42.3449° N, 71.0753° W

BOSTON

Most Famous People Born in Boston, United States

Notable people
3,663
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1926
Most distinctive
Novelist 3.5×

America's oldest civic intelligentsia. Boston's notables are unusually concentrated in the 1700s and 1800s by American standards, and the distinctive shelves still read like a Yankee almanac — novelists, lawyers, military officers, mathematicians, and diplomats, the trades of a city where Harvard, the State House, and the Old North Church share a few square miles. The modern half tilts more conventionally toward Red Sox baseball, actors, and a deep college-bred music scene.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Boston during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 348 notable births.

What Boston Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Boston's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (314).

Boston over-indexes on novelist3.5× the global rate.

Boston under-produces football — only 0.2× the global rate.

  1. Actor314
  2. Politician312
  3. Writer149
  4. Lawyer135
  5. Baseball110
  6. Painter106
  7. Music102
  8. Football87
  1. Novelist503.5×
  2. Baseball1102.6×
  3. Officer632.6×
  4. Mathematician452.5×
  5. Lawyer1352.1×
  6. Music1021.9×
  7. Diplomat371.7×
  8. Actor3141.6×
  1. Football870.2×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Boston's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other
Actor314
Sort By

Showing 314 of 3,663 notable people

0003 ACTOR

Leonard Nimoy

1931 - 2015

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0005 ACTOR

Uma Thurman

Born 1970

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0008 ACTOR

Mark Wahlberg

Born 1971

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0009 ACTOR

Edward Norton

Born 1969

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0012 ACTOR

Chris Evans (actor)

Born 1981

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0013 ACTOR

Allison Janney

Born 1959

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0015 ACTOR

James Spader

Born 1960

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0019 ACTOR

Ben Foster

Born 1980

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0024 ACTOR

Clark Gregg

Born 1962

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0026 ACTOR

James Remar

Born 1953

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0029 ACTOR

Connie Britton

Born 1967

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0031 ACTOR

Madeline Kahn

1942 - 1999

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0033 ACTOR

Jennifer Coolidge

Born 1961

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0034 ACTOR

Taylor Schilling

Born 1984

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0041 ACTOR

Alessandro Nivola

Born 1972

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0043 ACTOR

Colm Feore

Born 1958

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0044 ACTOR

Jane Alexander

Born 1939

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0046 ACTOR

Dane Cook

Born 1972

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0055 ACTOR

Daniela Ruah

Born 1983

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0060 ACTOR

Misha Collins

Born 1974

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0062 ACTOR

Jonathan Tucker

Born 1982

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0063 ACTOR

Jack Nance

1943 - 1996

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0065 ACTOR

Eve Torres

Born 1984

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0068 ACTOR

Jasmine Guy

Born 1962

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0069 ACTOR

Paul Guilfoyle

Born 1949

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0074 ACTOR

John Michael Higgins

Born 1963

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0082 ACTOR

Ari Graynor

Born 1983

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0086 ACTOR

Mary Carlisle

1914 - 2018

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0093 ACTOR

Mike O'Malley

Born 1966

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0094 ACTOR

Betty Field

1916 - 1973

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0096 ACTOR

T. J. Thyne

Born 1975

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0099 ACTOR

Kenny Wormald

Born 1984

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0101 ACTOR

Julia Jones

Born 1981

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0102 ACTOR

Scott Wolf

Born 1968

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0105 ACTOR

Nat Faxon

Born 1975

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0107 ACTOR

Anne Dudek

Born 1975

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0119 ACTOR

G Hannelius

Born 1998

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0126 ACTOR

Barry Newman

Born 1938

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0127 ACTOR

Uzo Aduba

Born 1981

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0134 ACTOR

Jamie Walters

Born 1969

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0135 ACTOR

Susan Cabot

1927 - 1986

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0136 ACTOR

Lillian Roth

1910 - 1980

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0144 ACTOR

Callie Thorne

Born 1969

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0145 ACTOR

Blanchard Ryan

Born 1967

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0150 ACTOR

Guinevere Turner

Born 1968

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0152 ACTOR

Richard Herd

1932 - 2020

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0158 ACTOR

Christine Elise

Born 1965

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0163 ACTOR

Kevin Chapman

Born 1962

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0165 ACTOR

Mario Cantone

Born 1959

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0166 ACTOR

Peggy Cass

1924 - 1999

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0174 ACTOR

Brian J. White

Born 1975

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0178 ACTOR

Sam Jones III

Born 1983

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0183 ACTOR

Ian Keith

1899 - 1960

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0186 ACTOR

George Wyner

Born 1945

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0194 ACTOR

Stephen Dunham

1964 - 2012

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0195 ACTOR

Peyton List (actress, born 1986)

