Notable Alumni of Columbia University [Sorted List]

1. Mark A. Milley

1958-. (aged 68)

army officer

Mark Alexander Milley is a retired United States Army general who served as the 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2023. He had previously served as the 39th chief of staff of the Army from 2015 to 2019 and held multiple command and staff positions in eight divisions and special forces.

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2. Spencer Treat Clark

1987-. (aged 39)

film actor actor television actor

Spencer Treat Clark is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his roles in the 2000 films Gladiator and Unbreakable. He has since appeared in the films Mystic River (2003), The Last House on the Left (2009), Much Ado About Nothing (2012), and the Unbreakable sequel Glass (2019).

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3. James Mangold

1963-. (aged 63)

film screenwriter film producer film director actor director

James Allen Mangold is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Noted for his versatility in tackling a range of genres, Mangold made his debut as a film director with Heavy (1995), and gained recognition for the films Cop Land (1997), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Identity (2003), Walk the Line (2005), 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Knight and Day (2010), and two...

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4. Hari Nef

1992-. (aged 34)

writer model television actor actor

Hari Nef is an American actress, model, and writer. Nef's breakthrough role was Gittel in the Amazon original series Transparent, for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2016.

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5. Paul Auster

1947-2024 (aged 77)

university teacher writer translator autobiographer essayist

Paul Benjamin Auster was an American writer, novelist, memoirist, poet, and filmmaker. His notable works include The New York Trilogy (1987), Moon Palace (1989), The Music of Chance (1990), The Book of Illusions (2002), The Brooklyn Follies (2005), Invisible (2009), Sunset Park (2010), Winter Journal (2012), and 4 3 2 1 (2017). His books have been translated into more than...

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6. Gene Roddenberry

1921-1991 (aged 70)

executive producer aircraft pilot television producer film producer television writer

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a police officer. Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the Army Air Forces during World War II and worked as a commercial pilot...

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7. William Barr

1950-. (aged 76)

political scientist lawyer politician

William Pelham Barr is an American attorney who served as United States Attorney General in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 1993 and again in the first administration of President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2020.

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8. George Stephanopoulos

1961-. (aged 65)

political adviser news presenter writer blogger politician

George Robert Stephanopoulos is an American television host, political commentator, and former Democratic advisor. Stephanopoulos currently is a coanchor with Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan on Good Morning America, and host of This Week, ABC's Sunday morning current events news program.

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9. Sidney Lumet

1924-2011 (aged 87)

film director film screenwriter director producer theatrical director

Sidney Arthur Lumet was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to directing television in 1950, and then directing films from 1957, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York dramas that focused on the working class, tackled social injustices, and often questioned authority. He received various accolades including an Academy...

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10. James Cagney

1899-1986 (aged 87)

dancer film actor screenwriter director character actor

James Francis Cagney Jr. was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances.

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11. Mikheil Saakashvili

1967-. (aged 59)

jurist lawyer television presenter politician

Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili is a Georgian-Ukrainian politician. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from January 2004 to November 2013, with a break from November 2007 to January 2008 after he stepped down following anti-government demonstrations and ahead of an early presidential election. He is the founder and former chairman of Georgia's United National Movement party....

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12. Ben Platt

1993-. (aged 33)

stage actor actor composer singer film actor

Benjamin Schiff Platt is an American actor and singer. The son of film and theater producer Marc Platt and philanthropist Julie Platt, he began his acting career in musical theater as a child and appeared in productions of The Sound of Music (2006) and The Book of Mormon (2012–2015), rising to prominence for originating the title role in the Broadway...

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13. Meghan McCain

1984-. (aged 42)

television personality columnist writer journalist television presenter

Meghan Marguerite McCain is an American television personality, columnist, and author. She has worked for ABC News, Fox News, and MSNBC. She is the daughter of politician John McCain and diplomat Cindy McCain. McCain has been a public figure for much of her life, first appearing at the 1996 Republican National Convention.

