List of people from Oakland, California

This is a list of people from Oakland, California, people born in Oakland or who lived in Oakland for a significant time.

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Entertainment

• Mahershalalhashbaz Ali – actor
• Eddie Anderson – actor
• Max Baer, Jr. – actor, film director
• Jessica Bangkok, pornographic film actress
• Pamela Blake – actress
• True Boardman – silent film actor
• David Carradine – actor
• Connie Cezon – actress
• Buster Crabbe – actor
• T. D. Crittenden – silent film actor
• Robert Culp – actor
• Mark Curry – actor/comedian
• Walter DeLeon – screenwriter
• Rockmond Dunbar – actor, mixed-media artist
• Michael Earl – puppeteer who characterized Mr. Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street
• Clint Eastwood – actor, Academy Award-winning film producer and director
• Lyndsy Fonseca – actress
• Sylvia Gerrish musical comedy and light opera
• Sumner Getchell – actor
• Michael A. Goorjian – actor and filmmaker
• R. Henry Grey – silent film actor
• Khamani Griffin – child actor
• Mark Hamill – actor
• Tom Hanks – Academy Award-winning actor, raised in Oakland
• Russell Hornsby – actor
• Susan Seaforth Hayes – actor
• Joseph Jackson – talent manager
• Moshe Kasher – comedian, actor, and author/writer; raised in Oakland
• Joe Knowland, newspaper publisher, actor
• Ted Lange – actor
• Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee) – actor, born in Oakland
• Bruce Lee – actor, martial artist
• Nnegest Likké – film director
• Caryl Lincoln – actress
• Dakin Matthews – actor
• Russ Meyer – film director
• Jefferson Moffitt – screenwriter, film director
• Shemar Moore – actor, model
• Mitch Mullany – actor
• Roger Nichols – recording engineer
• Laura Oakley – silent film actress
• Dorothy Revier – silent film actress, dancer
• Cherie Roberts – adult model, photographer
• Kellita Smith – actress and model
• George Stevens – Academy Award-winning film director
• Ethel Grey Terry – silent film actress
• Jo Van Fleet – actor
• Mills Watson – actor
• Will Wright – game designer credited with SimCity and The Sims
• Daniel Wu – actor
• Zendaya – actress

Artists and designers

• Garry Knox Bennett – woodworker, metalworker, furniture maker, artist
• Warrington Colescott, artist and educator
• Henry Doane – landscape painter, commercial artist
• Roger C. Field – industrial designer, graduated from California College of the Arts
• Walter J. Mathews – architect, designed the First Unitarian Church of Oakland
• Bernard Maybeck – architect
• Julia Morgan – architect, raised and buried in Oakland
• Willis O'Brien – animator
• Nathan Oliveira – painter, printmaker, sculptor, professor
• Lisa Quinn – artist, author, designer
• Galen Rowell – photographer
• Wendy Yoshimura – artist
• J. Otto Seibold, artist, illustrator, author

Athletes

• Zack Andrews – baseball player^{[citation needed]}
• Drew Barry – basketball player
• Jon Barry – basketball player, television sports analyst
• Charlie Beamon – baseball pitcher
• Charlie Beamon, Jr. – baseball first baseman and designated hitter^{[citation needed]}
• Davone Bess – football player
• Will Blackwell – football player
• Marlin Briscoe – football player
• John Brodie – football player, sportscaster
• Don Budge – tennis player^{[citation needed]}
• Glenn Burke – baseball player
• Ray Crouse – football player
• Antonio Davis – basketball player
• Steve DeBerg – football quarterback
• Forey Duckett – football player
• Dennis Eckersley – baseball player
• Manny Fernandez – football defensive lineman
• Eric Fernsten – basketball player NBA, CBA, and Europe
• Greg Foster – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland
• La Vel Freeman – baseball player
• Brad Gilbert, former tennis player and tennis coach
• Drew Gooden – basketball player
• Roger Harding – football player
• Rickey Henderson – baseball player
• Steve Hosey – baseball player
• Al Hrabosky also known as the "Mad Hungarian" – baseball pitcher, color commentator
• Brian Johnson – baseball player
• Maurice Jones-Drew – football player
• Robert Jordan – football player
• Bobby Kemp – football safety
• Jason Kidd – basketball player, raised in Oakland
• Tony Lema – golfer
• Bill Lester – professional racer and former NASCAR driver
• Damian Lillard – basketball player
• Ernie Lombardi – baseball catcher and Hall of Famer
• Cookie Lavagetto – baseball third baseman, manager, coach
• Terrell Lowery – baseball player
• Lorenzo Lynch – retired football player
• Marshawn Lynch – football player
• Eddie McGah – baseball catcher, minority owner of the Oakland Raiders
• Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell – streetball player, convicted for armed robbery
• Joe Morgan – baseball player
• Kirk Morrison – football player
• Mike Norris – baseball player
• Gary Payton – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland
• Gary Pettis – baseball center fielder and coach
• Paul Pierce – basketball player
• Vada Pinson – baseball center fielder and coach
• Jim Pollard - Basketball player
• Leon Powe – basketball player
• John Ralston – football linebacker and coach
• Isiah Rider – basketball player
• Chris Roberson – baseball player
• Frank Robinson – baseball player
• Jimmy Rollins – baseball player
• Bill Russell – basketball player
• Luis Scott-Vargas – Magic: the Gathering player
• Brian Shaw – basketball player
• Paul Silas, basketball player
• Fred Silva – football official
• Marvel Smith – football player
• Dave Stewart – baseball player
• John Sutro – football player
• Ron Theobald – baseball player
• Jim Tobin – baseball pitcher
• Marviel Underwood – football player
• Xavier Vigney – kickboxer
• Langston Walker – football player
• Andre Ward – boxer^{[citation needed]}
• George Wells – professional wrestler
• Bill Werle – left-handed baseball pitcher
• Archie Williams – runner^{[citation needed]}
• Dontrelle Willis – baseball player

