List of people from Seattle

A person who lives in or comes from Seattle, Washington, USA is called a Seattleite. This is a list of well-known people who were born or lived and even grew up in the city of Seattle.

Born in Seattle

Living

• Robin Pecknold - musician - Lead singer in the american folk-rock band Fleet Foxes
• Paul Allen – Co-founder of Microsoft
• Macklemore - Rap Artist real name "Ben Haggerty"
• Bob Bingham - Jesus Christ Superstar actor
• Josie Bissett – Actress (Melrose Place), ex-wife of Rob Estes
• Tori Black - Porn Star
• William Bolcom – Composer
• Carrie Brownstein – Musician, member of Sleater-Kinney
• Linda B. Buck – Scientist
• Raegan Butcher- Poet
• Ben Bridwell - musician - Lead singer in the american rock 'n roll band Band of Horses
• Jerry Cantrell - musician - Alice in Chains
• Brandi Carlile - musician
• Kyle Cease - Comedian
• Carol Channing – Actress
• Art Chantry – Graphic design
• Greg Colson – Artist
• Erika Christensen – Actress
• Judy Collins – Folk singer
• Chris Cornell - musician - Soundgarden, Audioslave
• Warrel Dane - musician, singer for Sanctuary, Nevermore
• Gail Devers – athlete
• Wil Francis – Lead singer of the band, Aiden
• Kenny G - Musician
• Bill Gates – Co-founder of Microsoft
• DJ Scene - Producer, Disc Jockey
• Isis Gee - American singer in Poland and Eurovision Song Contest entrant
• Richard F. Gordon, Jr. – Astronaut
• Tom Gorman - Tennis player
• Stone Gossard – Rhythm guitarist of Pearl Jam
• Natalie Grant - Christian music singer/songwriter
• David Guterson – Author
• Marcus Hahnemann - Professional soccer goalkeeper
• Brian Herbert – Author
• Jay Inslee – Politician
• Phoenix Jones - Superhero/Vigilante
• Bianca Kajlich - Actress who plays Jennifer on Rules of Engagement. Bianca was formerly married to U.S. male soccer player Landon Donovan.
• Richard Karn – Television actor who is famous for playing Al Borland on Home Improvement and hosting Family Feud from 2002-2006.
• Amanda Knox - Tried and convicted in Italy for the Murder of Meredith Kercher but subsequently acquitted on appeal
• Thomas Kohnstamm - Author
• Ed Lee - First Asian American mayor of San Francisco
• Blake Lewis - Singer, best known for finishing runner-up on American Idol (season 6).
• Jerry Lewis – Politician
• Duff McKagan – Bassist formerly of Guns N' Roses, now with Velvet Revolver.
• Gianna Michaels - Porn Star
• Brian Stokes Mitchell - Broadway actor and baritone singer
• Sir Mix-a-Lot – rap musician
• Mark Morris – Director, choreographer, dancer
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Actor
• Frank Murkowski - Polish-American politician, raised in Ketchikan, Alaska, 10th Governor of Alaska
• Gabe Newell - CEO and Founder of Valve Corporation
• Mark O'Connor – country violinist (also performs in other musical genres)
• Apolo Ohno - world champion and Olympic short track speedskater
• John Olerud – former Professional baseball player. Olerud played baseball at Washington State University with teammate Aaron Sele, as well as the Seattle Mariners. Also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox.
• Stacie Orrico – pop singer
• Stephen S. Oswald – Astronaut
• Megyn Price - Actress who played Claudia Finnerty on Grounded for Life and currently portrays Audrey Bingham on Rules of Engagement.
• Ann Reinking - Actress, dancer, choreographer
• John Requa - Screenwriter Cats & Dogs and Bad Santa
• Nate Robinson - NBA Basketball player, best known for winning two All-Star Dunk contests, currently plays for the Golden State Warriors.
• Scott Rockenfield - Drummer with Queensrÿche
• Jim Sheppard - Bassist with Nevermore
• Jean Smart - Actress who famous for playing Charlene Frazier Stillfield on Designing Women and Dr. Ann Possible on Kim Possible.
• Peter Steinbrueck – Politician
• Ryan Stiles - Comedian, who is best known for playing on Whose Line Is It Anyway, Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show, and Herb Melnick on Two and a Half Men.
• Geoff Tate - Singer with Queensryche
• Jen Taylor – Video game voice actress
• Rachel Trachtenburg – drummer, member of The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
• Jennifer Warnes – singer and songwriter
• Adam West – Actor, known for lead role in TV series Batman and Family Guy
• Lou Whittaker - mountaineer, founded Mt. Rainier guide service
• Jim Whittaker - First American to climb Mt. Everest.
• Rainn Wilson - Actor, most notably on The Office
• Lynn Woolsey – Politician
• Jay Park - Korean b-boy, singer and rapper. Former leader of 2PM
• Josh Barnett - MMA Fighter Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion.
• Stephen O'Malley-Member of doom metal band Sunn O)))
• Kim Thayil-Lead guitarist of the grunge band Soundgarden

