Westport has always been a mecca for NYC celebs trying to escape the city, as well as the creative full-time home for many authors and artists. The town has also featured prominently in many books, movies and shows over the years. Bet you'll see a few surprises…
ACTORS / ENTERTAINERS
Madchen Amick
Linda Blair
Rodney Dangerfield
Sandy Dennis
Marika Dominczyk
Scott Foley
Melissa Joan Hart
Anne Hathaway
Christopher Lloyd
Marilyn Monroe
Greg Naughton
Paul Newman
Kelly O’Hara
Stephanie Szostak
Elizabeth Taylor
Marlo Thomas
Joanne Woodward
AUTHORS
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Jane Green
Patty Hearst
Richard Scarry
Cathleen Schine
Ted Thompson
Lauren Weisberger
GOVERNMENT
James Comey | Former FBI Director
Scott Gottlieb | Former FDA Commissioner
JOURNALISTS & BROADCASTERS
Alisyn Camerota
Phil Donahue
Mike Greenberg
Don Imus
Craig Melvin
Jim Nantz
MUSICIANS
Michael Bolton
Sophie B. Hawkins
Justin Paul
Nile Rogers
OTHER
Eva Amurri | Influencer & Blogger
Shonda Rhimes | American TV Screenwriter, Producer & Author
Christian Siriano | Designer
Martha Stewart | Lifestyle expert & Businesswoman
TELEVISION REFERENCES
American Housewife: Located in Westport and features shots of downtown and Longshore.
Bewitched: Westport was the location of the fictional residence (1164 Morning Glory Circle) of Darrin and Samantha Stephens on the television series.
Billions: Westport is the location for the main character’s hedge fund.
I Love Lucy: The Ricardos and Mertzes leave New York and move to Westport in the sixth and final season.
The Twilight Zone: An episode called "A Stop at Willoughby", wherein the main character worked in NYC and commuted by train to his home in Westport. It aired on May 6, 1960, and the episode was written by then-Westport resident Rod Serling.
The West Wing: The character Josh Lyman is a Westport native.
FILM REFERENCES
The Girl Next Door (2004): The film was vaguely based on Westport and director Luke Greenfield grew up in town.
The House of Dark Shadows (1970): Featured shots of the former Three Bears’ Inn and restaurant, now home to the Chabad Lubavitch synagogue.
I Was a Teenage Mummy (1962): The horror film has Westport as the town which is terrorized.
The Last House on the Left (1972): Filmed in Westport by Wes Craven with CT woods and a CT home as the movie site of terror and death.
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956): Lead actor, Gregory Peck, was filmed in town.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008): Scenes filmed in Westport.
The Stepford Wives (1975): Filmed in various Westport locations.
The Swimmer (1968): Starring Burt Lancaster and based on a short story by John Cheever, most of the film was shot in backyard pool locations in Westport.
This Is My Father (1998): Partly filmed in Westport.
Underworld (1997): Features an ad executive named Charlie Wainwright who lives in Westport in 1961.
Tarriance (2005): Filmed in Westport.
Of Wanderlust (2003): Filmed in Westport.
LITERATURE
Deathtrap: A Thriller in Two Acts (Ira Levin): Begins in the character’s Westport home.
First Came Us (Rachel Cullen): Set in Westport.
Gone With the Woof (Laurien Berenson): A character who lives in Westport.
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald): Primarily set in Westport. Fitzgerald lived in Westport while writing The Great Gatsby and based West Egg on Westport. He found inspiration for Jay Gatsby's home from the Westport mansions on the Gold Coast.
The Land of Steady Habits (Ted Thompson): Set in Westport and written by a Staples H.S. grad.
The Last Olympian (Rick Riordan): The titular character, Percy Jackson, travels to Westport to visit Luke Castellan's childhood home.
Life Among Giants (Bill Roorbach): The main character’s father is a struggling financier living in Westport.
Rabbit Hill (Robert Lawson): A colony of anthropomorphic rabbits lives in the countryside near Westport.
Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have) (Sarah Mlynowski): Story begins with the characters living in Westport.
The Three Weissmanns of Westport (Cathleen Schine): The main character moves from NYC to Westport after her husband divorces and displaces her.
