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List of famous people from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
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This is a list of famous people and celebrities who were either born in or have lived in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, including the Maryland and northern Virginia suburbs.
Business
- Sergey Brin – University Park, Maryland – co-founder of Google.
- Michael Karlan – Washington, D.C. – founder of Professionals in the City, a socializing and networking organization.
- J.W. Marriott, Jr. – Bethesda, Maryland – Chairman and CEO of Marriott International.
- James W. Rouse – Columbia, Maryland – urban planner, real estate developer and philanthropist; grandfather of actor Edward Norton.
- David Rubenstein – Bethesda, Maryland – Co-founder of The Carlyle Group.
- Eric Schmidt – Arlington, Virginia – CEO of Google.
- Paul Reed Smith – Bowie, Maryland – founder and owner of PRS Guitars.
Entertainment
- Gbenga Akinnagbe – Rockville, Maryland – Nigerian-American actor, best known for his portrayal of Chris Partlow on HBO's The Wire.
- Mark Oliver Everett – Washington, D.C. & Virginia – singer-songwriter, best known for The Eels.
- Tori Amos – Rockville, Maryland – pianist and singer-songwriter.
- Diedrich Bader – Alexandria, Virginia – actor.
- Warren Beatty – Arlington, Virginia – actor.
- Keter Betts – Silver Spring, Maryland – jazz bassist.
- Lewis Black – Silver Spring, Maryland – comedian, author, and playwright.
- Chuck Brown – Waldorf, Maryland – Go-Go guitarist.
- Sandra Bullock – Arlington, Virginia – actress.
- Hilarie Burton – Sterling, Virginia – actress.
- Bill Callahan – Silver Spring, Maryland – musician.
- Jameka Cameron – Waldorf, Maryland – Castmember of Big Brother 8.
- Chris Carmack – Washington, D.C. – actor, best known for his role on The O.C..
- Neko Case – Alexandria, Virginia – singer, songwriter.
- Mama Cass – Alexandria, Virginia – singer for The Mamas & the Papas.
- Eva Cassidy – Washington, D.C. – singer.
- Mary Chapin Carpenter – Washington, D.C. – singer.
- Crystal Chappell – Silver Spring, Maryland – soap opera actress.
- Dave Chappelle – Washington, D.C. – comedian, actor, film producer.
- JC Chasez – Bowie, Maryland – musician, formerly of 'N Sync.
- Roy Clark – Washington, D.C. – versatile country musician and TV star on Hee Haw.
- Stephen Colbert – Washington, D.C. – comedian, host of The Colbert Report.
- George Colligan – Columbia, Maryland – jazz pianist.
- Stewart Copeland – Alexandria, Virginia – drummer for The Police.
- Adrian Cronauer – Arlington, Virginia – disc jockey.
- Cara DeLizia – Silver Spring, Maryland – actress.
- Raheem DeVaughn – Beltsville, Maryland – singer.
- William DeVaughn – Washington, D.C. – R&B singer.
- Michael Ealy – Silver Spring, Maryland – actor.
- Edan – Rockville, Maryland – Jewish-American alternative hip hop performer.
- Chris Edgerly – Silver Spring, Maryland – voice actor.
- Duke Ellington – Washington, D.C. – jazz composer.
- Sam Endicott – Bethesda, Maryland – musician.
- John Fahey – Takoma Park, Maryland – guitarist and founder of American Primitivism.
- Wayne Federman – Silver Spring, Maryland – comedian, actor, and author.
- Roberta Flack – Arlington, Virginia – singer.
- Chip Franklin – Alexandria, Virginia – comedian and talk show host.
- Marty Friedman – Laurel, Maryland – former lead guitarist for Megadeth.[1]
- Dan Futterman – Silver Spring, Maryland – actor.
- Gregory Thomas Garcia – Arlington, Virginia – creator of the television show My Name Is Earl.
- Marvin Gaye – Washington, D.C. – singer.