Deceased

• Paul Jacob Alexander – newspaper publisher and Seattle City Councilman
• Richard Lee Armstrong - professor and geochemist
• Bob Bartlett – politician
• Barbara Berjer – television actress
• Max Brand – author (pen name)
• Chester Carlson – physicist and inventor
• Irma Schoennauer Cole - Swimmer, civil servant
• Don Coryell - NFL football coach
• Jennifer Dunn – politician
• Frances Farmer – actress
• Pete Fleming - missionary to Ecuador
• Keith Godchaux – musician
• Ed Guthman – Journalist
• Ivar Haglund - folksinger and restaurateur
• Jimi Hendrix – rock guitarist and singer
• Fred Hutchinson - Baseball Player and Manager
• Art Hupy - photographer
• Gary Kildall - scientist, inventor and founder of Digital Research
• Gypsy Rose Lee – actress and burlesque star
• Mary Livingstone - comedienne and wife of Jack Benny
• Kevin McCarthy – Actor
• Mary McCarthy - author, critic and social activist
• Alfred M. Moen - inventor and founder of Moen, Inc.
• Margaret Murie – environmentalist
• Ron Santo – Former professional baseball player
• Robert Stroud - The Birdman of Alcatraz
• Emmett Watson - journalist
• Tuulikki Pietilä - graphic artist and professor
• Charles Wood - singer and actor. Introduced Cole Porter's "Tom, Dick or Harry" on Broadway (as Hortensio), with Lisa Kirk, Harold Lang and Edwin Clay, in Porter's long-running 1948 musical, Kiss Me, Kate

