Famous Seattle people
Seattleites are people who are from or are residents of the city of Seattle . This is a list of well-known people who lived and currently live in the city of Seattle.
Ken Jennings – Jeopardy! contestant and host, author, podcasterJon Jon Augustavo – directorJohn Aylward – actor (ER Mad Men House of Lies Gangster Squad David Michael Barrett – screenwriter and film producerCraig Bartlett – Hey Arnold! Bob Bingham – Jesus Christ Superstar Josie Bissett – actress (Melrose Place Rob Estes Tori Black – porn starDove Cameron – actress, singerErika Christensen – actressBobby Clark – actorBrett Davern – actor, podcaster, Awkward Graham Elliot – chef, restaurateurFantasy A – actor (Fantasy A Gets a Mattress ); rapperIndia Gants – model, winner of America's Next Top Model Tom Gorai – film producerBrian Haley – actor, comedianSig Hansen – TV series Deadliest Catch Bianca Kajlich – television actress noted for role of Jennifer on Rules of Engagement Richard Karn – television actor, game show hostMike Luckovich – editorial cartoonistDave Losso – stand-up comedianBeau Mirchoff – actor known for television series Awkward Brian Stokes Mitchell – Broadway actor and baritone singerJeffrey Dean Morgan – actor, known for Grey's Anatomy Watchmen Magic City The Walking Dead Rampage Mark Morris – director, choreographer, dancerJanice Pennington – The Price Is Right Megyn Price – actress known for roles on Grounded for Life Rules of Engagement Nick Robinson – actor known for portraying Ryder Scanlon on ABC Family sitcom Melissa & Joey Omari Salisbury – journalist, videographer, media company ownerDerek Sheen – stand-up comedianJean Smart – actress, known for Designing Women Kim Possible Frasier 24 Hacks Ryan Stiles – comedian, known for Whose Line Is It Anyway? (both U.S. and U.K. versions), and playing Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show Two and a Half Men Alison Sudol – actress, singer, songwriterJen Taylor – video game voice actressMaiara Walsh – actress, Cory in the House Desperate Housewives Switched at Birth Zoe Weizenbaum – actress, 12 and Holding Memoirs of a Geisha Rainn Wilson – actor, The Office Yassamin Ansari – U.S. representative for Arizona[ 8] Maria Cantwell – U.S. senatorJenny Durkan – mayor of Seattle Bob Ferguson – governor of Washington Steve Gunderson – politician in Montana[ 9] Jay Inslee – former governor of WashingtonJerry Lewis – California politicianGary Locke – U.S. Ambassador to China , former U.S. Secretary of Commerce , former governor of Washington Patty Murray – U.S. senator, former state senator[ 10] Frank Murkowski – Polish-American politician, tenth governor of Alaska Lonnie Nelson – civil rights, Indigenous peoples, labor, peace, and social justice activist[ 11] [ 12] Marjorie Pitter King – first African-American woman to serve in the Washington State Legislature William Farrand Prosser – U.S. congressman from Tennessee, Seattle city treasurer, Yakima mayor[ 13] Angela Rye – CNN political commentatorPeter Steinbrueck – politicianLynn Woolsey – politician
Ann Reinking – actress, dancer, choreographer, All That Jazz Micki + Maude Annie Paul Jacob Alexander – newspaper publisher and Seattle City CouncilmanPaul Allen – co-founder of Microsoft Signe Toly Anderson – original lead singer of The Jefferson Airplane Richard Lee Armstrong – professor and geochemist Jo Baer – painterBob Bartlett – politicianLawrence James Beck – sculptorFrank T. Bell – United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries (1933–1939)Barbara Berjer – television actressMax Brand – author (pen name of Frederick Schiller Faust)Gerald Brashear – musician, played with Wyatt Ruther , Ray Charles , Della Reese , Cecil Young QuartetChester Carlson – physicist and inventorCarol Channing – actress, Hello, Dolly! Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Thoroughly Modern Millie Irma Schoennauer Cole – swimmer, civil servantChris Cornell – musician, Soundgarden , Audioslave , Temple of the Dog Don Coryell – NFL coachMarian Cummings (c. 1892–1984) – first woman in the US to gain a commercial pilot's licenseWarrel Dane – musician, singer for Sanctuary , Nevermore Jennifer Dunn – politicianFrances Farmer – actressPete Fleming – missionary to EcuadorKeith Godchaux – musicianKathi Goertzen – longtime news anchor for KOMO 4 Richard F. Gordon Jr. – astronaut Bonnie Guitar – singerEd Guthman – journalistIvar Haglund – folksinger and restaurateurJimi Hendrix – rock guitarist and singerSteven Hill – actor, portrayed Adam Schiff in the TV series Law & Order Eldon Hoke (aka El Duce) – drummer and singer of rock band The Mentors Art Hupy – photographerFred Hutchinson – baseball player and managerRuth Jessen – golferGary Kildall – scientist, inventor and founder of Digital Research Ed Lee – first Asian American mayor of San FranciscoGypsy Rose Lee – actress and burlesque starMary Livingstone – comedian and wife of Jack Benny Kevin McCarthy – actorMary McCarthy – author, critic and social activistRob Roy McGregor – U.S. Navy rear admiral and decorated submarinerAlfred M. Moen – inventor and founder of Moen Incorporated Margaret Murie – environmentalistMako Nakagawa – Japanese American advocate, educator, and activistHarley D. Nygren – admiral and engineer, first Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer CorpsAdella M. Parker – suffragist, politician, lawyer, and high school teacherWalt Partymiller – cartoonistTuulikki Pietilä – graphic artist and professorGuy Bates Post – stage and film actorHal Riney – advertising executiveRon Santo – Hall of Fame baseball playerBell M. Shimada – fisheries scientist who pioneered the study of the tuna fishery in the tropical Pacific Ocean Robert Stroud – convicted felon, "Birdman of Alcatraz"George Tsutakawa – painter, sculptor and professorEmmett Watson – journalist
Zaid Abdul-Aziz – former Seattle SuperSonics power forwardDustin Ackley – former Seattle Mariners outfielderSherman Alexie – authorKimball Allen – writer, playwright, performer, gay activist, author of Secrets of a Gay Mormon Felon Be Happy Be Mormon Jeff Ament – bassist of Pearl Jam Brian Atwater – geologistAnomie Belle – musicianBenDeLaCreme – actor, drag queen, 5th place and Miss Congeniality of Rupaul's Drag Race Season 6Jeff Bezos – former CEO and founder of Amazon.comChristopher Boffoli – photographerJeff Borowiak – tennis playerBosco – drag queen; contestant and finalist on Rupaul's Drag Race Season 14David Brewster – publisher and journalistTerry Brooks – authorRobert Brown – musician, lead singer of Abney Park Ed Brubaker – comics writer and artistPeter Buck – musician in R.E.M. Charles Burns – cartoonistMatt Cameron – drummer of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam Dyan Cannon – actressRoberto Carcelen – OlympianNeko Case – musicianJ.R. Celski – Olympic speed skaterMichael Chang – tennis player, French Open championValentina Chepiga – IFBB professional bodybuilderDale Chihuly – glass blowing artistNick Collison – Oklahoma City Thunder forward[ 14] Emily Compagno – former federal attorney, Oakland Raiderettes cheerleader, sports reporter, and analyst; current litigator, legal analyst, and Fox News contributorDan Corson – artistKathryn Cramer – science fiction editor (lived in Seattle 1964–1985)Cameron Crowe – writer and directorChris DeWolfe – founder of MySpaceJim Donald – former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Mark Driscoll – co-founder and preaching pastor of Mars Hill Church C. J. Elleby (born 2000) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Rob Estes – actorAnna Faris – actressBrendan Fraser – actorCharlie Furbush – former Seattle Mariners pitcherAri Glass – painter, designer and musicianJorge Enrique González Pacheco – Cuban poetNeile Graham – poetNicola Griffith – authorDave Grohl – drummer of Nirvana ; lead singer, guitarist of Foo Fighters Caren Gussoff – authorGary Hall Jr. – 10-time Olympic medalist[ 15] Leland H. Hartwell – Nobel Prize winnerMatt Hasselbeck – quarterback, Seattle Seahawks playerJenni Hogan – KIRO-TV traffic anchorJerry Holkins – co-creator of Penny Arcade David Horsey – cartoonistTom Hulce – actor in National Lampoon's Animal House Amadeus Jane Jensen – game designer and authorPhoenix Jones – superhero, vigilante Quincy Jones – musicianS. T. Joshi – literary critic and editorMichael Kinsley – journalistSascha Konietzko – founder and frontman of KMFDM Mike Krahulik – co-creator of Penny Arcade Jon Krakauer – authorJayne Ann Krentz – romance novelistGary Larson – comic strip artist (The Far Side Lusine – IDM musicianKyle