Famous People Born in 1961 a to z

Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped by Marxist guerillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) while campaigning for the presidency.

Leigh Bowery was an Australian fashion designer, club promoter and performance artist, known as the proprietor of the hedonistic London nightclub Taboo.

Plucked from obscurity when she stunned the judges on the UK TV show Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle has gone on to great singing success.

People's sexiest man alive George Clooney is an Oscar-winning actor best known for playing Dr. Doug Ross on TV's ER and Danny Ocean in the Ocean's Eleven films.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has insulted Jews, 9/11 widows and a variety of Democratic politicians, yet she continues to have a loyal fan base.

Grammy Award-winning musician Wayne Coyne has been the frontman of the Flaming Lips since 1983.

Billy Ray Cyrus is a country singer/songwriter who is perhaps now more famous for his TV and film roles than for his music.

Irish singer Enya performed with her family's band Clannad before making it big with her solo album Watermark in 1988.

Melissa Etheridge is a rock singer-songwriter and an environmental activist. Her hit songs include "I’m the Only One" and "Come to My Window."

Christopher Ferguson became famous when NASA selected him to fly aboard Atlantis on the last ever space shuttle launch.

Actor Laurence Fishburne has appeared in Boyz N The Hood, What's Love Got to Do With It? (for which he received an Academy Award nomination) and The Matrix.

Tom Ford is a fashion designer and film director who was the Creative Director of Gucci from 1994-2004. He founded his own Tom Ford fashion label in 2004.

Actor Michael J. Fox first achieved stardom as Alex P. Keaton on the popular sitcom Family Ties and went on to have great success with other film and TV roles.

James Gandolfini is an American actor best known for his role as a mobster in the hit 1999 HBO television series The Sopranos.

Timothy Geithner is best known as the 75th U.S. Sercretary of the Treasury, under President Barack Obama. As the CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank, he was responsible for several crucial decisions during the 2008 financial crisis.

Ricky Gervais is a British comedian best known for co-writing and co-directing the television series The Office.

Martin Gore is best known as the keyboardist and primary songwriter for Depeche Mode. Gore wrote many hit tracks, including "Policy of Truth" and "Personal Jesus."

Arguably hockey's greatest player, Wayne Gretzky played for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers during his long career.

American actor Jackie Earle Haley played a rebellious Little Leaguer in the The Bad New Bears movies of the 1970s, and has since starred in films like A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) and Lincoln (2012).

Woody Harrelson is an actor know for his long-running role on TV's Cheers and his many film roles since.

Jared Harris is a prolific British actor known for his role on the TV series Mad Men, and his performances in the films Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Lincoln.

New Zealand native Peter Jackson is best known as a director for his adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, which has won 11 Oscars.

Singer and musician Randy Jackson came to fame as a member of the Jacksons, a hit R&B and pop group of the 1970s and '80s.

Fashion designer Jimmy Choo rose to fame for the quality and style of his handmade women's shoes.

Tawny Kitaen is best known for appearing in music videos in the 1980s, including Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" video. She later starred on reality televison series like The Surreal Life and Celebrity Rehab.

Versatile singer and songwriter k.d. Lang is known for such country hits as "Crying" and "I'm Down to My Last Cigarette," and for the successful pop single "Constant Craving."

British-American actress Jane Leeves played Daphne on the Emmy Award-winning NBC sitcom Frasier, and began playing Joy on TV Land's Hot in Cleveland in 2010.

Actress Heather Locklear was on the television series C.H.I.P.S, Dynasty, T.J. Hooker, Melrose Place and Sin City. She was also in the movie Firestarter.

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus is best known for playing Elaine on the sitcom Seinfeld. She has also starred on The New Adventures of Old Christine, and the HBO TV series Veep.

Former teen heartthrob beloved for his role in The Karate Kid, actor Ralph Macchio has appeared in movies, theater and on television. He is also a producer.      

Dan Marino was a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Miami Dolphins from 1984-2000.

A giant in the music world, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is a multi-Grammy Award winner who has been lauded for his work both in jazz and classical music.

Elizabeth McGovern is an Academy Award-nominated actress known for playing Cora Crawley on the BBC series Downton Abbey.

Janet McTeer is an English television, stage and film actress best known for her Golden Globe-winning performance in Tumbleweeds.

Actor Christopher Meloni starred as Detective Elliot Stabler in the hit television crime drama Law & Order: SVU for twelve seasons from 1999 to 2011.

Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy began doing stand-up as a teenager. He became a popular Saturday Night Live cast member and starred in several box-office hits.

Vince Neil is the lead singer of Mötley Crüe and a reality TV show veteran.

Business leader and entrepreneur Kevin O'Connor is a co-founder and the CEO of the internet advertising technology company DoubleClick.

Barack Obama is the 44th and current president of the United States, and the first African American to serve as U.S. president. First elected to the presidency in 2008, he won a second term in 2012.

Roland Orzabal is an English musician, songwriter and record producer best known as co-founder with Curt Smith of the popular '80s pop band Tears for Fears.

Princess Diana was Princess of Wales while married to Prince Charles. One of the most adored members of the British royal family, she died in a 1997 car crash.

Dana Reeve was an actress and the wife of actor Christopher Reeve. She established and chaired the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center.

Dennis Rodman is considered one of professional basketball's all-time great rebounders. He helped lead the Detroit Pistons and later the Chicago Bulls to multiple titles.

Comedian and writer Amy Sedaris is known for her outrageous stage and television characters. She is the younger sister of writer David Sedaris.

Isiah Thomas is generally regarded as one of the best point guards in the history of basketball. He played for the Detroit Pistons.

Republican John Thune won the 2004 Senate election against Democrat Tom Daschle to become senator of South Dakota.

Actor, producer and director Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. He’s also known for films like Bird, Ghost Dog and The Butler.