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14. Ezra Koenig

1984-. (aged 42)

singer teacher songwriter guitarist musician

Ezra Michael Koenig is an American musician, record producer, and radio personality. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additionally, Koenig is the creator of the Netflix animated comedy series Neo Yokio and also hosts the Apple Music radio talk show Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig. Time Crisis is airing its tenth...

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15. Matthew Fox

1966-. (aged 60)

model television actor actor film actor

Matthew Chandler Fox is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Charlie Salinger on Party of Five (1994–2000) and Jack Shephard on the drama series Lost (2004–2010), the latter of which earned him Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Fox has also performed in feature films, including We Are Marshall (2006), Vantage Point (2008), Alex...

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16. Thomas Sowell

1930-. (aged 96)

educator economist university teacher columnist

Thomas Sowell is an American economist, economic historian, and social theorist. With widely published commentary and books—and as a guest on TV and radio—he is a well-known voice in the American conservative movement as a prominent black conservative. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and was a recipient of the National Humanities Medal from President George W....

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17. Richard Thoma

1951-. (aged 75)

film producer television actor screenwriter television director film actor

Richard Earl Thomas is an American actor. He is best known for his leading role as budding author John-Boy Walton in the CBS drama series The Waltons for which he won an Emmy Award. He also received another Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe Award nominations for that role.

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18. Rachel Nichols

1980-. (aged 46)

model television actor film producer actor film actor

Rachel Nichols is an American actress and model. Nichols began modeling while attending Columbia University in New York City in the late 1990s, and transitioned into acting by the early 2000s; she had a part in the romantic drama Autumn in New York (2000) and a one-episode role in the fourth season of Sex and the City (2002). Her first...

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19. Ebon Moss-Bachrach

1977-. (aged 49)

television actor stage actor actor film actor

Ebon Che Moss-Bachrach is an American actor. He is known for his role as restaurant manager Richie Jerimovich in the comedy-drama series The Bear (2022–present), for which he was twice awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in addition to two Golden Globe Award nominations.

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20. Kelsey Asbille

1991-. (aged 35)

television actor stage actor actor film actor

Kelsey Asbille Chow, known as her stage name Kelsey Asbille, is an American actress. In 2024, Asbille played the lead role of Iris in the Netflix movie Don't Move. She has played Mikayla in the Disney XD sitcom Pair of Kings. From 2005 to 2009, she had a recurring role as Gigi Silveri on the drama One Tree Hill. She...

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21. Raymond Burr

1917-1993 (aged 76)

television actor stage actor actor film actor

Raymond William Stacy Burr was a Canadian actor who had a lengthy Hollywood film career and portrayed the title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside.

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22. Cara Buono

1971-. (aged 55)

film producer television actor screenwriter film actor stage actor

Cara Buono is an American actress. She made her film debut in Gladiator (1992) and received recognition for her roles in various television shows including CBS Schoolbreak Special (1991), Law & Order (1996–2024), Mad Men (2010), and starred as Karen Wheeler in the Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–2025). Her roles earned her nominations for both a Primetime Emmy Award for...

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23. Allen Ginsberg

1926-1997 (aged 71)

diarist writer autobiographer playwright screenwriter

Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Generation. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism and sexual repression and he embodied various aspects of this counterculture with his views on drugs, sex,...

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24. Jim Jarmusch

1953-. (aged 73)

film director director actor writer film producer

James Robert Jarmusch is an American filmmaker and musician.

25. Elaine Chao

1953-. (aged 73)

politician economist

Elaine Lan Chao is a Taiwanese-American businesswoman and former government official who served as United States secretary of labor in the administration of George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 and as United States secretary of transportation in the first administration of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Chao was the first Asian American...

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26. Ursula K. Le Guin

1929-2018 (aged 89)

literary critic writer of feminist science fiction journalist children's writer prose writer

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was an American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series. Her work was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, producing more than twenty novels and more than a hundred short stories, in...