- Kathy Lee Gifford – Bowie, Maryland – actress.
- Ginuwine – Greenbelt, Maryland – R&B singer.
- Heather Graham – Springfield, Virginia – film and television actress.
- Tamyra Gray – Takoma Park, Maryland – finalist on season one of American Idol.
- Dave Grohl – Alexandria, Virginia – drummer for Nirvana; frontman for the Foo Fighters.
- Tim Gunn – Washington, D.C. – Fashion Guru.
- Emmylou Harris – Woodbridge, Virginia – singer.
- Goldie Hawn – Takoma Park, Maryland – actress.
- Helen Hayes – Washington, D.C. – actress; popularly known as the, "First Lady of the American Theatre."
- Robert Hays – Bethesda, Maryland – actor, best known for his role in Airplane!.
- Jim Henson – University Park, Maryland – entertainer, creator of the Muppets.
- Taraji P. Henson – Washington, D.C. – actress.
- Ron Holloway – Washington, D.C. – tenor saxophonist
- J. Holiday – Washington, D.C. – R&B Singer.
- Keith Howland – Silver Spring, Maryland – guitarist for Chicago.
- William Hurt – Washington, D.C. – actor.
- Douglas Hyde – Alexandria, Virginia – opera singer.
- Gregory Itzin – Washington, D.C. – actor, best known for his role of President Charles Logan in 24
- John Jackson – Fairfax, Virginia – blues musician.
- Samuel L. Jackson – Washington, D.C. – actor
- Joan Jett – Rockville, Maryland – musician.
- Courtney Jines – Fairfax, Virginia – actress.
- Spike Jonze – Rockville, Maryland – film director and producer.
- JJ Kincaid – Columbia, Maryland – radio personality in New York City.
- Joe Lally – Silver Spring, Maryland – bassist for the Rock and roll band Fugazi.
- Martin Lawrence – Landover, Maryland – actor.
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Bethesda, Maryland – actress, known for her role on Seinfeld.
- Ian MacKaye – Washington, D.C. – musician.
- Shirley MacLaine – Arlington, Virginia – actress.
- Wendy MacLeod – Arlington, Virginia – playwright.
- Benji Madden – Waldorf, Maryland – guitarist for the band Good Charlotte.
- Joel Madden – Waldorf, Maryland – lead vocalist for the band Good Charlotte.
- Biz Markie – Laurel, Maryland – rap artist/DJ.[2]
- Brian McComas – Bethesda, Maryland – country music singer.
- James McDaniel – Washington, D.C. – actor, best known for his role of Lt./Capt. Arthur Fancy in NYPD Blue.
- Scott McKenzie – Alexandria, Virginia – singer; known for the 1967 hit, San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair).
- Christina Milian – Waldorf, Maryland – actress, singer, songwriter, and dancer.
- Reverend Jen Miller – painter, poet, actress, and owner of the Troll Museum.
- D'Monroe – Columbia, Maryland – Broadway and Off-Broadway actor.
- Jim Morrison – Alexandria, Virginia – singer for The Doors.
- Dermot Mulroney – Alexandria, Virginia – actor.
- Mýa – Greenbelt, Maryland – R&B singer and actress.
- Tim Neumark – Columbia, Maryland – solo pianist.
- Edward Norton – Columbia, Maryland – actor.
- Michelle Parma – Fairfax, Virginia – Contestant on MTV's Road Rules.
- Tom Paxton – Alexandria, Virginia – singer, songwriter.
- John Phillips – Alexandria, Virginia – singer for The Mamas & the Papas.
- Guy Picciotto – Chevy Chase, Maryland – singer/guitarist of Fugazi.
- Hilary Rhoda – Chevy Chase, Maryland – Supermodel.
- Amerie Rogers – Washington, D.C. – actress, singer and dancer.
- Henry Rollins – Washington, D.C. – musician, author, comedian.
- Matt Sharp – Arlington, Virginia – musician.
