41.8501° N, 87.6499° W

CHICAGO

Most Famous People Born in Chicago, USA

Notable people
7,467
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1940
Most distinctive
Baseball 5.2×

Big shoulders, broad bench. Chicago's notables are spread evenly across actors, politicians, and four major-league sports — the city is the dataset's largest baseball-and-basketball over-index outside the coasts — alongside a deep screenwriter and novelist tradition that gave the world Saul Bellow, David Mamet, and Ben Hecht. No single category dominates the way film does in Los Angeles or Wall Street does in New York, and the music economy alone runs from blues and house to first-wave hip-hop.

Standouts

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 850 notable births.

What Chicago Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Chicago's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (813).

Chicago over-indexes on baseball 5.2× the global rate.

Chicago under-produces politician — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Actor 813 2.0×
  2. Politician 469 0.5×
  3. Football 462 0.6×
  4. Baseball 441 5.2×
  5. Basket 398 4.2×
  6. Music 312 2.9×
  7. Writer 220 0.9×
  8. Singer 207 1.3×
  1. Baseball 441 5.2×
  2. Basket 398 4.2×
  3. Screenwriter 128 3.9×
  4. Novelist 96 3.3×
  5. Music 312 2.9×
  6. Actor 813 2.0×
  7. Film 168 1.8×
  1. Politician 469 0.5×
  2. Football 462 0.6×
  3. Painter 116 0.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
Actor813
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Showing 813 of 7,467 notable people

0006 ACTOR

Gillian Anderson

Born 1968

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0012 ACTOR

Jennifer Hudson

Born 1971

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0016 ACTOR

Patricia Arquette

Born 1968

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0018 ACTOR

Kim Novak

Born 1933

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0019 ACTOR

Daryl Hannah

Born 1960

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0020 ACTOR

Gloria Swanson

1899 - 1983

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0023 ACTOR

John C. Reilly

Born 1965

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0026 ACTOR

Jason Robards

1922 - 2000

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0028 ACTOR

Michael Clarke Duncan

1957 - 2012

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0029 ACTOR

Bruce Dern

Born 1936

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0030 ACTOR

Raquel Welch

Born 1940

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0031 ACTOR

Jim Belushi

Born 1954

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0033 ACTOR

Garry Shandling

1949 - 2016

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0034 ACTOR

Terrence Howard

Born 1969

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0037 ACTOR

Karl Malden

1912 - 2009

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0038 ACTOR

Billy Zane

Born 1966

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0039 ACTOR

Jennifer Morrison

Born 1979

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0040 ACTOR

Mr. T

Born 1952

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0043 ACTOR

Dan Castellaneta

Born 1957

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0045 ACTOR

Virginia Madsen

Born 1961

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0051 ACTOR

Michael Madsen

Born 1958

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0059 ACTOR

Tom Berenger

Born 1949

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0065 ACTOR

Jennifer Beals

Born 1963

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0066 ACTOR

Michael Peña

Born 1976

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0068 ACTOR

Dorothy Malone

1924 - 2018

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0073 ACTOR

Donald O'Connor

1925 - 2003

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0074 ACTOR

Kathy Griffin

Born 1960

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0082 ACTOR

Sean Hayes (actor)

Born 1970

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0083 ACTOR

Robert Ryan

1909 - 1973

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0085 ACTOR

Aidan Quinn

Born 1959

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0086 ACTOR

Dennis Farina

1944 - 2013

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0088 ACTOR

Robin Tunney

Born 1972

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0089 ACTOR

Andre Braugher

Born 1962

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0090 ACTOR

Tom Bosley

1927 - 2010

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0092 ACTOR

Kiernan Shipka

Born 1999

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0097 ACTOR

Fisher Stevens

Born 1963

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0104 ACTOR

Fred Savage

Born 1976

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0106 ACTOR

Brit Marling

Born 1982

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0108 ACTOR

Robert Young (actor)

