This is a partial list of notable people from U.S. state of California.
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#
A
B
- Max Baer, Jr. – actor (Jethro Bodine of The Beverly Hillbillies)
- Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. – actor (Alvin and the Chipmunks)
- Diane Baker – actress (The Silence of the Lambs)
- Dusty Baker – MLB player and manager
- Banks – singer
- Tyra Banks – model and actress (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
- Adrienne Barbeau – actress (Maude)
- Sara Bareilles – singer
- Travis Barker – drummer (Blink-182)
- Matt Barnes – National Basketball Association player
- Drew Barrymore – actress (50 First Dates)
- Judith Barsi – actress/voiceover artist
- Summer Bartholomew – Miss USA 1975
- Earl W. Bascom – rodeo pioneer, Hall of Fame inductee, actor, international artist/sculptor
- Baby Bash – rapper
- Bassnectar – musician, record producer
- Michael Bay – film director
- Amanda Beard – Olympic swimmer
- Beck – musician
- Captain Beefheart – musician
- Ed Begley, Jr. – actor and activist
- Stephania Bell — ESPN analyst, physical therapist
- Camilla Belle – actress
- Tory Belleci – filmmaker and model maker (MythBusters)
- Marcus Benjamin (born 1857) – early biographer at Smithsonian Institution
- Candice Bergen – actress (Murphy Brown)
- Carolyn Beug – passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 11
- B.G. Knocc Out – rapper
- Mayim Bialik – actress (The Big Bang Theory)
- Barbara Billingsley – actress
- Rachel Bilson – actress (The O.C.)
- Thora Birch – actress
- Bradford Bishop – indicted murderer and at-large fugitive
- Bill Bixby – actor (The Incredible Hulk)
- Aloe Blacc – singer, musician
- Jack Black – actor (Tenacious D)
- Rebecca Black – singer
- Hank Blalock – baseball player (Texas Rangers)
- Mel Blanc – cartoon voice actor
- Sheila Bleck – IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Ken Block – rally driver, gymkhana driver
- Andy Bloom – Olympic shot putter
- Betsy Bloomingdale – socialite
- David Blu (born David Bluthenthal) – professional basketball player (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
- Jonathan Blum – hockey player
- Brian Boitano − Olympic gold medalist (figure skating)
- Barry Bonds – baseball player (San Francisco Giants)
- Bobby Bonds – baseball player (San Francisco Giants)
- Aaron Boone – baseball player (Cleveland Indians)
- Scott Borchetta – president/CEO and founder of Big Machine Records
- Barry Bostwick – actor (Spin City, The Rocky Horror Picture Show)
- Kate Bosworth – actress
- Lo Bosworth – television personality, author, and entrepreneur
- Bruce Bowen – National Basketball Association player (San Antonio Spurs)
- Brandon Boyd – singer, musician (Incubus)
- Timothy Bradley – boxer
- Tom Brady – football quarterback (New England Patriots)
- Debbie Bramwell-Washington – IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Benjamin Bratt – actor
- Ryan Braun – baseball player (Milwaukee Brewers)
- B-Real – rapper (Cypress Hill)
- Nicholas Brendon – actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- Jan Brewer – Governor of Arizona
- Stephen Breyer – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Brigita Brezovac – IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Beau Bridges – actor (The Fabulous Baker Boys, Stargate SG-1)
- Jeff Bridges – actor (The Big Lebowski)
- Lloyd Bridges – actor (Sea Hunt, Airplane!)
- Lance Briggs – football player
- Adam Brody – actor (The O.C.)
- James Brolin – actor
- Josh Brolin – actor (No Country For Old Men, Gangster Squad)
- Albert Brooks – actor and director (Lost in America)
- Brotha Lynch Hung – rapper
- Alton Brown – television host
- Jerry Brown – Governor of California (1975–1983; 2011–present), Mayor of Oakland, California
- Pat Brown – Governor of California (1959–1967)
- Willie Brown – 58th Speaker of the California State Assembly, Mayor of San Francisco
- Teddy Bruschi – football player
- Lindsey Buckingham – musician (Fleetwood Mac)
- Bill Buckner – baseball player
- Don Budge – tennis player
- Hunter Burgan – bass player for AFI
- Bobby Burgess – Mouseketeer, dancer for Lawrence Welk Show
- Olivia Burnette – actress
- Tim Burton – film director
- Reggie Bush – football player
- Shoshana Bush – actress
- Sophia Bush – activist, spokesperson, and actress (One Tree Hill, Chicago P.D.)