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27. Robert Kraft

1941-. (aged 85)

financier chief executive officer

Robert Kenneth Kraft is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development, and a private equity portfolio. Since 1994, Kraft has owned the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He also owns...

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28. Kathryn Bigelow

1951-. (aged 75)

screenwriter executive producer film director film producer

Kathryn Ann Bigelow is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

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29. Bill de Blasio

1961-. (aged 65)

lawyer politician

Bill de Blasio is an American former politician who served as the 110th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New York City Public Advocate from 2010 to 2013.

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30. Max Minghella

1985-. (aged 41)

screenwriter stage actor film director television actor film actor

Maxwell Giorgio Choa Minghella is a British actor and director. He is known for his roles in the films Syriana (2005), Art School Confidential (2006), Elvis and Anabelle (2007), The Social Network (2010), The Darkest Hour (2011), The Ides of March (2011), The Internship (2013), Horns (2013), and Spiral (2021), as well as his role as Nick Blaine in the...

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31. Lou Gehrig

1903-1941 (aged 38)

baseball player

Henry Louis Gehrig was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, which earned him the nickname "the Iron Horse", and he is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Gehrig...

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32. Madeleine Albright

1937-2022 (aged 85)

writer diplomat autobiographer foreign minister minister

Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright was a Czech-born American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman to hold the position.

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33. Telly Savalas

1922-1994 (aged 72)

actor radio personality film screenwriter director poker player

Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American actor. Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt. Theo Kojak on the crime drama series Kojak (1973–1978) and James Bond archvillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).

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34. Soon-Yi Previn

1970-. (aged 56)

film actor

Soon-Yi Previn is the wife of filmmaker Woody Allen and the adopted daughter of actress Mia Farrow and musician André Previn. Her romantic relationship with Allen created public controversy when it became known in 1992; Allen had been the long-term partner of Previn's adoptive mother, Mia Farrow. Previn married Allen in 1997.

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35. Brian Dennehy

1938-2020 (aged 82)

television director film producer film director actor television producer

Brian Manion Dennehy was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for six Primetime Emmy Awards. Dennehy had roles in over 180 films and in many television and stage productions. His film roles included First Blood (1982), Gorky Park (1983), Silverado...

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36. Jack Kerouac

1922-1969 (aged 47)

screenwriter novelist prose writer writer poet

Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac, known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation.

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37. Hikaru Utada

1983-. (aged 43)

singer record producer composer pianist blogger

Hikaru Utada, also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and record producer. They are considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. They are perhaps best known by international audiences for writing and performing four theme-songs to Square Enix and Disney's Kingdom Hearts video game series: "Simple and Clean",...

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38. Antony Blinken

1962-. (aged 64)

politician managing partner lawyer diplomat journalist

Antony John Blinken is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. Blinken was previously national security advisor to then-vice president Joe Biden from...

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39. Art Garfunkel

1941-. (aged 85)

television actor actor singer-songwriter poet teacher

Arthur Ira Garfunkel is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel.

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40. Roy Cohn

1927-1986 (aged 59)

biographer politician lawyer writer businessperson

Roy Marcus Cohn was an American lawyer and prosecutor. He first gained fame as a prosecutor of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in their trials (1952–53) and as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954. Cohn had been assisting McCarthy's investigations of suspected communists. In the 1970s and during the 1980s, he became a prominent legal and...

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41. J. D. Salinger

1919-2010 (aged 91)

writer novelist

Jerome David Salinger was an American author best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger published several short stories in Story magazine in 1940, before serving in World War II. In 1948, his critically acclaimed story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" appeared in The New Yorker, which published much of his later work.

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42. Sara Ali Khan

1995-. (aged 31)

actor

Sara Sultan, professionally known as Sara Ali Khan, is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Born into the Pataudi family, she is the daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan. Khan is the recipient of a Filmfare Award and has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list of 2019.

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43. Beto O'Rourke

1972-. (aged 54)

musician politician writer businessperson business executive

Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 16th congressional district from 2013 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, O'Rourke was the party's nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2018, a candidate for the presidential nomination in 2020, and the party's nominee for the 2022 Texas gubernatorial election.

