Salford, born and raised, from stand-up shows to some of the most influential

Will Phillips
Oct 28
3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Many may not realise just how big of an impact Salford has had on Pop Culture and mainstream media. Many of Hollywood’s biggest stars and national heroes come from this small city. As 2026 approaches, we near to the hundred anniversary since Salford gained city status, as part of that lets go through some of the biggest names to come from the place where many of us call home.

Jason Manford:

Starting off with a name some may know is from Salford, the comedian Jason Manford. Manford was born in Salford, even going to the University of Salford to study Media and Performing Arts. He has since gone on to appear on popular television programmes such as “Waterloo Road”, “Benidorm” and panel shows such as “Would I lie to you?” and “8 out of 10 cats”. Manford has also performed at Co-Op arena in Manchester as well as at the famous comedy hot spot the O2 Apollo. Manford has set himself out as on of England’s biggest comics and continues to impress, it’s easy to forget that it all started in Salford.

(Image Credit- University of Salford Press Office)

Benedict Wong:

This is one many maybe unaware of, Benedict Wong has been active in the film and TV industry since 1992, appearing in popular comedy series, “15 Storeys High”. Wong perhaps became a household name as the character “Wong” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, supporting Benedict Cumberbatch in “Doctor Strange” as well as in other Marvel Projects, including the second highest grossing box office film of all time- Avengers: Endgame. Some of Wongs achievements include a Saturn Award win for Best supporting actor. Wong is clearly an icon globally and could be argued as one of the most famous people to ever come from Salford.

Christopher Eccleston:

You may never have realised that the Doctor Who was from Salford, but the truth is 9th Doctor, and the one responsible for bringing the acclaimed series back after decades of being cancelled- was born in Langworthy. Eccleston moved to Little Hutton as a baby, and this is where the actor spent his youth. Alongside his role as Doctor Who in the BBC hit of the same name, Eccleston has also featured in many critically acclaimed films after breaking into the mainstream with his role as Derek Bentley in the film “Let him have it”. Eccleston worked with British movie legend Danny Boyle on “28 Days later”. This is before becoming a household name in the revival of “Doctor Who”. Eccleston also won the Emmy for best actor in 2011 and was nominated again in 2019.

Ben Kingsley:

The actor- who has starred in some of the biggest films in the last few decades, was born in Yorkshire before moving to Pendlebury. Kingsley has over 150 acting credits to his name and has been nominated for an Oscar in acting roles on four separate occasions, winning the award for Best Actor in 1983 for his portrayal of Gandhi in the film of the same name. Kingsley’s longevity has been highlighted by being nominated for a Saturn award in 2024, as well as winning one in 2014. Kingsley long established career in Hollywood has also earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. From Pendlebury all the way to Hollywood.

Emmeline Pankhurst:

Pankhurst is definitley one of the most influential people to originate from Salford, born in Moss side in Manchester she moved to Salford as a child, her father was involved in the Salford council for a number of years. Pankhurst herself was very politically involved in adult life, as she was a major figure in the women's suffrage movement. In 1903 she founded the Women’s Social and Political Union- a group that used otherwise unseen tactics to advocate for women. Pankhurst spent her entire life dedicated to the cause of equal rights for women and is rightly considered as having one of the biggest impacts on the world in the 20th century.

(Image Credit- Wikimedia Commons- Public Domain)

Salford despite only having a population of just under three hundred thousand, has clearly had a massive impact on both pop culture and the world. As we approach the anniversary of the city, we look forward to seeing who is going to be the next greats to come from our city in the next hundred years.