Moved to Seattle

Living

• Dustin Ackley - current Seattle Mariners second baseman
• Zaid Abdul-Aziz - former Seattle SuperSonics power forward
• Sherman Alexie – author
• Jeff Ament – bassist of Pearl Jam
• Harry Anderson - actor
• Brian Atwater - geologist
• Fred Beckey – mountaineer
• Jeff Bezos - Executive of Amazon.com
• David Brewster (journalist) - publisher and journalist
• Jeff Borowiak - tennis player
• Terry Brooks – author
• Robert Brown - Musician, lead singer of Abney Park
• Ed Brubaker - comics writer and artist
• Peter Buck – musician in R.E.M.
• Charles Burns - cartoonist
• Dyan Cannon – actress
• Neko Case – musician
• J.R. Celski - olympic speed skater
• Michael Chang - grand slam tennis champion
• Dale Chihuly – glass blowing artist
• Matt Cameron – drummer of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam
• Nick Collison - Oklahoma City Thunder forward
• Kathryn Cramer - science fiction editor (lived in Seattle 1964-1985)
• Cameron Crowe – writer and director
• Chris DeWolfe – founder of MySpace
• Jim Donald - former CEO of Starbucks Coffee
• Mark Driscoll - co-founder and preaching pastor of Mars Hill Church
• Rob Estes – actor
• Anna Faris – actress
• Brendan Fraser - actor
• Will Foster - Photographer & Film Maker
• Neile Graham – poet
• Nicola Griffith – author
• Dave Grohl – drummer of Nirvana and lead singer/guitarist of Foo Fighters
• Caren Gussoff – author
• Gary Hall Jr. - 10 time Olympic medalist
• Leland H. Hartwell – Nobel Prize winner
• Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle Seahawks player
• David Horsey - cartoonist
• Tom Hulce – actor in National Lampoon's Animal House and Amadeus
• Jane Jensen – game designer and author
• Russell Johnson– actor
• Quincy Jones – musician
• S. T. Joshi – literary critic and editor
• Michael Kinsley – journalist
• Sascha Konietzko - founder and frontman of KMFDM
• Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins – creators of Penny Arcade
• Jayne Ann Krentz – romance novelist
• Jon Krakauer - author
• Gary Larson - comic strip artist (the Far Side)
• Paul B. Lowney - author
• Jason Lutes - cartoonist
• Kyle MacLachlan – actor
• Dave Matthews – musician
• Mike McCready – lead guitarist of Pearl Jam
• Jim McDermott – congressman
• Rose McGowan – actress
• Joel McHale - host The Soup on E!
• Patrick Monahan - lead singer of the band Train
• Marni Nixon – musician
• Wyatt Fehlhaber - Professional Skateboarder
• Krist Novoselic – bassist of Nirvana
• Bill Nye – "Science Guy", actor, comedian
• Yuji Okumoto - actor The Karate Kid, Part II and Real Genius, owner of Kona Kitchen
• Susan Powter - motivational speaker, dietitian, personal trainer and author
• Jeff Probst - host of TV show Survivor
• Jonathan Raban – author
• John Ratzenberger - actor 'Cheers'
• Ron Reagan - radio talk host
• Gary Ridgway - serial killer
• John Linton Roberson - cartoonist & illustrator
• Tom Robbins – author
• Don Roff - writer and filmmaker
• Ryan Rowland-Smith - Seattle Mariners pitcher
• Ann Rule – true crime author
• Bill Russell - retired Hall of Fame basketball player
• Dan Savage – advice columnist
• Howard Schultz - chairman of Starbucks
• Ross Shafer – comedian and television host
• Tom Skerritt – actor
• Alex Steffen - award-winning author and editor
• Neal Stephenson – science-fiction author
• Mack Strong - Retired Seattle Seahawks Fullback 1993-2007
• Ichiro Suzuki - Seattle Mariners baseball player
• Robert Swift - Former Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder center
• Geoff Tate - lead singer of Queensrÿche
• Lauren Tewes – actress
• Earnest James Ujaama – community activist and indicted associate of al-Qaeda
• Eddie Vedder – lead singer of Pearl Jam
• Ann Wilson - lead singer and flute player of Heart
• Jim Woodring – comic book author and artist
• Jenni Hogan - KIRO-TV Traffic Anchor
• John Nelson - CBS Radio - Radio Peronality

Deceased

• Bill Boeing - aviation pioneer, industrialist
• Ted Bundy – serial killer
• Octavia Butler – author
• James E. Casey – United Parcel Service founder
• Ray Charles – musician
• Charlie Chong - political activist
• Kurt Cobain – musician
• Frantz Hunt Coe - educator
• James Doohan – actor; Mr. Scott on Star Trek
• Ford Quint Elvidge - governor of Guam
• Kate Fleming – audio book narrator (voice-over actor) and producer
• Carl F. Gould - architect, educator
• Alex Haley - African American writer
• Anna Roosevelt Halsted - journalist, daughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Mitch Hedberg – comedian
• Frank Herbert – author
• George H. Hitchings – scientist
• Edward Sturgis Ingraham – first superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools and mountaineer
• Jacob Lawrence – painter
• Brandon Lee – actor
• Bruce Lee – actor
• Betty MacDonald – author
• Helene Madison - 3 gold medals at 1932 Olympic games
• Asa Shinn Mercer – the man behind the Mercer Girls, a model for the TV series Here Come the Brides
• Robert Moran - shipbuilder
• Alexander Pantages – theatrical entrepreneur
• Lionel Pries - architect, educator
• Theodore Roethke – poet
• Zola Helen Ross – author
• James Willis Sayre – theatre critic, journalist, arts promoter, and historian
• Jeff Smith – TV chef and author
• Layne Staley – musician
• Henry Suzzallo – president of the University of Washington (1915–1926)
• August Wilson – playwright
• Mia Zapata – musician