Born 1986

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0204 ACTOR

Meshach Taylor

1947 - 2014

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0206 ACTOR

David Walton (actor)

Born 1978

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0207 ACTOR

John Schuck

Born 1940

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0210 ACTOR

Pauline Frederick

1883 - 1938

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0212 ACTOR

Dorothy Davenport

1895 - 1977

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0215 ACTOR

Jeremy Strong (actor)

Born 1978

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0216 ACTOR

Charlotte Cushman

1816 - 1876

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0228 ACTOR

Noah Bean

Born 1978

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0240 ACTOR

Ashley C. Williams

Born 1984

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0241 ACTOR

Michael Sheard

1938 - 2005

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0243 ACTOR

Romi Rain

Born 1988

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0245 ACTOR

Frankie Shaw

Born 1981

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0247 ACTOR

William Farnum

1876 - 1953

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0251 ACTOR

Vaughn Taylor (actor)

1910 - 1983

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0271 ACTOR

Beth Howland

1941 - 2015

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0276 ACTOR

Kenneth Harlan

1895 - 1967

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0279 ACTOR

Veda Ann Borg

1915 - 1973

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0283 ACTOR

Gary Conway

Born 1936

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0291 ACTOR

Michelle Thomas

1969 - 1998

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0292 ACTOR

Joseph Pilato

1949 - 2019

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0296 ACTOR

Christopher Allport

1947 - 2008

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0297 ACTOR

Mike McShane

Born 1955

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0302 ACTOR

Jerry Maren

1920 - 2018

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0306 ACTOR

Thurston Hall

1882 - 1958

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0308 ACTOR

Mark Frechette

1947 - 1975

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0312 ACTOR

Jack DeSena

Born 1987

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0320 ACTOR

Dorothy Loudon

1925 - 2003

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0323 ACTOR

Jeanie MacPherson

1887 - 1946

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0350 ACTOR

Frank Craven

1881 - 1945

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0360 ACTOR

John Enos III

Born 1962

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0362 ACTOR

Slaine (rapper)

Born 1977

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0368 ACTOR

Allen Hoskins

1920 - 1980

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0400 ACTOR

Franklyn Farnum

1878 - 1961

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0408 ACTOR

Fred F. Sears

1913 - 1957

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0415 ACTOR

Ryan Sypek

Born 1982

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0420 ACTOR

Eugene Roche

1928 - 2004

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0431 ACTOR

Natalie Trundy

1940 - 2019

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0441 ACTOR

Jennifer Dundas

Born 1971

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0449 ACTOR

Anne Twomey

Born 1951

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0450 ACTOR

Jane Cowl

1883 - 1950

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0451 ACTOR

Richard McGonagle

Born 1946

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0453 ACTOR

Jesse Heiman

Born 1978

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0455 ACTOR

Liam Waite

Born 1971

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0480 ACTOR

Katya Zamolodchikova

Born 1982

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0500 ACTOR

Tyler Faith

Born 1975

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0501 ACTOR

Kenny Delmar

1910 - 1984

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0504 ACTOR

Jack Burns

1933 - 2020

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0512 ACTOR

Patrick Renna

Born 1979

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0522 ACTOR

Lexi Love

Born 1980

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0529 ACTOR

Raymond Griffith

1895 - 1957

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0533 ACTOR

Regina Carrol

1943 - 1992

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0552 ACTOR

Martha Hackett

Born 1961

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0555 ACTOR

Jan Miner

1917 - 2004

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0557 ACTOR

Edith Fellows

1923 - 2011

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0561 ACTOR

Richard Rust

1938 - 1994

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0567 ACTOR

Hettienne Park

Born 1983

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0579 ACTOR

Dick Elliott

1886 - 1961

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0587 ACTOR

Roland Winters

1904 - 1989

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0594 ACTOR

Alison Folland

Born 1978

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0595 ACTOR

Tom Long (actor)