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44. Amanda Peet

1972-. (aged 54)

stage actor television actor writer television producer film actor

Amanda Peet is an American actress. She began her career with small parts on television before making her feature film debut in Animal Room (1995). Her portrayal of Jill St. Claire in The Whole Nine Yards (2000) brought her wider recognition. Since then, she has appeared in Saving Silverman (2001), High Crimes, Changing Lanes, Igby Goes Down (all 2002), Something's...

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45. Jenny Slate

1982-. (aged 44)

voice actor actor children's writer comedian writer

Jenny Slate is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer. After early acting and stand-up roles on television, Slate gained recognition for her live variety shows in New York City and for co-creating the children's short film and book series Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2010–2014) with Dean Fleischer Camp, to whom she was married from 2012 to 2016....

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46. Anthony Perkins

1932-1992 (aged 60)

actor

Anthony Perkins was an American actor. Born in Manhattan, he began his acting career as a teenager in summer stock theatre, and appeared in films prior to his Broadway debut. His first film role was in The Actress (1953). That same year, he debuted on Broadway in Tea and Sympathy, a performance for which he received critical acclaim.

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47. Hunter S. Thompson

1937-2005 (aged 68)

reporter writer screenwriter autobiographer essayist

Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author, regarded as a pioneer of New Journalism along with Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe. He rose to prominence with the book Hell's Angels (1967), for which he lived a year among the Hells Angels motorcycle club to write a first-hand account of their lives and...

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48. Anna Paquin

1982-. (aged 44)

film actor television actor stage actor

Anna Helene Paquin is a New Zealand actress. Born in Winnipeg, Canada, and raised in Wellington, she made her acting debut in the romantic drama film The Piano (1993), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 11, becoming the second-youngest winner in Oscar history. As a child actress, she had roles in Fly Away...

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49. Jane Seymour

1951-. (aged 75)

actor television actor entrepreneur film actor stage actor

Jane Seymour OBE is a British actress. After making her screen debut as an uncredited teenage extra in the 1969 musical comedy Oh! What a Lovely War, Seymour moved to roles in film and television, including a leading role in the television series The Onedin Line (1972–1973) the role of psychic Bond girl Solitaire in the James Bond film Live...

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50. Caroline Kennedy

1957-. (aged 69)

writer lawyer socialite politician journalist

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author, diplomat, and attorney. She served as United States ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 and ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024. Most of Kennedy's professional life has been in literature, law, politics, education reform, and charity. She is a member of the Kennedy family and the only surviving child of President...

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51. James Gunn

1966-. (aged 60)

film director director actor writer film screenwriter

James Francis Gunn Jr. is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with Tromeo and Juliet (1996). He then began working as a director, starting with the horror-comedy film Slither (2006), and moving to the superhero genre with Super (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol....

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52. Famke Janssen

1964-. (aged 62)

film producer television actor screenwriter model film actor

Famke Beumer Janssen is a Dutch actress and former model. She played Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye (1995), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men film series (2000–2014), and Lenore Mills in the Taken film trilogy (2008–2014). In 2008, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity by the United Nations. She made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby in...

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53. Emmy Rossum

1986-. (aged 40)

opera singer singer-songwriter television actor actor film actor

Emmanuelle Grey Rossum is an American actress and singer-songwriter. The accolades she has received include a Saturn Award and Critics' Choice Movie Award, alongside nominations for a Golden Globe Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and two Critics' Choice Television Awards.

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54. Kate McKinnon

1984-. (aged 42)

film actor comedian television actor actor politician

Kate McKinnon Berthold is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022, where she became known for her character work and celebrity impressions. For her work on the series, she was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics...