- Sylvia Snowden – Washington, D.C. – artist, best known for her Malik Series as well as other Corcoran Gallery of Art exhibitions.
- Ben Stein – Silver Spring, Maryland – economist, law professor, actor, and former White House speechwriter.
- Eddie Stubbs – Gaithersburg, Maryland – musician, disc jockey, and Grand Ole Opry announcer.
- John Philip Sousa – Washington, D.C. – composer.
- Daniel Stern – Bethesda, Maryland – actor.
- Paul Thomas – Waldorf, Maryland – bassist for the band Good Charlotte.
- Brian Transeau – Rockville, Maryland – musician.
- Jeff Tremaine – Bethesda, Maryland – film producer, director, and writer.
- Leeann Tweeden – Manassas, Virginia – model and television personality.
- Lisa Ann Walter – Silver Spring, Maryland – actress.
- Kiely Williams – Alexandria, Virginia – singer and actress; member of 3LW and The Cheetah Girls.
- Casey Wilson – Alexandria, Virginia – actress; Saturday Night Live cast member.
Government and politics
- Thad W. Allen – Chevy Chase, Maryland – Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.
- Joseph R. Bartlett – Takoma Park, Maryland – member of the Maryland House of Delegates (1999—present).
- Francis Preston Blair, Jr. – Silver Spring, Maryland – politician, Major General in the Civil War.
- Montgomery Blair – Silver Spring, Maryland – politician, United States Postmaster General under Abraham Lincoln.
- John R. Bolton – Bethesda, Maryland – former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Under Secretary of State.
- L. Paul Bremer – Bethesda, Maryland – former Director of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for post-war Iraq.
- Patrick Joseph Buchanan – Washington, D.C. – Columnist and Presidential Candidate.
- Cristeta Comerford – Columbia, Maryland – White House Executive Chef.
- William J. Crowe, Jr. – Alexandria, Virginia – United States Navy Admiral; former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; ambassador to the United Kingdom (1993—1997).
- Chris Daly – Silver Spring, Maryland – politician
- Douglas Feith – Bethesda, Maryland – former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the Department of Defense.
- Al Gore, Jr. – Washington, D.C. – U.S. Vice President (1993—2001), Presidential Nominee, Democratic Party, (2000).
- Tipper Gore – Washington, D.C. – author; wife of former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore.
- Francis C. Hammond – Alexandria, Virginia – sailor in the United States Navy during the Korean War; recipient of the Medal of Honor.
- John C. Herbert – Alexandria, Virginia – United States Congressman from Maryland.[3]
- J. Edgar Hoover – Washington, D.C. – former director of the FBI.
- Jack Kemp – Bethesda, Maryland – former US Vice Presidential Candidate, Secretary of Housing & Urban Development, US Congressman, and Quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.
- Jeane Kirkpatrick – Bethesda, Maryland – former American ambassador, known for her Kirkpatrick Doctrine on foreign politics.
- Abner Lacock – Alexandria, Virginia – judge, member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, United States Congressman, and United States Senator.[3]
- Mary Landrieu – Arlington, Virginia – U.S. Senator from Louisiana.
- Blair Lee I – Silver Spring, Maryland – former United States Senator from Maryland.
- Blair Lee III – Silver Spring, Maryland – former lieutenant governor, governor, and secretary of state of Maryland.
- Robert E. Lee – Arlington, Virginia – commander of Confederate forces during the American Civil War.
- William Henry Fitzhugh Lee – Arlington, Virginia – Confederate General in the American Civil War and later United States Congressman from Virginia.[3]
- Anthony McAuliffe – Chevy Chase, Maryland – U.S. Military Commander; Commander of Allied forces at the Battle of Bastogne.
- Lewis McKenzie – Alexandria, Virginia – Mayor of Alexandria; United States Congressman from Virginia; president of the Washington and Ohio Railroad.[3]
- Jim Moody – Bethesda, Maryland – former US Congressman from Wisconsin.