1968 - 2020

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0600 ACTOR

Barbara Mullen

1914 - 1979

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0604 ACTOR

Greg Poehler

Born 1974

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0610 ACTOR

Samantha Logan

Born 1996

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0622 ACTOR

Paul Comi

1932 - 2016

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0628 ACTOR

Aidan Mitchell

Born 1993

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0632 ACTOR

Allen Danziger

Born 1942

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0654 ACTOR

Hazel Tucker

Born 1989

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0664 ACTOR

Robert Wahlberg

Born 1967

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0673 ACTOR

Marianne Leone Cooper

Born 1952

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0687 ACTOR

Charles Sellon

1870 - 1937

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0688 ACTOR

Hiram Sherman

1908 - 1989

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0691 ACTOR

Lee Kinsolving

1938 - 1974

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0693 ACTOR

Julia Meade

1925 - 2016

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0697 ACTOR

Jennifer Jostyn

Born 1968

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0705 ACTOR

Nathaniel Carl Goodwin

1857 - 1919

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0709 ACTOR

Alexandra Lydon

Born 1979

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0732 ACTOR

Anne Nagel

1915 - 1966

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0735 ACTOR

Zack Norman

Born 1940

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0739 ACTOR

Dick Wesson (actor)

1922 - 1996

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0755 ACTOR

Lauren Koslow

Born 1953

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0764 ACTOR

William Stowell

1885 - 1919

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0766 ACTOR

Blanche Ring

1871 - 1961

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0789 ACTOR

Peter Haskell

1934 - 2010

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0810 ACTOR

Robert Kelly (comedian)

Born 1970

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0827 ACTOR

Stuart Milligan

Born 1953

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0833 ACTOR

Brian Goodman

Born 1963

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0834 ACTOR

Hillary B. Smith

Born 1957

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0840 ACTOR

Nate Dushku

Born 1977

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0841 ACTOR

Wanda D'Isidoro

Born 1977

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0854 ACTOR

William Morris (actor)

1861 - 1936

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0856 ACTOR

Erica Lindbeck

Born 1992

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0863 ACTOR

Peter Mackenzie

Born 1961

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0875 ACTOR

Richard France (writer)

Born 1938

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0886 ACTOR

Lois Ayres

Born 1963

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0907 ACTOR

Laura Duke Condominas

Born 1951

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0928 ACTOR

Priscilla Morrill

1927 - 1994

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0943 ACTOR

Richard Frank (actor)

1953 - 1995

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0955 ACTOR

Frank Renzulli

Born 1958

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0961 ACTOR

Jenna J Ross

Born 1988

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0965 ACTOR

Hayes Gordon

1920 - 1999

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0988 ACTOR

Amy Hunter

Born 1966

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0996 ACTOR

Patricia Avery

1902 - 1973

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1022 ACTOR

Curt Conway

1915 - 1974

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1026 ACTOR

Leif Tilden

Born 1964

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1028 ACTOR

Kate Collins (actress)

Born 1958

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1034 ACTOR

Linda Watkins

1908 - 1976

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1035 ACTOR

Joseph W. Smiley

1870 - 1945

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1044 ACTOR

Evelyn Ellis

1894 - 1958

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1053 ACTOR

Harry Einstein

1904 - 1958

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1055 ACTOR

June Kenney

Born 1933

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1074 ACTOR

Paris Themmen

Born 1959

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1081 ACTOR

Clayton Nemrow

Born 1965

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1089 ACTOR

Edward Loomis Davenport

1816 - 1877

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1099 ACTOR

Christopher Randolph

Born 1959

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1109 ACTOR

Johnny Indrisano

1905 - 1968

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1112 ACTOR

Norma Connolly

1927 - 1998

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1114 ACTOR

Edmund MacDonald

1908 - 1951

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1118 ACTOR

Jed Prouty

1879 - 1956

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1170 ACTOR

Frank Sheridan

1869 - 1943

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1171 ACTOR

Danny Murphy (American actor)