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55. Maggie Gyllenhaal

1977-. (aged 49)

film actor stage actor film director television actor singer

Margalit Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal is an American actress and filmmaker. Part of the Gyllenhaal family, she is the daughter of filmmakers Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs, and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

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56. Amelia Earhart

1897-1939 (aged 42)

memoirist women's rights activist aviation writer aircraft pilot journalist

Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviator and aviation pioneer who became one of the most celebrated figures of early flight.

57. Julia Stiles

1981-. (aged 45)

film director stage actor model television actor film actor

Julia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress and director. Stiles began acting at the age of 11 as part of New York's La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Her film debut was a small role at age 15 in I Love You, I Love You Not (1996), followed by a lead role in Wicked (1998) for which she received the Karlovy...

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58. Isaac Asimov

1920-1992 (aged 72)

non-fiction writer university teacher journalist screenwriter novelist

Isaac Asimov was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. A prolific writer, he wrote or edited more than 500 books. He also wrote an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Best known for his...

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59. Casey Affleck

1975-. (aged 51)

voice actor stage actor film editor actor television actor

Casey Affleck is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. The younger brother of actor Ben Affleck, he began his career as a child actor, appearing in the PBS television film Lemon Sky (1988). He later appeared in three Gus Van Sant films:...

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60. Alicia Keys

1981-. (aged 45)

pianist presenter record producer composer actor

Alicia Augello Cook, known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After disputes with the label, she signed with J Records to release her debut studio album, Songs in A Minor (2001). Met with critical...

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61. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

1981-. (aged 45)

stage actor film director actor film producer film actor

Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his leading performances in 500 Days of Summer (2009) and 50/50 (2011). He is the founder of the online media platform HitRecord whose projects such as HitRecord on TV...

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62. Theodore Roosevelt

1858-1919 (aged 61)

statesperson husbandry worker ornithologist autobiographer scientific collector

Theodore Roosevelt Jr., also known as Teddy or T. R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as the state's 33rd governor for two years. He served as the 25th vice president under President William McKinley for six months in 1901, assuming the presidency...

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63. Katie Holmes

1978-. (aged 48)

actor television actor film actor stage actor film director

Kate Noelle Holmes is an American actress and filmmaker. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series Dawson's Creek (1998–2003).

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64. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

1933-2020 (aged 87)

jurist lawyer judge

Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton to replace retiring justice Byron White, and at the time was viewed as a moderate consensus-builder. Ginsburg was the first Jewish woman...

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65. Barack Obama

1961-. (aged 65)

academic community organizer memoirist political writer podcaster

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president. Obama previously served as a U.S. senator representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.

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66. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

1882-1945 (aged 63)

statesperson

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president and the only one to have served more than two terms. His first two terms were centered on combating the Great Depression, while his third and fourth focused on U.S. involvement...

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67. Jake Gyllenhaal

1980-. (aged 46)

stage actor television actor voice actor executive producer film actor

Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal is an American actor whose career on screen and stage has spanned more than three decades. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and the younger brother of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.

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68. Timothée Chalamet

1995-. (aged 31)

actor

Timothée Hal Chalamet is an American and French actor. Known for his work in a diverse range of blockbusters and independent films, he is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Actor Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Critics' Choice Awards, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards, six British Academy Film Awards, and a Grammy Award. His...

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69. Robert Sean Leonard

1969-. (aged 57)

television actor stage actor actor film actor

Robert Lawrence Leonard, known as Robert Sean Leonard, is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Neil Perry in the drama film Dead Poets Society (1989) and Dr. James Wilson in the medical drama series House (2004–2012).

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70. Maryanne Trump Barry

1937-2023 (aged 86)

lawyer judge magistrate

Maryanne Trump Barry was an American attorney and United States federal judge. She became an assistant United States attorney in 1974 and was first appointed to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. In 1999, she was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by...

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71. Joan Rivers

1933-2014 (aged 81)

director film actor film producer film director voice actor

Joan Alexandra Molinsky, known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that was heavily self-deprecating and acerbic, especially towards celebrities and politicians, delivered in her signature New York accent. She is considered a pioneer of women in comedy. She received an Emmy Award...