MacLachlan – actorDave Matthews – musicianTaylor Mays – football playerJim McDermott – Congressman Rose McGowan – actress, Charmed Jawbreaker Joel McHale – actor, host of The Soup E! and star of NBC television series Community Mike McCready – lead guitarist of Pearl Jam (considered local, went to grade school – college in Seattle)Carol Milne – Canadian American sculptorPatrick Monahan – lead singer of the band Train Jinkx Monsoon – actor, drag queen, winner of Rupaul's Drag Race Season 5Gabe Newell – CEO and founder of Valve Krist Novoselic – bassist of NirvanaBill Nye – "Science Guy", actor, comedianYuji Okumoto – actor, The Karate Kid, Part II Real Genius Trey Parker – co-creator of South Park Susan Powter – motivational speaker, dietitian, personal trainer and authorKaren Prell – puppeteerJeff Probst – host of TV show Survivor Julia Quinn – authorJohn Ratzenberger – actor, played Cliff Clavin on TV series Cheers Richard Read – journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner, 1999, 2001Ron Reagan – radio talk host, son of Ronald Reagan Gary Ridgway – serial killerTom Robbins – authorDon Roff – writer and filmmakerRyan Rowland-Smith – Seattle Mariners pitcherDan Savage – advice columnist Howard Schultz – chairman of Starbucks Becky Selengut – chef and cookbook authorRoss Shafer – comedian and television hostRichard Silverstein – bloggerTom Skerritt – actorQuest Skinner – mixed media artistAlex Steffen – award-winning author and editorNeal Stephenson – science-fiction authorAdam Stern – symphony conductorMack Strong – retired Seattle Seahawks fullback 1993–2007Ichiro Suzuki – baseball player, Seattle Mariners , New York Yankees , and Miami Marlins Robert Swift – former Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder centerGeoff Tate – lead singer of Queensrÿche Lauren Tewes – actressJason Thornberry – writer, musicianEarnest James Ujaama – community activist and indicted associate of al-Qaeda Eddie Vedder – lead singer of Pearl Jam Guy Williams – basketball player, Washington Bullets and Golden State Warriors Ann Wilson – lead singer and flute player of Heart Mark Wirth – "fashion notable", local characterAl Young – dragster driver
Harry Anderson – actorFrank Barsotti – professional photographerJack Bechdolt – journalist for Seattle Post Intelligencer , illustrator/artist, author of thousands of short storiesFred Beckey – mountaineer Bill Boeing – aviation pioneer, industrialistRobert Bray – actorEdwin Frederick Brotze – cartoonist for the Seattle Daily Times Libbie Beach Brown – president, Seattle City Federation of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union Francis H. Brownell – businessman, president of the Seattle First National Bank Octavia Butler – authorFrank Calvert – cartoonist for the Seattle Daily Times James E. Casey – United Parcel Service founderRay Charles – musicianCharlie Chong – political activistKurt Cobain – Nirvana frontman, awesomeFrantz Hunt Coe – educatorAlexander DeSoto – physician and philanthropist, founder of Seattle's first hospitalJames S. Ditty – photoengraver, Seattle Star James Doohan – actor; Montgomery Scott on Star Trek Ford Quint Elvidge – governor of GuamFrances Farmer – actressKate Fleming – audio book narrator (voice-over actor ) and producerGeorge Frederick Frye – Seattle pioneer and politicianEdgar Gott – aviation pioneer, first president of Boeing Carl F. Gould – architect, educatorGeorge Hager – cartoonist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer John "DOK" Hager – cartoonist for the Seattle Daily Times Alex Haley – writer, author of Roots Anna Roosevelt Halsted – journalist, daughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt Victor Hanzeli – linguist, former Chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literature at UW George H. Hitchings – scientistAlan Hovhaness – composerEdward Sturgis Ingraham – first superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools ; mountaineer Don James – American football coachErnest C. Jenner – illustrator for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Russell Johnson – actor; Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island Jacob Lawrence – painterBrandon Lee – actorBruce Lee – actorDenise Levertov – poetJ. P. D. Lloyd – Episcopal cleric , the