1907 - 1998

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0109 ACTOR

Bob Balaban

Born 1945

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0112 ACTOR

Anna Chlumsky

Born 1980

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0116 ACTOR

Harvey Korman

1927 - 2008

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0120 ACTOR

Gina Rodriguez

Born 1984

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0122 ACTOR

Mel Tormé

1925 - 1999

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0126 ACTOR

Walter Koenig

Born 1936

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0132 ACTOR

Christine Ebersole

Born 1953

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0133 ACTOR

Jami Gertz

Born 1965

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0139 ACTOR

Robert Conrad

1935 - 2020

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0142 ACTOR

John Agar

1921 - 2002

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0143 ACTOR

Freddy Rodriguez (actor)

Born 1975

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0146 ACTOR

Mitzi Gaynor

Born 1931

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0147 ACTOR

Craig Robinson (actor)

Born 1971

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0148 ACTOR

Lauren Tom

Born 1961

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0159 ACTOR

Stefanie Scott

Born 1995

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0163 ACTOR

Philip Kaufman

Born 1936

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0168 ACTOR

Richard Kiley

1922 - 1999

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0169 ACTOR

Jesse Williams (actor)

Born 1981

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0170 ACTOR

Jean Hagen

1923 - 1977

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0174 ACTOR

Marilu Henner

Born 1952

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0175 ACTOR

Salli Richardson

Born 1967

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0176 ACTOR

Sam Wanamaker

1919 - 1993

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0177 ACTOR

Sam J. Jones

Born 1954

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0179 ACTOR

Paul Adelstein

Born 1969

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0180 ACTOR

Kiele Sanchez

Born 1977

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0181 ACTOR

Wood Harris

Born 1969

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0184 ACTOR

Kevin Dunn

Born 1956

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0186 ACTOR

Brian Doyle-Murray

Born 1945

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0187 ACTOR

Barbara Barrie

Born 1931

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0188 ACTOR

Kathleen Freeman

1919 - 2001

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0191 ACTOR

Michael Gross (actor)

Born 1947

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0193 ACTOR

Neil Flynn

Born 1960

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0195 ACTOR

Chi McBride

Born 1961

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0198 ACTOR

Kenneth Mars

1935 - 2011

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0199 ACTOR

George Wendt

Born 1948

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0200 ACTOR

Tress MacNeille

Born 1951

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0203 ACTOR

Dolores Hart

Born 1938

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0207 ACTOR

Danny Pudi

Born 1979

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0212 ACTOR

Justina Machado

Born 1972

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0219 ACTOR

Aimee Garcia

Born 1978

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0225 ACTOR

Marsha Hunt (actress, born 1917)

Born 1917

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0227 ACTOR

Jessica Harper

Born 1949

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0232 ACTOR

Ike Barinholtz

Born 1977

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0235 ACTOR

Nadine Velazquez

Born 1978

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0239 ACTOR

Matt Walsh (comedian)

Born 1964

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0240 ACTOR

Barbara Bain

Born 1931

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0241 ACTOR

Abbey Lincoln

1930 - 2010

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0243 ACTOR

Kel Mitchell

Born 1978

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0244 ACTOR

Gail Russell

1924 - 1961

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0246 ACTOR

Clayton Moore

1914 - 1999

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0248 ACTOR

Donna Mills

Born 1940

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0260 ACTOR

Charmian Carr

1942 - 2016

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0265 ACTOR

Kevin J. O'Connor (actor)

Born 1963

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0270 ACTOR

Bonita Granville

1923 - 1988

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0271 ACTOR

Gloria Foster

1933 - 2001

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0275 ACTOR

Peter Jacobson

Born 1965

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0276 ACTOR

Shelley Berman

1925 - 2017

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0279 ACTOR

Larenz Tate

Born 1975

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0280 ACTOR

Jock Mahoney

1919 - 1989

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0282 ACTOR

Amy Landecker

Born 1969

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0286 ACTOR

Nora Dunn

Born 1952

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0288 ACTOR

Michael Stahl-David

Born 1982

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0292 ACTOR

Richard Long (actor)