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72. Alexander Hamilton

1757-1804 (aged 47)

military officer aide-de-camp military personnel writer philosopher

Alexander Schuyler Hamilton was an American Episcopal priest and great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. He was the rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Weston, Connecticut, by 1893; St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Woodbury, Connecticut, by 1915; and Christ Church in Westport, Connecticut, until he retired in 1920. Hamilton was the chaplain...

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73. Brian De Palma

1940-. (aged 86)

film editor actor writer director film producer

Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the suspense, crime, and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading member of the New Hollywood generation.

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74. Karine Jean-Pierre

1974-. (aged 52)

Chief of Staff press secretary

Karine Jean-Pierre is an American political advisor and spokesperson who served as the 35th White House press secretary from 2022 to 2025, and as a senior advisor to President Joe Biden from 2024 to 2025. She is the first Black person and the first openly LGBTQ person to serve in the position of White House press secretary. Previously, she served...

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75. Alan Greenspan

1926-. (aged 100)

jazz musician banker politician entrepreneur economist

Alan Greenspan is an American economist who served as the 13th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006. He worked as a private adviser and provided consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC.

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76. Yo-Yo Ma

1955-. (aged 71)

music educator cellist composer

Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist. Born to Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy, and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, Ma moved with his family to Boston and later to New York City, where he continued his cello studies at the Juilliard School before...

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77. Shirley Chisholm

1924-2005 (aged 81)

politician

Shirley Anita Chisholm was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional district, a district centered in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1972, she became the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United...

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78. Ed Harris

1950-. (aged 76)

film director director television actor voice actor theatrical director

Edward Allen Harris is an American actor and filmmaker. Harris received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Apollo 13 (1995), The Truman Show (1998), and The Hours (2002). He also directed and starred in Pollock (2000) and Appaloosa (2008), the former earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

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79. Geraldo Rivera

1943-. (aged 83)

writer political reporter talk show host political writer radio personality

Geraldo Michael Rivera is an American journalist, attorney, author, and political commentator who worked at the Fox News Channel from 2001 to 2023. He hosted the tabloid talk show Geraldo from 1987 to 1998. He gained publicity with the live 1986 TV special The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults. Rivera hosted the news magazine program Geraldo at Large, hosts the...

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80. Warren Buffett

1930-. (aged 96)

entrepreneur financier investor shareholder economist

Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor and philanthropist who is the chairman and former CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his success, Buffett is one of the best-known investors in America. According to Forbes, as of January 2026, Buffett's estimated net worth stood at US$148.9 billion, making him the ninth-richest individual in the world.

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81. George Segal

1934-2021 (aged 87)

film producer film actor stage actor banjoist television actor

George Segal Jr. was an American actor and musician. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as Ship of Fools (1965) and King Rat (1965), he co-starred in the drama Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).

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82. Langston Hughes

1901-1967 (aged 66)

children's writer biographer writer essayist playwright

James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. An early innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance.

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83. Andrew Yang

1975-. (aged 51)

entrepreneur

Andrew Yang is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, political commentator, and author. He founded the political party and action committee Forward Party in 2021, for which he serves as co-chair alongside former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Michael S. Willner.

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84. James Franco

1978-. (aged 48)

film editor film actor film producer film director television presenter

James Edward Franco is an American actor and filmmaker. He has starred in numerous films, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), Milk (2008), Eat Pray Love (2010), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). He has collaborated with fellow actor Seth Rogen on multiple projects, including Pineapple Express (2008),...

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85. Anson Mount

1973-. (aged 53)

television actor film producer actor film actor

Anson Adams Mount IV is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series Hell on Wheels, as Jim Steele on the NBC series Conviction (2006), as the Marvel Comics superhero Black Bolt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise (appearing in Inhumans and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse...

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86. Neil deGrasse Tyson

1958-. (aged 68)

astrophysicist science communicator

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University. In 1994, he joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist and the Princeton faculty as a visiting research scientist and lecturer....