- Edwin Ward Moore – Alexandria, Virginia – officer of the United States Navy and the navy of the Republic of Texas, charted the Texas coast.[3]
- Bruce Morrison – Bethesda, Maryland – United States Congressman from Connecticut (1983—1991) and 1990 Connecticut Gubernatorial Candidate.
- Alexander D. Orr – Alexandria, Virginia – United States Congressman from Kentucky.[3]
- James Pearce – Alexandria, Virginia – United States Senator from Maryland (1843—1862).[3]
- Leven Powell – Manassas, Virginia – former United States Representative from Virginia.
- John Roberts – Chevy Chase, Maryland – Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
- Dennis Ross – Bethesda, Maryland – author, Director of Policy Planning in the US State Department (Bush Administration), Middle East Coordinator (Clinton Administration).
- Jan Scruggs – Bowie, Maryland – corporal in the United States Army; founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
- Thomas Swann – Alexandria, Virginia – Governor of Maryland (1866—1869), U.S. Congressman for Maryland's 3rd and 4th Districts (1869—1879); Mayor of Baltimore (1856—1860).
- George Tenet – Chevy Chase, Maryland – former Director of Central Intelligence.
- Linda Tripp – Columbia, Maryland – government clerk; whistleblower in the Lewinsky scandal.
- Mark Warner – Alexandria, Virginia – Governor of Virginia (2002—2006).
- George Washington – Alexandria, Virginia – Revolutionary War general; first President of the United States.
- Paul D. Wolfowitz – Chevy Chase, Maryland – former Deputy Secretary of Defense; former President of the World Bank.
- Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia – Fairfax, Virginia – member of the Yugoslavian Royal Family.
- Prince Philip of Yugoslavia – Fairfax, Virginia – member of the Yugoslavian Royal Family.
Scientists and engineers
- Hunter "Patch" Adams – Arlington, Virginia – doctor, author, and social activist.
- Charles L. Bennett – Bethesda, Maryland – astrophysicist; PI of WMAP.
- Wernher von Braun – Alexandria, Virginia – rocket scientist; father of the US space program.
- William E. Caswell – Silver Spring, Maryland – physicist.
- Charles Drew – Washington, D.C. – physician and noted medical researcher in the fields of blood plasma and blood transfusions.
- Charlene Drew Jarvis – Washington, D.C. – president of Southeastern University and former medical researcher.
- Bill Nye – Washington, D.C. – mechanical engineer, scientist, and comedian, television personality.
- Frank Whittle – Columbia, Maryland – inventor of the jet engine.
Sports
- Nick Adenhart – Silver Spring, Maryland – professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels.
- Freddy Adu – Rockville, Maryland – teenage soccer prodigy, youngest American ever to sign a professional sports contract.
- Tommy Amaker – Fairfax, Virginia – coach of the Harvard University basketball team.
- Brady Anderson – Silver Spring, Maryland – former professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians.
- Jess Atkinson – Bethesda, Maryland – former football player.
- Red Auerbach – Bethesda, Maryland – former coach and General Manager of the Boston Celtics.
- David Bautista – Arlington, Virginia – professional wrestler.
- Alana Beard – Bowie, Maryland – professional basketball player for the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
- Melissa Belote – Washington, D.C. – former Olympic gold-medal swimmer.
- Adam Birch – Fairfax, Virginia – former professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment's SmackDown!.
- Mike Brey – Bethesda, Maryland – Men's Basketball coach for the University of Notre Dame.
- James Brown – Bethesda, Maryland – sports announcer.
- John Bunting – Silver Spring, Maryland – former head football coach for the University of North Carolina and professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Gary Clark – Bethesda, Maryland – professional football player for the Washington Redskins.
- Mike Curtis – Rockville, Maryland – professional football player for the Baltimore Colts (1965—1975), Seattle Seahawks (1976), and the Washington Redskins (1977—1978).