- Jeanie Buss – sports executive
- Cruz Bustamante – Lieutenant Governor of California
- Win Butler – musician, songwriter (Arcade Fire)
- Amanda Bynes – actress
- Kari Byron – artist and television personality (MythBusters)
C
- Scott Caan – actor
- Herb Caen – newspaper columnist (San Francisco Chronicle)
- John Cage – composer
- Nicolas Cage – actor
- Colbie Caillat – singer
- Cameron – professional wrestler, dancer
- Dolph Camilli – baseball player
- Ben Nighthorse Campbell – U.S. Senator from Colorado
- Nick Cannon – actor
- Mr. Capone-E – rapper
- Linda Cardellini – actress (Freaks and Geeks)
- Tucker Carlson – television host
- Adam Carolla – radio and television personality
- David Carr – football player
- David Carradine – actor (Kung Fu, Kill Bill)
- Ever Carradine – actress, daughter of Robert Carradine
- Keith Carradine – actor (Nashville)
- Robert Carradine – actor (Revenge of the Nerds)
- Pete Carroll – college and NFL football coach
- Adam Carson – drummer (AFI)
- Chris Carter – producer, director and writer (The X-Files)
- Torry Castellano – drummer of The Donnas
- C-Bo – rapper
- Richard Chamberlain – actor
- Chanel West Coast – rapper, actress, model, television personality
- Brandi Chastain – soccer player
- Jessica Chastain – actress (Zero Dark Thirty)
- Cher – actress, entertainer and singer
- Joey Chestnut – competitive eater
- Julia Child – chef, author and TV personality
- Margaret Cho – actress, comedian
- Wasel Choi – artist and world traveler
- Amy Chow – gymnast
- Jamie Chung – actress
- Lana Clarkson – actress (Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
- Les Claypool – bass player (Primus)
- Sasha Cohen – figure skater
- Lillie Hitchcock Coit – firefighter
- Keyshia Cole – singer
- Natalie Cole – singer
- Jerry Coleman – decorated soldier and sportscaster
- Chris Colfer – actor (Glee), author (The Land of Stories)
- Holly Marie Combs – actress
- Maureen Connolly – tennis player
- Mike Connors – actor (Mannix)
- Lauren Conrad – television personality, fashion designer, and author
- Elisha Cook Jr. – actor (The Maltese Falcon)
- Coolio – rapper
- Miranda Cosgrove – actress, singer (iCarly)
- Kevin Costner – actor and director (Field of Dreams)
- Natalie Coughlin – Olympic swimmer
- Nikki Cox – actress (Las Vegas)
- Alan Cranston – U.S. Senator from California
- Bryan Cranston – actor
- Laura Creavalle – Guyanese-born Canadian/American professional bodybuilder
- Richard Crenna – actor
- William H. Crocker – philanthropist and founder of Crocker National Bank
- James Cromwell – actor
- Joe Cronin – Hall of Fame baseball player, manager
- David Crosby – musician
- Cameron Crowe – filmmaker
- Kaley Cuoco – actress (The Big Bang Theory)
- Jamie Lee Curtis – actress (Halloween)
D
- Carson Daly – television host
- Caroline D'Amore - musician, actress, model
- Spencer Daniels – actor
- Harry Danning – Major League Baseball All Star catcher
- Ted Danson – actor (Cheers)
- Iva Toguri D'Aquino (Tokyo Rose) – radio broadcaster during World War II
- Lindsay Davenport – tennis player
- Baron Davis – professional basketball player
- Jonathan Davis – singer, musician (Korn)
- Terrell Davis – professional football player
- Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris – husband and wife film directors (Little Miss Sunshine)
- Oscar De La Hoya – boxer
- Zack de la Rocha – activist, singer (Rage Against The Machine)
- Jayme Dee – singer, musician
- Tom DeLonge – singer, musician (Blink-182)
- Brad Delson – musician (Linkin Park)
- Bo Derek – actress
- Laura Dern – actress
- DeMar DeRozan – professional basketball player
- Emily Deschanel – actress
- Zooey Deschanel – actress, singer
- Dev – singer
- Cameron Diaz – actress (There's Something About Mary)
- Leonardo DiCaprio – actor
- Joan Didion – writer
- Trent Dilfer – NFL quarterback
- Daz Dillinger – rapper
- Joe DiMaggio – baseball player
- Roy Edward Disney – billionaire, nephew of Walt Disney
- DJ Quik – rapper, producer