1955 - 2014

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1176 ACTOR

Carmen Filpi

1923 - 2003

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1216 ACTOR

Susan Webb Cushman

1822 - 1859

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1231 ACTOR

Estelle Hemsley

1887 - 1968

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1250 ACTOR

Marie Jansen

1857 - 1914

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1252 ACTOR

Anthony Carrigan (actor)

Born 1983

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1254 ACTOR

Bernard Kates

1922 - 2010

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1288 ACTOR

Henry E. Dixey

1859 - 1943

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1320 ACTOR

Jujubee (drag queen)

Born 1984

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1342 ACTOR

Gilman Rankin

1911 - 1993

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1363 ACTOR

Lulu Devine

Born 1955

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1379 ACTOR

Cariddi Nardulli

Born 1970

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1396 ACTOR

Toppsy Curvey

Born 1961

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1434 ACTOR

Gladys Walton

1903 - 1993

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1435 ACTOR

Edd Hall

Born 1958

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1436 ACTOR

Charlie Hides

Born 1964

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1461 ACTOR

Alicyn Packard

Born 1979

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1462 ACTOR

Amy Farrington

Born 1966

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1468 ACTOR

Donald Keith (actor)

1903 - 1969

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1485 ACTOR

Eric Loren

-

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1502 ACTOR

Eliza Biscaccianti

1824 - 1896

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1528 ACTOR

Julie Nathanson

Born 1975

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1533 ACTOR

Alex Wexo

-

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1545 ACTOR

Mariska Aldrich

1881 - 1965

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1548 ACTOR

John Kelly (actor)

1901 - 1947

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1552 ACTOR

John Snyder (actor)

Born 1950

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1558 ACTOR

G. P. Huntley

1868 - 1927

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1576 ACTOR

Jamie Denbo

Born 1973

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1589 ACTOR

Alexandra Neil

Born 1955

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1602 ACTOR

Patricia Knight

1915 - 2004

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1604 ACTOR

Virginia Belmont

1921 - 2014

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1609 ACTOR

Julie Goldman

-

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1615 ACTOR

Edward Fletcher

Born 1970

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1622 ACTOR

Vail Bloom

Born 1982

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1627 ACTOR

Benjamin John Parrillo

Born 1969

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1632 ACTOR

Mike Schwartz

-

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1649 ACTOR

Ronald Hunter

1943 - 2013

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1654 ACTOR

Ned Dowd

Born 1950

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1659 ACTOR

Karyn Bryant

Born 1968

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1667 ACTOR

Leone Lane

1908 - 1993

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1672 ACTOR

Kiara Muhammad

Born 1998

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1686 ACTOR

Mario Roccuzzo

Born 1940

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1691 ACTOR

Nancy Pimental

Born 1965

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1692 ACTOR

Andrew Bowen

Born 1972

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1705 ACTOR

David Shiner (clown)

Born 1953

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1726 ACTOR

Fay Davis

1872 - 1945

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1739 ACTOR

Ant (comedian)

Born 1967

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1752 ACTOR

Joseph Hart (entertainer)

1861 - 1921

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1762 ACTOR

George Aiken (playwright)