Leaders (activists and politicians)

• Richard Aoki – activist
• William P. Baker – politician
• Sonny Barger – founder of the Hells Angels motorcycle club
• Henry G. Blasdel, first Governor of Nevada; resident of Oakland.
• Jerry Brown – politician, former governor of California and mayor of Oakland
• Albert E. Carter – politician
• Frank Chu – eccentric street protester
• William Clark, Jr. – diplomat, ambassador
• Angela Davis – activist, former member of the Black Panther Party
• C. L. Dellums – organizer and leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
• Ron Dellums – politician, former U.S. Congressman and Representative, mayor of Oakland
• Warren B. English – Confederate war veteran, politician, realtor
• Heather Fargo – politician, mayor of Sacramento, California
• Marcus Foster – educator, the first African-American Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District
• Elihu Harris – politician, former mayor of Oakland
• Kamala Harris – politician, the first African-American Female Attorney General for State of California, Former District Attorney for San Francisco,
• Fred Korematsu – Japanese-American who fought forced internment, testing the law in Korematsu v. United States
• Joseph R. Knowland – former U.S. Representative and former owner of the Oakland Tribune, cremated in Oakland
• William F. Knowland – former U.S. Senator
• Barbara Lee – U.S. Representative
• Charles Goodall Lee – dentist, civic leader, benefactor of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance
• Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee – activist, first Chinese-American woman voter in the U.S.
• Richard Lee – horticulturist, activist for the legalization of marijuana
• Joseph McKenna – former Congressman, Justice 9th US Circuit, Attorney General and Associate Justice US Supreme Court.
• Edwin Meese III – former United States Attorney General
• Victor H. Metcalf – politician, attorney, banker
• Jessica Mitford – writer, activist, former Communist
• Paul Montauk – Communist politician and two-time candidate for Oakland mayor
• Anca Mosoiu – technology activist
• Nancy Nadel – member of the Oakland City Council
• Huey P. Newton – activist, co-founder of the Black Panther Party
• Andrew Nisbet, Jr. – Member of the Washington House of Representatives and United States Army officer
• Pat Parker – black lesbian poet and activist
• Ed Rosenthal – horticulturist, publisher, activist for the legalization of marijuana
• John A. Russo – Oakland city attorney, former city councilman
• Bobby Seale – activist, co-founder of the Black Panther Party
• Robert Treuhaft – activist for labor and leftist causes, attorney, writer
• Charles Stetson Wheeler – attorney, Regent of the University of California
• Lionel J. Wilson – politician, first African-American mayor of Oakland
• Mother Wright – anti-hunger activist
• Earl Warren – Assistant Attorney City of Oakland, District Attorney of Alameda County, Attorney General of California, Governor of California & US Supreme Court Chief Justice

Military

• Bud Anderson – USAF (served 1942-1972) fighter pilot and commander, a triple ace who retired at the rank of colonel
• Jeremiah C. Sullivan – American Civil War general in the Union Army and staff member of Ulysses S. Grant, buried in Oakland
• Russell O'Brien – American Civil War veteran, started the custom of standing and removing one's hat during the National anthem, buried in Oakland