1927 - 1974

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0295 ACTOR

Robert Z'Dar

1950 - 2015

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0296 ACTOR

LaVern Baker

1929 - 1997

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0298 ACTOR

Michael O'Hare

1952 - 2012

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0299 ACTOR

Danny Lloyd

Born 1973

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0300 ACTOR

Cassidy Freeman

Born 1982

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0301 ACTOR

Ryan McPartlin

Born 1975

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0303 ACTOR

Kathryn Joosten

1939 - 2012

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0304 ACTOR

Ken Olin

Born 1954

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0311 ACTOR

Jason Gedrick

Born 1965

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0312 ACTOR

Sendhil Ramamurthy

Born 1974

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0313 ACTOR

Nina Siemaszko

Born 1970

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0314 ACTOR

Kinky Friedman

Born 1944

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0315 ACTOR

Marisol Nichols

Born 1973

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0318 ACTOR

Ken Wahl

Born 1954

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0319 ACTOR

George Marshall (director)

1891 - 1975

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0320 ACTOR

Jessie Royce Landis

1896 - 1972

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0321 ACTOR

Trevor Morgan (actor)

Born 1986

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0325 ACTOR

Geoff Pierson

Born 1949

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0327 ACTOR

Barbara Alyn Woods

Born 1962

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0329 ACTOR

Ben Savage

Born 1980

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0331 ACTOR

Casey Siemaszko

Born 1961

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0332 ACTOR

Steve Harris (actor)

Born 1965

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0339 ACTOR

Emily Alyn Lind

Born 2002

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0346 ACTOR

Heather Burns

Born 1975

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0347 ACTOR

Noah Gray-Cabey

Born 1995

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0348 ACTOR

Lisa Zane

Born 1961

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0350 ACTOR

Matt O'Leary

Born 1987

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0352 ACTOR

Alley Mills

Born 1951

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0353 ACTOR

Chloe Bennet

Born 1992

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0356 ACTOR

Rosa Blasi

Born 1972

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0360 ACTOR

Roy Thinnes

Born 1938

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0367 ACTOR

Lynn-Holly Johnson

Born 1958

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0368 ACTOR

Mark Damon

Born 1933

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0374 ACTOR

Mimsy Farmer

Born 1945

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0381 ACTOR

Jonathan Sadowski

Born 1979

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0382 ACTOR

Maeve Quinlan

Born 1964

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0386 ACTOR

Alexa Nikolas

Born 1992

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0387 ACTOR

Mason Gamble

Born 1986

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0388 ACTOR

Michelle Stafford

Born 1965

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0396 ACTOR

Stan Shaw

Born 1952

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0398 ACTOR

Blanche Sweet

1896 - 1986

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0399 ACTOR

Mary Philbin

1903 - 1993

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0400 ACTOR

Nyomi Banxxx

Born 1972

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0402 ACTOR

Michael Muhney

Born 1975

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0405 ACTOR

Sherry Lansing

Born 1944

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0406 ACTOR

Lance LeGault

1935 - 2012

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0408 ACTOR

Lewis Arquette

1935 - 2001

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0412 ACTOR

Liesel Pritzker Simmons

Born 1984

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0413 ACTOR

Kenneth Choi

Born 1971

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0418 ACTOR

John Beck (actor)

Born 1943

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0419 ACTOR

Samm Levine

Born 1982

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0423 ACTOR

James Eckhouse

Born 1955

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0427 ACTOR

Brian Kerwin

Born 1949

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0428 ACTOR

Frankie Darro

1917 - 1976

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0437 ACTOR

Todd Stashwick

Born 1968

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0442 ACTOR

Virginia Rappe

1891 - 1921

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0443 ACTOR

Jill Talley

Born 1962

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0452 ACTOR

Tom Towles

1950 - 2015

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0454 ACTOR

Tempestt Bledsoe

Born 1973

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0455 ACTOR

Jean Wallace

1923 - 1990

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0464 ACTOR

Bailey Chase

Born 1972

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0465 ACTOR

Rod La Rocque

1898 - 1969

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0466 ACTOR

Mike Douglas

1925 - 2006

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0478 ACTOR

Bruce Glover

Born 1932

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0479 ACTOR

Lana Rhoades

Born 1996

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0481 ACTOR

Tim O'Connor (actor)