Native athletes

• Shaun Bodiford - NFL WR Federal Way High School
• Aaron Brooks - NBA PG Franklin High School
• Nate Burleson - NFL WR O'Dea High School
• Kevin Burleson - NBA PG O'Dea High School
• Jesse Chatman - NFL RB Franklin High School
• Doug Christie - NBA SG Rainier Beach High School
• Will Conroy - NBA PG Garfield (Seattle)
• Fred Couples - PGA O'Dea High School
• Chester Simmons - NBA PG Garfield (Seattle)
• Jamal Crawford - NBA SG Rainier Beach High School
• Michael Dickerson - NBA SF Federal Way High School
• Corey Dillon - NFL RB Franklin High School
• James Edwards - NBA PF Roosevelt High School
• C. J. Giles - NBA PF Rainier Beach High School
• Charlie Greene – USATF Olympian/Track & Field Hall of Fame O'Dea High School
• Spencer Hawes – NBA C Seattle Prep
• Phil Heath - 2nd World Ranked IFBB Professional bodybuilder
• Earl Johnson - Major League Baseball P Ballard High School
• Taylor Mays – NFL S O'Dea High School
• Hugh Millen - NFL QB Roosevelt High School
• Nate Robinson - NBA PG Rainier Beach High School
• Brandon Roy - NBA SF Garfield (Seattle)
• Brian Scalabrine - NBA C Enumclaw High School
• Isaiah Stanback - NFL WR Garfield (Seattle)
• Rodney Stuckey - NBA SG Kentwood High School
• Jason Terry – NBA PG Franklin High School
• Martell Webster - NBA SG Seattle Prep
• Marcus Williams - NBA SF Roosevelt High School
• Marvin Williams - NBA SF Bremerton High School
• Terrence Williams - NBA SF Rainier Beach High School

Musical groups

• Abney Park, steampunk band: formerly goth.
• Aiden, rock band (Emo)
• Alice in Chains, rock band (Grunge)
• Anomie Belle, electronic
• Band of Horses, previously known as Horses, indie rock band
• The Blood Brothers, (Emo)
• Blue Scholars, hip-hop
• Brite Futures, indie pop
• The Brothers Four, folksingers
• The Classic Crime, alternative band
• Common Market (band), hip-hop
• Dave Matthews Band (originated in Charlottesville, Virginia)
• DJ Scene - Producer, Disc Jockey
• Death Cab for Cutie, alternative band
• Demon hunter, metal band
• Fleet Foxes, indie rock band
• Foo Fighters, rock band
• The Gits, rock band
• Grand Archives, alternative rock band
• Green River, rock band (Grunge)
• Harvey Danger, alternative band
• The Head and the Heart, indie rock band
• Heart, rock band
• Himsa, Metalcore band
• Ivan & Alyosha, Pop Rock band
• Jake One, hip-hop producer
• Jimi Hendrix, guitarist
• KMFDM, industrial band
• Macklemore, hip-hop/rap
• Metal Church, metal band
• Minus the Bear, alternative rock band
• Modest 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 band
• Nirvana, rock band (Grunge)
• Pearl Jam, rock band (Grunge)
• Pedro the Lion, indie rock band
• Pickwick, indie rock band
• The Postal Service, indietronic band
• Presidents of the United States of America, rock band
• Queensrÿche, metal band (from nearby Bellevue)
• Quincy Jones, jazz musician
• Sinai 48, rock band that includes the former members of Buckingham Nicks
• Sir Mix-a-Lot, hip-hop
• Slicing Grandpa, experimental rock
• Soundgarden, rock band (Grunge)
• Smoosh, alternative pop band
• Sunn O))), Doom metal band
• Trial, Political straightedge band
• Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, indie rock/pop band
• Ugly Casanova, indie rock band featuring main member Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse (from nearby Issaquah, Washington)
• Vendetta Red rock band
• The Ventures, surf band
• He Is We, indie pop
• WIZDUMB, Indie hip hop