Musicians, composers and dancers

• 3XKrazy – male rap group
• Billie Joe Armstrong – musician, lead vocalist for rock band Green Day
• Tim Armstrong – musician
• Ant Banks – rapper, producer
• Gaylord Birch – musician
• Carla Bley – composer, musician
• Cold Blood – rock, soul, jazz band
• Mike Botts – studio musician, drummer for rock band Bread
• Teena Marie BrockertThe Ivory Queen of Soul – R&B singer
• Chris Broderick – musician, lead guitarist for heavy metal band Megadeth
• Peter Buck – musician, guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band R.E.M.
• Emilio Castillo – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
• Mike Clark – musician
• Keyshia Cole – Grammy Award-nominated R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, born and raised in Oakland
• Del tha Funkee Homosapien – musician
• Digital Underground – rap group
• Dru Down – rapper
• Rose Ann Dimalanta – musician
• Mike Dirnt – musician, bassist for rock band Green Day
• Mac Dre – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in Vallejo
• Isadora Duncan – dancer
• E-A-Ski – rapper, record producer
• En Vogue – Grammy Award-nominated female R&B singing group, originated from Oakland in 1990
• Pete Escovedo – musician, born in Oakland
• Sheila E. – drummer, born in Oakland
• Robb Flynn – musician best known as lead guitarist and vocalist for Machine Head
• Michael Franti – musician
• Fred Frith – improvisational musician, guitarist, composer, professor of music
• Nils Frykdahl - musician, founding member of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Idiot Flesh
• David Garibaldi – musician, member of Tower of Power
• Mic Gillette – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
• Goapele – soul and R&B singer
• Larry Graham – musician
• Jeff Hanneman – guitarist for rock band Slayer
• MC Hammer – musician, born in Oakland
• Shawn Harris – musician; former member of The Matches
• Davey Havok – musician, lead singer for AFI
• Edwin & Walter Hawkins - gospel singers
• Hieroglyphics – rap group, originated from Oakland
• Earl Hines – jazz pianist
• John Lee Hooker – musician
• Paul Jackson – musician
• Arion Salazar – musician in Third Eye Blind
• Henry Kaiser – musician, grandson of Henry J. Kaiser
• Keak da Sneak – musician
• Kid 606 – musician
• Sharon Knight – Celtic musician, founding member of pagan rock band Pandemonaeon
• Kreayshawn – rapper
• Stephen "Doc" Kupka – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
• Kwik Way – punk rock band
• LaToya London – singer; born in San Francisco, raised in Oakland
• MC Lars – rapper; post-punk laptop rap
• Pep Love – rapper
• The Lovemakers – pop band
• The Luniz – Grammy Award-nominated rap duo
• Michael Manring – bassist, born in D.C, lives in Oakland
• Tony Martin – singer, actor
• Dave Meniketti – rock musician; born and raised in Oakland; lead singer/lead guitarist for Y&T
• Seagram Miller – rapper
• Mistah F.A.B. – rapper
• David Murray – musician
• Andy Narell – musician, lived in Oakland in the 1960s
• Holly Near – singer, teacher, activist
• Numskull – rapper
• Ray Obiedo – musician
• Marty Paich – pianist, composer, arranger, producer, director, conductor
• Harry Partch – composer
• Phesto – rapper, producer
• Matt Pike – guitarist of Sleep and High on Fire
• The Pointer Sisters – Grammy Award-winning R&B singing group
• Pooh-Man – rapper
• Richie Rich – rapper
• Francis Rocco Prestia – musician
• Perri "Pebbles" Reid – singer-songwriter, manager of TLC
• Cynthia Robinson – musician
• Raphael Saadiq – musician
• Pharoah Sanders – musician
• Timothy B. Schmit – rock musician, bassist for the Eagles
• Sharon Shore – ballet dancer, model
• Dave Smallen – musician, lead vocalist of Street to Nowhere
• Jason Cropper – original band member of Weezer
• J. Stalin – rapper, co-founder of Livewire Records
• Shakir Stewart – record producer, Senior Vice President of Island Def Jam Music Group
• Bill Summers – musician
• The Team – rap group
• Too Short – rapper, born in Los Angeles, lived in Oakland from 1980 to 1994
• Tony! Toni! Toné! – male R&B singing group
• Tupac Shakur – rapper, songwriter, poet, actor, activist, lived in Oakland from 1988 to 1991
• Freddie Stone – musician
• Rose Stone – musician
• R. Prophet – rapper, former member of Nappy Roots
• San Quinn – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in San Francisco
• Shock G – rapper
• Sly Stone – musician
• Souls of Mischief – rap group
• Calvin E. Simmons – symphony orchestra conductor, namesake of Calvin Simmons Theatre, born in San Francisco
• Steady Mobb'n – rap duo
• Bill Summers – musician
• Tower of Power – band; formed and based in Oakland
• Tre Cool – musician, drummer for rock band Green Day
• Tune-Yards – indie; afro-funk
• Weasel Walter – progressive rock and free jazz musician/composer
• Freddie Washington – musician
• Lenny Williams – musician, early member of Tower of Power
• Yukmouth – rapper
• Y&T – rock band; formed in Oakland 1974
• Zendaya – singer and dancer
• Jim Martin – ex-guitarist for rock band Faith no More

