Famous People in Birmingham | ILC English Blog

You might be surprised how many famous people have lived in or come from Birmingham, the UK's second-largest city. Here are a few you may know.

J.R.R. Tolkien (writer, 1892–1973)

The author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings spent much of his childhood in Birmingham. Places he knew as a boy, such as Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog, are often said to have inspired the Shire and its landscapes. Tolkien later became a professor at Oxford, where he loved inventing languages, including the Elvish languages of Middle-earth. Today you can follow a Tolkien trail around the places in Birmingham connected to his life.

Ozzy Osbourne (musician, 1948–2025)

Born in Aston, Birmingham, Ozzy Osbourne was the singer of Black Sabbath, the band often credited with creating heavy metal, and later had a hugely successful solo career and his own reality TV show. Birmingham is proud of its heavy metal heritage, which you can still feel in the city today.

Felicity Jones (actor, born 1983)

Born in Birmingham, Felicity Jones received an Oscar nomination for playing Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything and starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Matthew Boulton and James Watt (engineers)

In the 18th century, Birmingham was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution. Businessman Matthew Boulton and Scottish engineer James Watt worked together in the city to build improved steam engines that helped power factories around the world. A famous golden statue of them, with William Murdoch, stands in the city centre.

Learn English in Birmingham

Birmingham is a young, multicultural city with fantastic shopping, food and culture, and excellent transport links across the UK. Find out more about studying at ILC Birmingham.