1927 - 2018

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0484 ACTOR

Hillary Wolf

Born 1977

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0485 ACTOR

Ashley Crow

Born 1960

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0486 ACTOR

Joanna Merlin

Born 1931

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0487 ACTOR

Landry Bender

Born 2000

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0490 ACTOR

Michael T. Weiss

Born 1962

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0498 ACTOR

Larry Manetti

Born 1947

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0502 ACTOR

John Ridgely

1909 - 1968

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0503 ACTOR

Skip Homeier

1930 - 2017

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0506 ACTOR

Joyce Jameson

1932 - 1987

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0509 ACTOR

Cory Hardrict

Born 1979

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0510 ACTOR

Sherman Howard

Born 1949

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0514 ACTOR

Lisa Boyle

Born 1964

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0515 ACTOR

Darlene Conley

1934 - 2007

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0519 ACTOR

Lisa Darr

Born 1963

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0523 ACTOR

Clara Kimball Young

1890 - 1960

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0526 ACTOR

Carla Laemmle

1909 - 2014

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0531 ACTOR

Antwon Tanner

Born 1975

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0536 ACTOR

Ali Cobrin

Born 1989

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0537 ACTOR

Frederic Raphael

Born 1931

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0540 ACTOR

Morgan Saylor

Born 1994

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0548 ACTOR

Joey Slotnick

Born 1968

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0550 ACTOR

Robert Townsend (actor)

Born 1957

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0551 ACTOR

Amy Wright

Born 1950

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0554 ACTOR

Drew Sidora

Born 1985

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0556 ACTOR

Ralph Lewis (actor)

1872 - 1937

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0557 ACTOR

Mayo Methot

1904 - 1951

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0559 ACTOR

Milton Sills

1882 - 1930

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0561 ACTOR

Alan Curtis (American actor)

1909 - 1953

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0565 ACTOR

Stanley Andrews

1891 - 1969

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0568 ACTOR

Virginia Valli

1898 - 1968

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0574 ACTOR

Sue Carol

1906 - 1982

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0575 ACTOR

Kevin Hagen

1928 - 2005

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0576 ACTOR

Janet Hubert

Born 1956

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0580 ACTOR

Laura Harrier

Born 1990

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0584 ACTOR

Madge Kennedy

1891 - 1987

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0586 ACTOR

Mark Lenard

1924 - 1996

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0591 ACTOR

Arlene Golonka

Born 1936

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0595 ACTOR

Lucas Neff

Born 1985

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0598 ACTOR

Deborah Pratt

Born 1951

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0599 ACTOR

Rondell Sheridan

Born 1958

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0607 ACTOR

Alex Meneses

Born 1965

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0608 ACTOR

William O'Leary (actor)

Born 1957

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0612 ACTOR

Joseph Sikora

Born 1976

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0638 ACTOR

L. Scott Caldwell

Born 1950

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0642 ACTOR

Mia Isabella

Born 1985

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0643 ACTOR

Lamorne Morris

Born 1980

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0644 ACTOR

Louis Zorich

1924 - 2018

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0646 ACTOR

Stuart Holmes

1884 - 1971

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0649 ACTOR

Charles Avery

1873 - 1926

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0665 ACTOR

Kellita Smith

Born 1969

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0666 ACTOR

Morey Amsterdam

1908 - 1996

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0671 ACTOR

Ali LeRoi

Born 1962

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0675 ACTOR

Felton Perry

Born 1945

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0686 ACTOR

Janet Carroll

1940 - 2012

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0688 ACTOR

Tricia Devereaux

Born 1975

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0689 ACTOR

Echo Kellum

Born 1982

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0690 ACTOR

Michael Ian Black

Born 1971

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0693 ACTOR

Cindy Morgan

Born 1954

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0695 ACTOR

Maestro Harrell

Born 1991

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0696 ACTOR

Jeannie Pepper

Born 1958

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0700 ACTOR

Giorgio Tozzi

1923 - 2011

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0701 ACTOR

Scott Jacoby (actor)