Industrialists

• Anthony Chabot – entrepreneur, father of hydraulic mining, namesake of Chabot Space & Science Center, Lake Chabot, and Chabot College, buried in Oakland
• Charles Crocker – railroad tycoon, buried in Oakland
• Debbi Fields – entrepreneur, founder of Mrs. Fields cookies
• Domingo Ghirardelli – founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company based in San Francisco, buried in Oakland
• Ken Hofmann – former owner of the Oakland Athletics
• Henry J. Kaiser – entrepreneur, businessman, founder of Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser Family Foundation, buried in Oakland
• Ed Shea, Sr., housing developer, built the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge and the Caldecott Tunnel, lived in Oakland for years.
• Francis Marion Smith also known as "Borax" Smith – miner, business magnate

Physicians

• Samuel Merritt – practiced in San Francisco, namesake of Merritt College, Merritt Hospital, and Lake Merritt, buried in Oakland

Religious leaders

• David Berg – controversial cult leader, founder of Children of God
• Yusuf Bey – controversial Black Muslim activist, indicted for child rape
• Mose Durst – author, educator, former president of the Unification Church
• James Ishmael Ford – Zen Buddhist priest and Unitarian Universalist minister
• Ray Frank – female Jewish leader
• Judah Leon Magnes – prominent Reform rabbi
• Carol Anne O'Marie – Roman Catholic nun, mystery fiction writer
• Bebe Patten – evangelist and founder of Patten University
• Clarence Richard Silva – Catholic bishop from Oakland, current Bishop of Honolulu
• Richard B. Stamps – anthropologist, archeologist, president of the Taipei Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
• Allen Henry Vigneron – Catholic bishop, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland

Scientists and inventors

• Fernando J. Corbató – computer scientist
• Frederick Cottrell – inventor
• Kim Eric Drexler – engineer, molecular nanotechnology theorist
• Frank Epperson – popsicle inventor
• Alexei Filippenko – astrophysicist, professor of astronomy
• Ansel Franklin Hall – first park naturalist for Yosemite National Park, first Chief Forester for the National Park Service
• Stanley Miller – chemist

Writers and poets

Author Maxine Hong Kingston

• Daniel Alarcon – writer, currently resides in Oakland
• Catherine Asaro – writer
• Chauncey Bailey – journalist assassinated by an agent of Your Black Muslim Bakery
• Delilah L. Beasley – first African-American columnist to be published in a major newspaper
• Anthony Boucher – writer
• Garrett Caples – poet, writer
• Jon Carroll – columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle
• Frank Chin – writer
• Daniel Clowes – comic book writer, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, currently resides in Oakland
• Robert Duncan – poet
• Robert Harvey – literary theorist, born in Oakland
• Bruce Henderson – author, born in Oakland
• Maxine Hong Kingston – writer, currently resides in Oakland
• Daedalus Howell – writer, currently resides in Oakland.
• Sidney Howard – Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Academy Award-winning screenwriter
• Jack London – writer, raised in Oakland, namesake of Jack London Square
• Rod McKuen – poet, composer, singer
• Joaquin Miller – poet, lived in Oakland from 1886–1913
• Jessica Mitford – author
• Jess Mowry – writer
• Frank Norris – author, buried in Oakland
• Ishmael Reed – writer, currently resides in Oakland
• Mary Roach – science writer, currently resides in Oakland
• William Saroyan – dramatist, author, lived in Oakland from 1913-1918
• Jason Shiga – author, cartoonist, puzzle designer
• Jan Steckel – poet, writer, bisexual activist
• Alex Steffen – writer, born in Oakland
• Gertrude Stein – writer
• Amy Tan – writer, born in Oakland
• Nellie Wong – poet and activist, born in Oakland
• Shawn Wong – writer, English professor
• Helen Zia – writer, journalist, and activist, currently resides in Oakland

Criminals

• Felix Mitchell – notorious drug lord and gang leader of the 1970s and early 1980s
• Hans Reiser – computer programmer, owner of Namesys, convicted of murdering his wife

See also

• List of mayors of Oakland, California