- Vernon Davis – Washington, D.C. – professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers.
- Dominique Dawes – Silver Spring, Maryland – Olympic gymnast.
- Tom Dolan – Arlington, Virginia – 1996 Olympic Gold medalist in swimming.
- Jeremy Duchesne – Silver Spring, Maryland – NHL goaltending prospect currently in the Philadelphia Flyers system.
- Kevin Durant – Washington, D.C. – former University of Texas Longhorns basketball star (2006-2007) and professional basketball player for the Seattle Supersonics.
- Billy Edelin – Silver Spring, Maryland – former college basketball player for Syracuse University and member of the 2003 National Championship team.
- Danny Ferry – Bowie, Maryland – professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs.
- Hank Fraley – Gaithersburg, Maryland – professional football player for the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Steve Francis – Silver Spring, Maryland – professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets.
- Keith B. Gordon – Bethesda, Maryland – Major League Baseball player.
- Jeff Halpern – Bethesda, Maryland – professional ice hockey player for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- Shane Halter – La Plata, Maryland – former professional baseball player for the Detroit Tigers and Anaheim Angels.
- Andy Heck – Fairfax, Virginia – former professional football player.
- Tony Hunt – Alexandria, Virginia – professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Erik Imler – Silver Spring, Maryland – former professional soccer player.
- Larry Johnson – La Plata, Maryland – football player.
- William Joppy – Rockville, Maryland – boxer.
- Brian Kendrick – Fairfax, Virginia – professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment
- Johnny Klippstein – Silver Spring, Maryland – professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers.
- Jon Knott – Manassas, Virginia – professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles.
- Tim Kurkjian – Bethesda, Maryland – ESPN reporter and analyst for Baseball Tonight.
- Shawn Kuykendall – Fairfax, Virginia – professional soccer player for Red Bull New York.
- Kara Lawson – Alexandria, Virginia – women's college basketball player and professional basketball player for the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA.
- Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans – Silver Spring, Maryland – former professional football player for the New York Giants.
- Byron Leftwich – Washington, D.C. – football player.
- Sugar Ray Leonard – Palmer Park, Maryland – former professional boxer.
- Ted Lerner – Chevy Chase, Maryland – owner of the Washington Nationals.
- Earl Lloyd – Alexandria, Virginia – retired professional basketball player; first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association.
- Marty Lyons – Takoma Park, Maryland – former professional football player New York Jets.
- Roger Mason – Washington, D.C. – professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards.
- Scott Norwood – Alexandria, Virginia – professional football player for the Buffalo Bills.
- Buzz Nutter – La Plata, Maryland – football player.
- Oguchi Onyewu – Silver Spring, Maryland – professional soccer player for Standard Liège.
- Chris Parks – Washington, D.C. – professional wrestler.
- David Robinson – Manassas, Virginia – professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs.
- Brad Schumacher – Bowie, Maryland – swimmer and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist.
- Jason Spence – Fairfax, Virginia – professional wrestler.
- Ron Springs – Silver Spring, Maryland – former professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys and father of Shawn Springs.
- Shawn Springs – Silver Spring, Maryland – professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins.
- Scott Van Pelt – Brookville, Maryland – ESPN SportsCenter anchor and ESPN Radio host.
- Greivis Vasquez – Rockville, Maryland – basketball player for the University of Maryland, College Park.
- Michael Weiss (figure skater) – Fairfax, Virginia – Olympic ice skater.
- Delonte West – Washington, D.C. – professional basketball player.
- Morgan Wootten – University Park, Maryland – high school basketball coach; achieved most wins in high school basketball history.
- Dainius Zubrus – Bethesda, Maryland – professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres.
Writers and journalists
- Jayson Blair – Columbia, Maryland – former reporter for the New York Times.
- Francis Preston Blair, Sr. – Silver Spring, Maryland – politician, journalist.