1830 - 1876

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1788 ACTOR

Damian O'Flynn

1907 - 1982

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1793 ACTOR

Joel Perez

-

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1804 ACTOR

Edward Warren

1856 - 1930

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1834 ACTOR

Ella Lola

1883 - 1960

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1872 ACTOR

Ben Kurland

Born 1984

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1883 ACTOR

Paul Sparer

1923 - 1999

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1916 ACTOR

Nike Doukas

Born 1958

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1926 ACTOR

Jimmy Flynn

Born 1934

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1935 ACTOR

Yvonne Jung

Born 1969

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1951 ACTOR

Brendan Beiser

Born 1970

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1978 ACTOR

Bernard Robichaud

Born 1960

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1986 ACTOR

Muriel Rahn

1911 - 1961

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1989 ACTOR

Leland Benham

1905 - 1976

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2008 ACTOR

Robert Fields

Born 1938

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2027 ACTOR

Lorna Thayer

1919 - 2005

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2035 ACTOR

Gordon Stanley

Born 1951

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2072 ACTOR

Aida Rodriguez

Born 1977

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2079 ACTOR

Maia Reficco

Born 2000

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2088 ACTOR

Paul O'Keefe

Born 1951

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2187 ACTOR

Ida Conquest

1876 - 1937

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2199 ACTOR

William E. Sheridan

1839 - 1887

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2209 ACTOR

Stephen O'Reilly (actor)

Born 1973

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2242 ACTOR

Collette Lyons

1908 - 1986

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2254 ACTOR

Terrayne Crawford

Born 1945

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2294 ACTOR

Bill Doherty Jr.

Born 1982

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2301 ACTOR

Linda Carol

Born 1970

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2303 ACTOR

Frank Scannell

1903 - 1989

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2336 ACTOR

Jimmy Fowlie

Born 1985

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2337 ACTOR

Al Taylor (actor)

1887 - 1951

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2359 ACTOR

William J. Le Moyne

1831 - 1905

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2361 ACTOR

Warren Cook

1878 - 1939

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2372 ACTOR

John Gibbs Gilbert

1810 - 1889

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2386 ACTOR

Rusty Stevens

Born 1948

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2393 ACTOR

Jill Tasker

Born 1966

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2403 ACTOR

Jeffrey Wahlberg

Born 1996

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2409 ACTOR

Tom Magliozzi

1937 - 2014

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2410 ACTOR

Frank M. Mayo

1839 - 1896

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2417 ACTOR

Gregory Cahill

Born 1982

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2428 ACTOR

Jimmy Brogan

Born 1948

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2435 ACTOR

Benjamin Byron Davis

Born 1972

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2438 ACTOR

Christopher Foley

Born 1988

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2447 ACTOR

Betty Miller

1925 - 2004

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2454 ACTOR

Carolina White

1886 - 1961

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2457 ACTOR

Virginia Harned

1868 - 1946

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2468 ACTOR

Nicole Axelrod

Born 1997

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2475 ACTOR

Frank Annese

Born 1950

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2490 ACTOR

Alexander Steinert

1900 - 1982

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2505 ACTOR

William Robert Daly

Born 1871

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2513 ACTOR

Casey Durkin

-

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2522 ACTOR

Daniel Gilfether

1849 - 1919

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2525 ACTOR

Gaston Bell

1877 - 1963

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2545 ACTOR

Kevin DeCoste

Born 1995

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2551 ACTOR

Kenneth Kamal Scott

1940 - 2015

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2658 ACTOR

Nina Vale

-

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2664 ACTOR

Marc London

Born 1927

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2706 ACTOR

Virginia Walker

1916 - 1946

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2711 ACTOR

Daniel Harkins

1836 - 1902

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2733 ACTOR

Bob DeSimone

Born 1945

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2770 ACTOR

George Ferguson (actor)

1890 - 1961

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2802 ACTOR

Wadsworth Harris

1864 - 1942

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2820 ACTOR

Deni Gordon

-

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2829 ACTOR

Casey Walters

1916 - 1991

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2878 ACTOR

Vedah Bertram

1891 - 1912

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2886 ACTOR

John Keefe (actor)

Born 1979

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2899 ACTOR

Mae Gaston

1885 - 1965

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2909 ACTOR

Louise Lorimer

1898 - 1995

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2912 ACTOR

Richard McNamara

1915 - 1998

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2919 ACTOR

Al Lee

Born 1893

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2938 ACTOR

Nancy O'Meara

-

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2942 ACTOR

Maurice Tarplin

1911 - 1975

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2963 ACTOR

Erik Betts

Born 1967

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2991 ACTOR

Matt Leisy

-

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3086 ACTOR

Paul Wahlberg

Born 1964

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3112 ACTOR

Gianna Simone

Born 1989

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3124 ACTOR

Donald Foley

1963 - 2011

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3136 ACTOR

Myrtle Watkins

1908 - 1968

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