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 current or former Seattle residents.
Born in Seattle
Living
- Paul Allen – co-founder of Microsoft
- Lynda Barry – cartoonist
- William Bolcom – composer
- Stan Boreson – comedian
- Carrie Brownstein – musician, member of Sleater-Kinney
- Linda B. Buck – scientist
- Arthur Alan Burrington Junior - Athlete
- Carol Channing – actress
- Art Chantry – graphic designer
- Erika Christensen – actress
- Judy Collins – folk singer
- Jamal Crawford - athlete basketball player
- Robert Cray – musician
- Gail Devers – athlete
- Jennifer Dunn – politician
- Linda Evans – actress lives in Tenino
- Anna Faris – actress
- WiL Francis – lead singer of Seattle band, Aiden
- Kenny G – musician
- Bill Gates – co-founder of Microsoft
- Richard F. Gordon, Jr. – astronaut
- Tom Gorman - tennis player
- Stone Gossard – rhythm guitarist of Pearl Jam
- David Guterson – author
- Ed Guthman – journalist
- Spencer Hawes – basketball player at the University of Washington
- Brian Herbert – author
- Leann Hunley – actress
- Jay Inslee – politician
- Richard Karn – television actor
- Nik Keating - television actor
- Howard Leese – musician lives in Kent
- Jerry Lewis – politician
- Sherley MacCalin – actress lives in Tenino
- Kevin McCarthy – actor
- Duff McKagan – bassist with Guns N' Roses
- Steve Miller – musician
- Sir Mix-a-Lot – rap musician
- Frank Murkowski- Polish-American politician, raised in Ketchikan, Alaska, 10th Governor of Alaska
- Mark O'Connor – country violinist (also performs in other musical genres)
- Apolo Anton Ohno – Olympic speed skating competitor
- John Olerud – professional baseball player
- Stacie Orrico – pop singer
- Stephen S. Oswald – astronaut
- Nate Robinson - athlete basketball player
- Lorenzo Romar – basketball coach at the University of Washington
- Ron Santo – former professional baseball player
- Jean Smart - actress
- Rielly M. Smith – musician, member of New Huevos
- Peter Steinbrueck – politician
- Ryan Stiles – comedian
- Jen Taylor - video game voice actress
- Jason Terry – NBA point guard
- Rachel Trachtenburg – drummer, member of The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
- Jennifer Warnes – singer and songwriter
- Ann Wilson – musician, lead singer of Heart
- Lynn Woolsey – politician
- Austen Brown - musician
- Max Nafziger - video game voice actor
- Isabel Brown - speed racer
Dead
- Paul Jacob Alexander – newspaper publisher and Seattle City Councilman
- Bob Bartlett – politician
- Max Brand – author (pen name)
- Barbara Berjer – television actress
- Bill Boeing - avation pioneer, industrialist
- Chester Carlson – physicist and inventor
- Frances Farmer – actress
- Keith Godchaux – musician
- Alex Haley - African American writer
- Jimi Hendrix – rock musician
- Gypsy Rose Lee – actress and burlesque star
- Mary McCarthy - author, critic and social activist
- Margaret Murie – environmentalist
- Jinny Osborn of the musical group The Chordettes
- Robert Stroud – the "Birdman of Alcatraz"
- Minoru Yamasaki – architect
Moved to Seattle
Living
- Sherman Alexie – author
- Jeff Ament – bassist of Pearl Jam
- Fred Beckey – mountaineer [died November 2006]
- Josie Bissett – actress, wife of Rob Estes
- Jeff Borowiak - tennis player
- Terry Brooks – author
- Edward Knechtel – Graphic Designer
- Peter Buck – musician in R.E.M.
- Neko Case – musician
- Dale Chihuly – artist
- Matt Cameron – drummer of Pearl Jam
- Cameron Crowe – writer and director
- Rob Estes – actor
- Neile Graham – poet
- Nicola Griffith – author
- Dave Grohl – drummer of Nirvana
- Leland H. Hartwell – Nobel Prize winner
- Tom Hulce – actor in 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
- Leah LaBelle – singer
- Gary Larson – cartoonist
- Kyle MacLachlan – actor
- Dave Matthews – musician
- Mike McCready – lead guitarist of Pearl Jam
- Jim McDermott – congressman
- Rose McGowan – actress
- Marni Nixon – musician
- Kris Novoselic – bassist of Nirvana
- Bill Nye – science guy
- J. P. Patches – TV star clown
- Samuel Gamboa Potter – actor tv producer Action Outdoors TV
- Jeff Probst Survivor (Host)
- Jonathan Raban – author
- Gary Ridgway -- serial killer
- Tom Robbins – author
- Ann Rule – true crime author
- Dan Savage – advice columnist
- Howard Schultz - chairman of Starbucks
- Tom Skerritt – actor
- Neal Stephenson – author
- Lauren Tewes – actress
- Earnest James Ujaama – community activist and indicted associate of al-Qaeda
- Eddie Vedder – lead singer of Pearl Jam
- Jim Woodring – comic book author and artist
Dead
- Ted Bundy – serial killer
- Octavia Butler – author
- James E. Casey – United Parcel Service founder
- Ray Charles – musician
- Kurt Cobain – musician
- James Doohan – actor (1920-2005)
- Kate Fleming – audio book narrator (voice-over actor) and producer
- 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
- Theodore Roethke – poet
- 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
Musical groups
- Alice in Chains, rock band (Grunge)
- Aiden, rock band
- The Brothers Four, folksingers
- Foo Fighters, rock band
- The Gits, rock band
- Green River, rock band (Grunge)
- Death Cab for Cutie, alternative band
- Harvey Danger, alternative band
- Heart, rock band
- Himsa, Metalcore band
- KMFDM, industrial band
- Minus the Bear, alternative rock band
- Mother Love Bone, rock band (Grunge)
- Nevermore, metal band
- Nirvana, rock band (Grunge)
- Pearl Jam, rock band (Grunge)
- Pedro the Lion, indie rock band
- Queensrÿche, metal band
- The Postal Service, indietronic band
- Presidents of the United States of America, rock band
- Soundgarden, rock band (Grunge)
- Smoosh, alternative pop band
- The Ventures, surf band
Fictional Seattleites
- Frasier (1993-2004), television sitcom featuring Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce
- Harry and the Hendersons (1987), movie comedy featuring John Lithgow and Don Ameche
- John Doe (2002-2003), television sci-fi featuring Dominic Purcell
- Grey's Anatomy (2004-), television drama, featuring Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh
- Sleepless in Seattle, 1993 movie featuring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks
- Dead Like Me, (2003-2004) Showtime comedy, featuring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin
- The Ring, 2002 movie, featuring Naomi Watts
- The 4400, (2004-), television sci-fi
- The Fabulous Baker Boys, 1989 movie
- Here Come the Brides (1968-1970) television series
- McQ, 1974 movie, featuring John Wayne
- Say Anything..., 1989 movie
- 10 Things I Hate about You, movie, featuring Julia Stiles
- Scorchy, 1976 movie, featuring Connie Stevens
- Shadowrun, 1993 video game for Super NES
- Millennium (1996-1999) television series, featuring Lance Henriksen and Megan Gallagher
- Mad Love, 1995 movie, featuring Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell
- Singles, 1995 movie, directed by Cameron Crowe
- Double Jeopardy, 1999 movie, featuring Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd
- Kyle Xy, (2006-), television abc family
- Dark Angel (2000 – 2002) cyberpunk, science fiction television series, created by James Cameron and starring Jessica Alba