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87. Lauren Graham

1967-. (aged 59)

novelist film producer film actor television actor actor

Lauren Graham is an American actress and author. She is best known as Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood (2010–15). She also appeared in the films Sweet November (2001), Bad Santa (2003), The Pacifier (2005), Because I Said So...

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88. Laurie Holden

1969-. (aged 57)

film producer television actor film actor voice actor stage actor

Heather Laurie Holden is an American-Canadian retired actress, producer, model, and human rights activist. She portrayed Marita Covarrubias in The X-Files (1996–2002), Andrea Harrison in AMC's The Walking Dead (2010–2013, 2020–2022), Cybil Bennett in Silent Hill (2006) and Amanda Dumfries in The Mist (2007).

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89. Leonard Cohen

1934-2016 (aged 82)

film actor street artist lyricist poet novelist

Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, social and political conflict, sexual and romantic love, desire, regret, and loss. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock...

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90. Shinjirō Koizumi

1981-. (aged 45)

minister private secretary politician

Shinjirō Koizumi is a Japanese politician serving as the Minister of Defense since October 2025. He previously served as the Minister of the Environment from September 2019 to October 2021 and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from May to October 2025. He has also served as a Member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party, representing...

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91. Ashraf Ghani

1949-. (aged 77)

university teacher politician writer anthropologist economist

Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is an Afghan former politician and economist who served as the 8th and last president of Afghanistan from 2014 until his government was overthrown by the Taliban in 2021.

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92. Jonathan Taylor Thomas

1981-. (aged 45)

television actor child actor voice actor actor film actor

Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Randy Taylor on Home Improvement (1991–1998) and Pinocchio in the film The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996), and voicing young Simba in the animated film The Lion King (1994).

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93. Neil Gorsuch

1967-. (aged 59)

jurist lawyer judge

Neil McGill Gorsuch is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on January 31, 2017, and has served since April 10, 2017.

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94. Chelsea Clinton

1980-. (aged 46)

university teacher children's writer historian writer film producer

Chelsea Victoria Clinton is an American writer. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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95. Anna Wintour

1949-. (aged 77)

media executive fashion editor editor writer journalist

Dame Anna Wintour is a British and American media executive who served as editor-in-chief of Vogue from 1988 to 2025. Currently, Wintour serves as global chief content officer and artist director at Condé Nast. Known for her trademark pageboy bob haircut and dark sunglasses, Wintour is regarded as the most powerful woman in publishing, and has become an important figure...

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96. Milton Friedman

1912-2006 (aged 94)

economist statistician essayist university teacher

Milton Friedman was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy. With George Stigler, Friedman was among the intellectual leaders of the Chicago school of economics, a neoclassical school of economic thought associated with the faculty at...

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97. David Rockefeller

1915-2017 (aged 102)

entrepreneur art collector banker writer commissioned armed forces officers

David Rockefeller was an American economist and investment banker who served as chairman and chief executive of Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the oldest living member of the Rockefeller family from 2004 until his death in 2017. Rockefeller was the fifth son and youngest child of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and a grandson of John D....

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98. B. R. Ambedkar

1891-1956 (aged 65)

professor scholar jurist freedom fighter newspaper editor

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on the debates of the Constituent Assembly of India and the first draft of Sir Benegal Narsing Rau. Ambedkar served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. He later renounced Hinduism...

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99. Joseph Campbell

1904-1987 (aged 83)

writer historian translator essayist athletics competitor

Joseph John Campbell was an American writer and the husband of Jean Erdman. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human condition. Campbell's best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of...

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100. Mauricio Macri

1959-. (aged 67)

politician sports executive bridge player businessperson civil engineer

Mauricio Macri is an Argentine businessman and politician who served as President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. He has been the leader of the Republican Proposal (PRO) party since its founding in 2005. He previously served as Chief of Government of Buenos Aires from 2007 to 2015, and was a member of the Chamber of Deputies representing Buenos Aires...

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