second, or even third, home here.
See also: 12 Celebrities Who Live in Arizona
Such is the case with the dozen famous people living in Arizona who were included in a list we ran back in May. Turns out there are many more, including politicians, actors, television personalities, and others of great renown who reside in Arizona, at least part of each year.
So much so that we decided to pull together a second rundown of celebrities, those of both the two- and four-legged variety.
10. Dolph Ziggler
When he isn't bashing and body slamming his fellow WWE grapplers or performing in comedy clubs across the country, Dolph Ziggler can likely be found chilling out at his North Phoenix home, or occasionally hanging out backstage at local wrestling events or elsewhere in the Valley. (Heck, our editor even met him at Stand-Up Scottsdale once.) The platinum blonde beefcake has been a local resident, off and on, since 2004, when he moved to the Arizona after being accepted to ASU's College of Law. While fate intervened and Ziggler landed a WWE tryout before ever attending his first class, he's chosen to keep his home in Phoenix over the years.
9. Allison DuBois
Whether you believe that alleged psychic and Valley resident Allison DuBois actually possesses supernatural powers or has ever cracked a case (personally, we think such claims are rather, ahem, dubious) you'd have to agree that she's built a certain degree of both fame and infamy over the last decade. Besides being the inspiration for the TV show Medium, which aired for seven seasons on NBC and CBS, DuBois has written four books and shown up on several talk shows and reality programs (including a not-so-flattering drunken appearance on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2011). You can also catch her at any of the various seminars she conducts around the world, charging anywhere from $95 to $150 a person to attend. And you don't have to be a psychic to realize that such events, which are typically packed, translate to a big payday for her.
8. Don Bluth
If you grew up in the '80s, you probably watched a few memorable animated films that animator Don Bluth helped give birth to back in those days, such as The Secret of NIMH and An American Tail, or legendary interactive video games like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace. In the mid-1990s, the artist wound up in Phoenix working for the now-defunct Fox Animation Studios creating such flicks as Anastasia and Titan A.E., the latter of which bombed at the box office and contributed to the company's closure in 2000. He ultimately stuck around Arizona, however, and opened a namesake community theater in 2012 that's put on several memorable productions.
7. Grumpy Cat
Yeah, we realize Tardar Sauce is just a cat, but she's a world-renowned celebrity cat nonetheless, ranking up there as one of the Internet's most famous felines (next to Lil Bub, Maru, and the late Keyboard Cat, of course). As you're probably aware by now, she was born in Arizona in 2012 and lives here when not making appearances with her owner Tabatha Bundesen at events like South by Southwest (or locally at Changing Hands), starring in commercials, or filming her upcoming Christmas movie for Lifetime. But while some may think that Grumpy Cat is old hat by now, we're still big fans and continue to chuckle whenever her memorable scowl pops up on our Facebook feed.
6. Hugh Downs
We're showing our age by admitting this, but we kinda grew up watching Hugh Downs. Every Friday night, we'd welcome the grandfatherly newsman into our homes by tuning in to 20/20, which he co-anchored with Barbara Walters for decades and always ended each episode with his catchphrase, "We're in touch, so you be in touch." His esteemed 54-year television career goes back even further and includes stints as an announcer on both The Tonight Show during the Jack Paar era and The Today Show as a host. Downs is a longtime Valley resident, and ASU even named its School of Communications after him. He's also an outspoken proponent of legalizing marijuana, a cause we're sure that many Sun Devils can naturally get behind.
5. Dan Quayle
The onetime vice president under the original George Bush has a long history in Arizona. Years before he bumbled the spelling of "potato" and was a heartbeat away from the oval office, Dan Quayle spent much of his formative years in our fair state, attending both primary and middle school here. (His family has had roots here in the Valley going back to the days when his grandfather, Eugene C. Pulliam, owned The Arizona Republic.) Quayle returned to the Valley in 1996 following his stint as veep with his wife Marilyn in tow, working in the private and financial sectors, perfecting his golf game, and dabbling in local politics. In 2010, he backed the successful congressional bid of his son Ben Quayle, who wound up only serving one term in office, just like his daddy-o.
4. Michael Wilbon
Michael Wilbon really didn't endear himself to American soccer fans -- and lost some cool points in our book -- when he unleashed a scathing and xenophobic-tinged rant last month against U.S. men's national team manager Jürgen Klinsmann (including telling the German-born coach to "get out of America").
It's not the first time we've roundly disagreed with the sports wag, who co-hosts ESPN's Pardon the Interruption and Washington Post columnist, as we weren't big fans of his unabashed support of the Phoenix Suns' regrettable acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal a few years ago either. And since Wilbon owns a home in Scottsdale, we'd love to debate the man over said topics if we ever encounter him around town. Based on his ace arguing skills that he's honed after 13 years on PTI, however, we suspect he'd rip us a new one.
3. Matt Kemp
This all-star outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers not only lives in Metro Phoenix during Major League Baseball's off-season and reportedly lives quite large. In 2011, right around the time he signed an eight-year contract with his team, Kemp dropped $2 million and change on a palatial Paradise Valley home that boasts five bedrooms, a six-car garage, and a 925-square foot swimming pool. "I love it, I don't want to leave," he says of his crib in the above video. "I wish I could pick this house up and take it to L.A. with me."
2. Todd McFarlane
After leaving a high-profile gig at Marvel back in the early 1990s -- where he famously worked on Amazing Spider-Man and other titles -- comic book artist and impresario Todd McFarlane has amassed a small-but-respectable empire of toys and comics. And for most of the past 20 years, the Spawn creator has done it from here in the Valley. His company, Todd McFarlane Productions, is based out of Tempe, while his retail store is located over at Westgate, and his home is in Ahwatukee. And at Phoenix Comicon 2014, the 53-year-old artist made a memorable appearance during Stan Lee's Q&A session along with Walking Dead star Michael Rooker and cracked plenty of jokes about comic books and other topics.
1. Steven Seagal
Since buying a $3.5 million dollar home in the hinterlands of North Scottsdale in 2010, martial artist and action movie actor Steven Seagal has been nothing if not controversial. In addition to making headlines from battling with his HOA or "remotely" considering a run for the governor's office, Seagal has been a feckless member of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's self-promotion machine in recent years as a celebrity deputy and participant in a few raids and other stunts with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
He reportedly drove an armored tank through a fence, allegedly busted some drug traffickers, and "supervised" a mock school shooting for an MCSO exercise in the wake of the Newtown massacre, all of which either was for publicity purposes or his reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman. Thankfully, the Under Siege star hasn't been involved much with the shurf's posse in recent months, so you don't have to worry about seeing his wrinkled mug the next time you get collared by the MCSO for speeding.