- Canh Thong Do – Vietnamese American activist
- Nate Dogg – musician
- Snoop Dogg – rapper
- Ami Dolenz – actress, daughter of Micky Dolenz
- Micky Dolenz – actor, musician, singer (The Monkees)
- Landon Donovan – soccer player
- Dr. Dre – musician, hip-hop producer, record producer
- Stacy Dragila – pole vaulter
- Mac Dre – rapper
- Dresta – rapper
- K. Eric Drexler – engineer
- Don Drysdale – baseball player
- Hilary Duff – actress, singer
- Tom Dumont – guitarist (No Doubt)
- Isadora Duncan – dancer
- Ann Dunnigan – translator, actor, teacher
- Robert Duvall – actor
- Jermaine Dye – baseball player (Chicago White Sox)
E
F
- Bill Fagerbakke – actor/voice actor (Patrick Star)
- Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton – wife and husband film directors (Little Miss Sunshine)
- Heather Fargo – Mayor of Sacramento, California
- Mia Farrow – actress
- David Faustino – actor (Married... with Children)
- Dianne Feinstein – US Senator from California, Mayor of San Francisco (1978–1988)
- Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) – singer, actress, composer (The Dutchess, Charlie Brown, Fergalicious)
- Shiloh Fernandez – actor
- Sky Ferreira – singer, model, actress
- Will Ferrell – actor
- Miguel Ferrer – actor (RoboCop)
- America Ferrera – actress
- Sally Field − actress (Norma Rae, Places in the Heart)
- Carrie Fisher – actress
- Peggy Fleming – figure skater
- Abigail Folger – coffee heiress, socialite, and murder victim
- Bridget Fonda – actress
- Lyndsy Fonseca – actress
- Jon Foreman – singer[1]
- Dian Fossey – zoologist
- Jodie Foster – actress (The Silence of the Lambs)
- Rickie Fowler – professional golfer
- Allen Fox – tennis player (ranked as high as # 4) and coach
- Dillon Francis – music producer, DJ
- Dave Franco – actor
- James Franco – actor
- Paulette Frankl – artist, biographer
- Bonnie Franklin – actress
- Missy Franklin – 2012 Olympic gold medalist (swimming)
- Suga Free – rapper
- Robert Frost – poet
- Del tha Funkee Homosapien – rapper
- Edward Furlong – actor (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)
G
H
- Walter A. Haas, Jr. – chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co.
- Steven C. Hackett – economist (Humboldt State University)
- Gene Hackman – actor (The French Connection)
- Sammy Hagar – musician (Van Halen)
- Merle Haggard – country music singer
- Joseph Hahn – painter, director, musician (Linkin Park)
- Jackie Earle Haley – actor (Bad News Bears)
- Mark Hamill – actor (Star Wars)
- Laird Hamilton – surfer
- Harry Hamlin – actor (Clash of the Titans)
- Armie Hammer – actor
- Kirk Hammett – musician (Metallica)
- Daniel Handler – Lemony Snicket
- Colin Hanks – actor (King Kong)
- Tom Hanks – actor, director, producer
- Peter D. Hannaford – political advisor to Ronald W. Reagan, author[3]
- Jeff Hanneman – guitarist (Slayer)
- Dan Haren – professional baseball player (Oakland Athletics)
- Mariska Hargitay – actress (Law & Order: SVU)
- Jeff B. Harmon – film producer, director, actor
- Mark Harmon – actor
- Henry Harrower – endocrinologist
- Kevin Harvick – NASCAR driver
- Teri Hatcher – actress
- Henry Hathaway – film director
- Davey Havok – lead singer of AFI
- Tony Hawk – skateboarder
- Kristy Hawkins – IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins – professional skateboarder
- Julie Hayek – Miss USA 1983
- Dennis Haysbert – actor (24)
- Jenna Haze – pornographic actress
- Patty Hearst – actress and newspaper heiress (Symbionese Liberation Army)
- William Randolph Hearst – newspaper publisher
- Lacie Heart – pornographic actress and nude model
- Ian Hecox – youtuber
- Simon Helberg – actor, comedian (The Big Bang Theory)
- Christy Hemme – professional wrestler and model
- Mariel Hemingway – actress (Manhattan)
- Pamela Hensley – actress
- Keith Hernandez – baseball player
- Barbara Hershey – actress
- James Hetfield – musician (Metallica)
- Jonah Hill – actor
- Jason Hirsh – baseball player
- Hit-Boy – rapper, record producer
