They grow 'em romantic in Chippewa Falls. Above: Jack from Titanic. (The one on the left.)

We love pointing out local celebrities – and by that we mean "real" celebrities on a national scale who were originally from the area. There aren't many, but the Chippewa Valley has a few. That said, you might be surprised to learn we've also got a number of notable unreal local celebrities (fictionally) hailing from the area – and Chippewa Falls in particular appears to be a hotbed. Check it out:

1. Jack Dawson (Titanic)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, who meets a chilling end.

Near, far, wherever we are, we will always hold a place in our hearts for the romantic hero of the blockbuster film Titanic, played by Leonard DiCaprio. Jack (above) is famously from Chippewa Falls, where as a kid he fell into the frigid waters of Lake Wissota while ice fishing. As it happens, the man-made Lake Wissota didn’t exist in 1912; if we could say the same for the North Atlantic, the film would have had a happier ending.

2. Annie Hall (Annie Hall)

Diane Keaton as Annie Hall (left),
with some other actor.

The free-spirited title character in Woody Allen’s 1977 film also hails from Chippewa Falls. In one memorable sequence, Annie (Diane Keaton) and Alvy (Allen himself) visit Annie’s hometown, meeting her presumably anti-Semitic grandmother and creepy brother (a young Christopher Walken). The character Annie is supposedly based in part on Chippewa Falls-born beatnik singer Judy Henske.

3. Dr. Jennifer Keller (Stargate Atlantis)

Space actress Jewel Staite.

This character from the Syfy channel TV series (which ran from 2004-09) is a brainiac who graduated three years ahead of her classmates (no word on whether she attended Chi-Hi or McDonell). She was played by Jewel Staite, who’s best known as Kaylee Frye in the cult series Firefly.

4. Grand Slam (G.I. Joe)

What's up, Captain Jetpack?

Where do you find “A Real American Hero”? In an all-American town like Chippewa Falls, of course. The laser-toting soldier (real identity: Sgt. James Barney) was one of the original 12 action figures sold when G.I. Joe toys was re-launched in 1982. Numerous versions of the action figure have been issued, and the character has shown up in G.I. Joe cartoons and comic books as well.
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5. Cray X-MP (Jurassic Park)

You guys wanna make some pterodactyls?

Strictly speaking, this 1980s-era supercomputer really did exist – it was made by what was then called Cray Research in Chippewa Falls – but it had a life of its own in fiction, too. In Michael Crichton’s novel Jurassic Park, the X-MP is used to sequence dinosaur DNA, thus helping bring the beasts back to life.