Seattle in fiction

• Take On Helicopters (2011), a helicopter game for the PC developed by Bohemia Interactive
• World in Conflict, an alternate-history 2007 game for the PC which the USSR invades the United States
• Doonesbury, widely syndicated cartoon strip featuring numerous characters of which many live in Seattle, including Mike Doonesbury, Alex Doonesbury, Daisy 'The Widow' Doonesbury, Kim Rosenthal, J.J., Zeke Brenner, and Bernie
• Gordon Freeman, Half-Life game series for the PC, Xbox
• Here Come the Brides (1968–1970) television series
• Carl Kolchak in the 1973 TV movie The Night Stalker
• McQ, 1974 movie, featuring John Wayne
• Scorchy, 1976 movie, featuring Connie Stevens
• Disclosure, 1994 movie, featuring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore
• WarGames, 1983 movie, starring Matthew Broderick
• An Officer and a Gentleman, 1982 movie, featuring Richard Gere and Debra Winger
• Harry and the Hendersons (1987), movie comedy featuring John Lithgow and Don Ameche
• The Fabulous Baker Boys, 1989 movie
• Say Anything..., 1989 movie, featuring John Cusack
• The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, 1992 movie, starring Rebecca De Mornay
• Black Widow, 1987 movie, starring Debra Winger and Theresa Russell
• Singles, 1992 movie, directed by Cameron Crowe, featuring Bridget Fonda and Matt Dillon
• American Heart, 1992 movie, featuring Jeff Bridges and Edward Furlong
• Runaway, 1984 movie, starring Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons
• Shadowrun, 1993 video game for Super NES
• Frasier (1993–2004), Emmy award-winning US television sitcom featuring Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane and David Hyde Pierce as his brother, Dr. Niles Crane
• Sleepless in Seattle, 1993 movie featuring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks
• Excess Baggage, 1997 movie, featuring Alicia Silverstone and Benicio Del Toro
• Mad Love, 1995 movie, featuring Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell
• Fear, 1996 movie, featuring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon
• Millennium (1996–1999) television series, featuring Lance Henriksen and Megan Gallagher
• Get Carter, 2000 movie, remake of the 1971 film starring Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke
• 10 Things I Hate about You, 1999 movie, featuring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger
• Life or Something Like It, 2002 movie, featuring Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns
• Double Jeopardy, 1999 movie, featuring Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd
• 88 Minutes, 2007 movie, featuring Al Pacino
• Dark Angel (2000–2002) cyberpunk, science fiction television series, created by James Cameron and starring Jessica Alba
• Assassins, 1995 movie, starring Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas
• Battle in Seattle, 2007 movie, featuring Ray Liotta and Charlize Theron
• The Ring, 2002 movie, featuring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson
• John Doe (2002–2003), television sci-fi featuring Dominic Purcell
• Hideaway, 1995 movie, starring Jeff Goldblum and Jeremy Sisto
• A Guy Thing, 2003 movie, starring Julia Stiles, Jason Lee, Selma Blair
• Saving Silverman, 2001 movie, starring Jason Biggs and Jack Black
• Agent Cody Banks, 2003 movie, featuring Frankie Muniz and Hilary Duff
• Lucky 7, 2003 Made for TV movie, featuring Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Patrick Dempsey
• The Vanishing, 1993 movie, featuring Kiefer Sutherland and Jeff Bridges
• Dead Like Me, (2003–2004) Showtime comedy, featuring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin
• Grey's Anatomy (2004-), television drama, featuring Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh
• The 4400, (2004-), television sci-fi
• Firewall, 2006 movie, starring Harrison Ford
• Kyle XY, (2006-), television abc family
• iCarly, (2007-), television series, Nickelodeon, created by Dan Schneider and starring Miranda Cosgrove
• The Last Mimzy, 2007 movie
• Antichrist, 2009 movie, featuring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg
• The Stepfather, 1987 movie, starring Terry O'Quinn
• Reaper (TV series) (2007–2009), comedy
• Chasing Sleep, 2000 movie, starring Jeff Daniels
• World's Greatest Dad, 2009 movie, starring Robin Williams
• Love Happens, 2009 movie, starring Jennifer Aniston

*"Chronicle", 2012 movie, featuring Dane DeHaan and Michael B. Jordan