- Dustin Hoffman – actor
- Trevor Hoffman – professional baseball player (San Diego Padres)
- Dexter Holland – singer, musician (The Offspring)
- Brenda Holloway – singer and songwriter
- Josh Holloway – actor (Lost)
- Mike Holmgren – football coach (Seattle Seahawks)
- Mark Hoppus – singer, musician (Blink-182)
- Hopsin – rapper, actor, record producer
- Taylor Horn – singer and actress
- James Horner – composer
- Sam Horrigan – actor (Little Giants)
- Nichkhun Horvejkul – Thai-American singer and rapper of 2PM[4]
- Bryce Dallas Howard – actress
- C. Thomas Howell – actor (The Outsiders, Red Dawn, Southland)
- Jerry Hsu – skateboarder
- Vanessa Hudgens – actress and singer (High School Musical)
- Kate Hudson – actress
- Phil Hughes – baseball player
- Yolanda Hughes-Heying – IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Barry Hunau – illustrator
- William Hung – American Idol contestant
- Helen Hunt – actress
- Terry Huntingdon – Miss USA 1959
- Anjelica Huston – actress
- Nyjah Huston – professional skateboarder
- Timothy Hutton – actor
- Tiffany Hwang – singer (Girls' Generation)
I
J
K
L
M
- Mack 10 – rapper (Westside Connection)
- Theodore Harold Maiman – inventor of Ruby Laser Systems Laser
- Daron Malakian – musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist (System of a Down)
- Mia Malkova – pornographic actress
- Ricky Manning, Jr. – football player
- Josie Maran – actress and model
- Teena Marie – singer
- Cheech Marin – actor
- Shannon Marketic – Miss USA 1992
- McKayla Maroney – 2012 Olympic gold and silver medalist (artistic gymnastics)
- Dean Paul Martin – actor and musician
- Margaret Martin – professional bodybuilder
- Bobby Martinez – professional surfer
- Chris Masters – wrestler
- Tim Matheson – actor
- Bob Mathias – decathlete
- Misty May-Treanor – volleyball player
- Leigh McCloskey – actor, artist (Dallas)
- Pete McCloskey – politician
- Willie McCool – astronaut, killed in Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
- Maureen McCormick – actress
- Jennette McCurdy – actress, singer
- Audra McDonald – actress and singer
- Willie McGee – baseball player
- Ted McGinley – actor
- Jeremy McGrath – supercross racer
- Mark McGwire – baseball player
- Robert McNamara – former United States Secretary of Defense
- Katharine McPhee – singer, actress
- MC Eiht – actor, rapper
- MC Hammer – musician
- MC Ren – rapper
- Casey Mears – NASCAR driver
- Edwin Meese – United States Attorney General (1985–1988)
- Rodney Melville – judge
- Mike Mentzer, professional bodybuilder and 1979 Mr. Olympia heavyweight champion[5]
- Lee Meriwether – actress and Miss America
- Casey Merrill – football running back
- AJ Michalka – actress, musician
- Aly Michalka – actress, singer
- Phil Mickelson – golfer
- Miguel – singer, producer
- Johnny Miller – golfer and TV commentator
- Jon Miller – sportscaster
- Marisa Miller – supermodel
- Penelope Ann Miller – actress
- Reggie Miller – basketball player (Indiana Pacers)
- Stanley Miller – chemist
- Norm Mineta – U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Transportation
- Liza Minnelli – singer and actress (Cabaret)
- Marilyn Monroe – sex symbol, actress (Some Like It Hot)
- Elizabeth Montgomery – actress (Bewitched)
- Shemar Moore – actor
- Terry Moore – actress (Mighty Joe Young)
- Alex Morgan – United States women's national soccer team striker
- John Morrison – wrestler
- George Moscone – Mayor of San Francisco
- Shane Mosley – boxer
- Elisabeth Moss – actress
- Bethany Mota – youtuber
- Jason Mraz – singer, musician
- Megan Mullally – actress
- Marcus Mumford – singer, musician (Mumford & Sons)
- Bill Mumy – child actor (Lost in Space)
- Noah Munck – actor (iCarly)
- Eddie Murray – baseball player (Baltimore Orioles)
- Lenda Murray – IFBB professional bodybuilder (Los Angeles)
- Dave Mustaine – musician (Megadeth)
N
O
P
- Carson Palmer – football quarterback
- Gwyneth Paltrow – actress