president of the Seattle Public Library Keye Luke – actor[ 17] Betty MacDonald – authorHelene Madison – three gold medals at 1932 Summer Olympics Benjamin Brown Martin – illustrator for the Seattle Daily Times Rick May – voice actor, theatrical performer, director, and teacherWilliam Charles McNulty – illustrator for Seattle Star ; teacher at Art Students League Asa Mercer – man behind the Mercer Girls , a model for the TV series Here Come the Brides Robert Moran – shipbuilderMarni Nixon – musicianHenry O'Malley – United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries Alexander Pantages – theatrical entrepreneurRobert W. Patten – veteran, storyteller, inspiration for cartoon seriesLionel Pries – architect, educatorHenry Prusoff – tennis playerJonathan Raban – authorAlfred T. Renfro – cartoonist, Seattle Star Theodore Roethke – poetZola Helen Ross – authorAnn Rule – true crime authorBill Russell – retired Hall of Fame basketball player and coachJames Willis Sayre – theatre critic, journalist, arts promoter, and historianJeff Smith – TV chef and authorLayne Staley – musician, singer of grunge band Alice In ChainsHenry Suzzallo – president of the University of Washington (1915–1926)Sarah Truax – stage actorAugust Wilson – playwrightAndrew Wood – singer of grunge band Mother Love Bone Lillian Yarbo – actress, comedienne, dancer, and singerMia Zapata – musician
Athletes from Seattle [ edit ] Abney Park – steampunk band, formerly goth Aiden – rock band (emo )Alice in Chains – rock band (grunge /metal )Amber Pacific – pop punk bandBand of Horses – previously known as Horses, indie rock bandThe Blood Brothers – post-hardcore bandBlue Scholars – hip hop Brite Futures – indie popThe Brothers Four – folksingersCandlebox – alternative bandThe Classic Crime – alternative bandCommon Market – hip hopDave Matthews Band – originated in Charlottesville, Virginia Death Cab for Cutie – alternative bandDemon Hunter – metal bandEarth – drone/doom bandThe Fall of Troy – post-hardcore band (originally from Mukilteo, Washington )Fleet Foxes – indie rock bandFoo Fighters – rock bandThe Gits – rock bandGrand Archives – alternative rock bandGreen River – rock band (grunge )Gruntruck - rock band (grunge)Harvey Danger – alternative bandHe Is We – indie popThe Head and the Heart – indie rock bandHeart – rock bandHey Marseilles – alternative bandHimsa – Metalcore bandI Declare War – deathcore bandIvan & Alyosha – pop rock bandJake One – hip hop producerJerry Cantrell - lead guitarist from Alice in Chains' solo careerQuincy Jones – jazz musicianKMFDM – industrial bandLove Battery - rock band - grunge and psychedelicMacklemore and Ryan Lewis – hip hop/rap duoMad Season - rock super group (grunge)Melvins – sludge metal band (originally from Montesano, Washington )Metal Church – metal bandMinus the Bear – alternative rock bandModest Mouse – indie rock band (from nearby Issaquah, Washington )Mother Love Bone – rock band (grunge)Mudhoney – rock band (grunge)Murder City Devils – rock band (garage rock )MxPx – rock band (punk rock )Nevermore – metal bandNirvana – rock band (grunge) (originally from Aberdeen, Washington )Odesza – electronic/experimentalPearl Jam – rock band (grunge)Pedro the Lion – indie rock bandPickwick – indie rock bandTad - rock band (grunge)Temple of the Dog (grunge)The Postal Service – indietronica bandPresidents of the United States of America – rock bandQueensrÿche – metal band (from nearby Bellevue)Thee Satisfaction – hip hop/rap duoSchoolyard Heroes – horror punk/post hardcore (originally from Tacoma, Washington )The Scene Aesthetic – acoustic/indie pop bandScreaming Trees - rock band (grunge) - originally formed in EllensburgShabazz Palaces – hip hop/rap duoSinai 48 – a rock band that includes the former members of Buckingham Nicks Skin Yard - rock band (grunge)Smoosh – alternative pop bandSoundgarden – rock band (grunge)Sunn O))) – doom metal bandKyle Townsend – record producer, musicianTrachtenburg Family Slideshow Players – indie rock/pop bandTrial – political straightedge bandUgly Casanova – indie rock band featuring the main member Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse (from nearby Issaquah, Washington)Vendetta Red – rock bandThe Ventures – surf band
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