- William Peter Blatty – Bethesda, Maryland – writer, best known for The Exorcist.
- Ann Brashares – Bethesda, Maryland – author, known for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
- David Brooks – Bethesda, Maryland – New York Times columnist.
- Rachel Carson – Silver Spring, Maryland – author.
- Michael Chabon – Columbia, Maryland – author.
- Steve Charnovitz – Falls Church, Virginia – author on international trade and law professor.
- Frank Cho – Beltsville, Maryland – syndicated cartoonist.
- Connie Chung – Washington, D.C. – journalist.
- Jerry Climer – Alexandria, Virginia – political consultant.
- Katie Couric – Arlington, Virginia – television news anchorwoman.
- Christopher Pearse Cranch – Alexandria, Virginia – Unitarian minister, newspaper editor, author, and artist.[3]
- E.J. Dionne – Bethesda, Maryland – author and journalist.
- Matt Drudge – Takoma Park, Maryland – internet journalist.
- John Feinstein – Bethesda, Maryland – [[author, columnist and reporter.
- Jonathan Safran Foer – Washington, D.C. – writer.
- Thomas Friedman – Bethesda, Maryland – New York Times columnist.
- David Gardner – Alexandria, Virginia – founder of the Motley Fool.
- Tom Gardner – Alexandria, Virginia – founder of the Motley Fool.
- Doreen Gentzler – Chevy Chase, Maryland – WRC-TV television news anchor.
- Gary Groth – Springfield, Virginia – comic book publisher.
- Stephen Hunter – Columbia, Maryland – film critic and author.
- Gayle King – Chevy Chase, Maryland – editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine.
- Laura Lippman – Columbia, Maryland – author.
- Suzanne Malveaux – Columbia, Maryland – reporter for CNN.
- Chris Matthews – Chevy Chase, Maryland – host of Hardball with Chris Matthews.
- Aaron McGruder – Columbia, Maryland – cartoonist.
- Paul Mirengoff – Bethesda, Maryland – attorney, co-author of the Power Line.
- Phyllis Reynolds Naylor – Bethesda, Maryland – author.
- Mike O'Meara – Manassas, Virginia – radio personality, best known for his role on the nationally-syndicated Don and Mike Radio Show.
- George Pelecanos – Silver Spring, Maryland – author, journalist, film producer and writer/producer of The Wire.
- Audrey Penn – Silver Spring, Maryland – author.
- Maury Povich – Washington, D.C. – television personality.
- Gordon Prange – University Park, Maryland – historian.
- Cokie Roberts – Bethesda, Maryland – journalist, author.
- Nora Roberts – Silver Spring, Maryland – author.
- Willard Scott – Alexandria, Virginia – television personality; meteorologist for NBC's The Today Show.
- Elliot Segal – Rockville, Maryland – host of radio show Elliot in the Morning.
- Valerie Tripp – Silver Spring, Maryland – author.
- Michael Wilbon – Bethesda, Maryland – columnist for the Washington Post, host of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption.
- David Willman – Bethesda, Maryland – recipient of the Pulitzer Prize.
Other
- Michael Bray – Bowie, Maryland – convicted terrorist and anti-abortion activist.
- Leo Felton – Silver Spring, Maryland – white supremacist.
- John Walker Lindh – Washington, D.C. – fought for the Taliban during the 2001 War in Afghanistan.
- Samuel Mudd – Waldorf, Maryland – doctor, implicated in aiding the Abraham Lincoln assassination by John Wilkes Booth.
- Lisa Nowak – Rockville, Maryland – astronaut and alleged attempted murderer.
- Lorenzo Odone – Fairfax, Virginia – adrenoleukodystrophy patient.
- Edmund Spangler – Waldorf, Maryland – conspirator in the Abraham Lincoln assassination.
- Robert Stethem – Waldorf, Maryland – United States Navy diver, killed during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.
See also
References
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