- Cathey Palyo – IFBB professional bodybuilder
- Leon Panetta – White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of Defense
- Jerry Paris – director and actor (The Dick Van Dyke Show)
- Grace Park – actress (Battlestar Galactica, Hawaii Five-0)
- Richard Park – ice hockey forward, New York Islanders
- Harry Partch – composer
- Audrina Patridge – television personality, television presenter, actress, and model
- George S. Patton – military commander
- Paula Patton – actress
- Corey Pavin – golfer
- Sara Paxton – actress, singer
- Gary Payton – professional basketball player
- Gregory Peck – actor
- Sam Peckinpah – film director
- Dustin Pedroia – baseball player
- Chris Penn – actor
- Sean Penn – actor
- Stacy Peralta- Skateboarder, Surfer and movie director
- Melina Perez – professional wrestler
- Katy Perry – singer
- Michelle Pfeiffer – actress
- Paul Pierce – professional basketball player
- Chris Pine – actor
- Drew Pinsky – radio and television personality, physician, addiction medicine specialist
- Jim Plunkett – football quarterback (Oakland Raiders)
- Whitney Port – television personality, fashion designer, and author
- Chad Power – martial artist
- Stefanie Powers – actress
- Tristan Prettyman – singer, musician
- Tayshaun Prince – professional basketball player (Detroit Pistons)
- Freddie Prinze, Jr. – actor
- Jade Puget – musician (AFI)
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
Musical groups
California transplants
- Samuel Brannan – newspaper publisher
- Ashlynn Brooke – pornographic actress[citation needed]
- Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo – Spanish explorer
- César Chávez – labor leader
- Juan Bautista de Anza – Spanish explorer
- Gaspar de Portolà – Spanish explorer
- Dr. Dre – rapper and producer
- Larry Ellison – co-founder of Oracle Corporation
- John C. Frémont – Military Governor of California
- Domingo Ghirardelli – chocolateer (Ghirardelli Chocolate Company)
- Chick Hearn – National Basketball Association announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers
- William Redington Hewlett – co-founder of Hewlett-Packard
- Bob Hope – actor, singer, comedian
- Steve Jurvetson – venture capitalist (a managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson)
- James Lick – real estate baron
- Steve Martin – actor, author, comedian and director
- Johnny Mathis – singer ("Chances Are")
- Fritz Maytag – former owner of Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco and is Chairman of the Board of the Maytag Dairy Farms* Thomas Mesereau – criminal defense lawyer
- Joe Montana – National Football League quarterback
- John Muir – naturalist
- Joshua A. Norton – British self-proclaimed "Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico"
- Buck Owens – country music performer
- Ronald Reagan – actor and 40th President of the United States
- Jackie Robinson – Baseball Hall of Famer who broke Major League Baseball's 20th-century color line
- Carlos Santana – Mexican musician
- Michael Savage – author, political commentator and radio host
- Charles M. Schulz – cartoonist
- Vin Scully – announcer for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers
- Glenn T. Seaborg – chemist
- Junipero Serra – Spanish missionary
- Steven Spielberg – director
- Leland Stanford – railroad baron, Governor of California, founder of Stanford University
- Ken Starr – lawyer, university law dean
- Levi Strauss – Bavarian clothing manufacturer
- John Sutter – Swiss real estate baron
- Marjorie Thompson – British peace activist[citation needed]
- Mark Twain – humorist and author
- Sarah Winchester – heiress, eccentric, builder of the Winchester Mystery House
- Charles Wood – musical theatre performer (original Hortensio in Cole Porter's 1948 Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate)
- Chuck Yeager – US Air Force test pilot
- Ace Young – singer
- Steve Young – National Football League quarterback
- Lars Ulrich – musician (Metallica)
See also
References