Born 1956

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0704 ACTOR

Jon Glaser

Born 1968

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0708 ACTOR

Polly Moran

1883 - 1952

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0709 ACTOR

Jacob Zachar

Born 1986

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0711 ACTOR

Dorothy Dalton

1893 - 1972

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0715 ACTOR

Brad Sullivan

1931 - 2008

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0719 ACTOR

Haley Hudson

Born 1986

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0720 ACTOR

Susanna Foster

1924 - 2009

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0721 ACTOR

Dick Anthony Williams

1934 - 2012

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0726 ACTOR

Nella Walker

1886 - 1971

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0736 ACTOR

Dan Seymour

1915 - 1993

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0737 ACTOR

Irene Fenwick

1887 - 1936

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0738 ACTOR

Johnni Black

Born 1968

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0749 ACTOR

William Marshall (bandleader)

1917 - 1994

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0750 ACTOR

Julius Carry

1952 - 2008

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0751 ACTOR

Kevin Grevioux

Born 1973

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0755 ACTOR

Rusty Schwimmer

Born 1962

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0764 ACTOR

Crispin Freeman

Born 1972

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0766 ACTOR

Tonya Pinkins

Born 1962

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0768 ACTOR

Amy Brooke

Born 1988

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0774 ACTOR

John Capodice

Born 1941

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0777 ACTOR

Michael Ovitz

Born 1946

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0778 ACTOR

Emo Philips

Born 1956

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0780 ACTOR

LisaRaye McCoy

Born 1967

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0781 ACTOR

Ed Gilbert

1931 - 1999

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0783 ACTOR

Jeff Speakman

Born 1958

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0785 ACTOR

Ron Masak

Born 1936

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0787 ACTOR

Avery Schreiber

1935 - 2002

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0789 ACTOR

Monica Lewis

1922 - 2015

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0791 ACTOR

Pat Healy (actor)

Born 1971

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0797 ACTOR

Justin Roberts

Born 1979

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0798 ACTOR

Florence Stanley

1924 - 2003

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0799 ACTOR

Fritz Leiber (actor)

1882 - 1949

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0803 ACTOR

Andy Sidaris

1931 - 2007

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0818 ACTOR

Merry Anders

1932 - 2012

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0820 ACTOR

Britt Lomond

1925 - 2006

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0834 ACTOR

Helen Holmes

1893 - 1950

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0836 ACTOR

Barry Kelley

1908 - 1991

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0838 ACTOR

Jay Novello

1904 - 1982

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0839 ACTOR

Don Franklin

Born 1960

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0842 ACTOR

June Travis

1914 - 2008

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0843 ACTOR

George Gobel

1919 - 1991

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0867 ACTOR

Ella Joyce

Born 1954

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0868 ACTOR

Suzy Nakamura

Born 1973

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0875 ACTOR

Nick Manning

Born 1967

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0886 ACTOR

Devon Michaels

Born 1970

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0890 ACTOR

Aaliyah Love

Born 1981

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0896 ACTOR

William Challee

1904 - 1989

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0900 ACTOR

Natalia Nogulich

Born 1950

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0911 ACTOR

Emma Abbott

1850 - 1891

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0912 ACTOR

Christine Fernandes

Born 1968

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0914 ACTOR

Lawrence Weingarten

1897 - 1975

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0919 ACTOR

Sandy Allen

1955 - 2008

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0923 ACTOR

Sydney Lassick

1922 - 2003

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0956 ACTOR

Bryant Washburn

1889 - 1963

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0968 ACTOR

Frances Callier

Born 1969

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0974 ACTOR

Jasen Fisher

Born 1980

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0978 ACTOR

John Zaremba

1908 - 1986

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0980 ACTOR

Leslie David Baker

Born 1958

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0989 ACTOR

Edith Atwater

1911 - 1986

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0992 ACTOR

Leah Baird

1883 - 1971

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0996 ACTOR

Howard St. John

1905 - 1974

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1000 ACTOR

Lauralee Bell

Born 1968

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1011 ACTOR

Junius Matthews

1890 - 1978

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1012 ACTOR

Walter Sittler

Born 1952

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1014 ACTOR

Zoe Perry

Born 1983

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1016 ACTOR

Liz Callaway

Born 1961

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1022 ACTOR

Art Smith (actor)

1899 - 1973

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1036 ACTOR

Janet Jacme

Born 1967

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1038 ACTOR

Stephen Full

Born 1969

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1039 ACTOR

Keith Nobbs

Born 1979

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