Famous People Born in California a to z

Paula Abdul is best known for her hit songs and dancing in the 1990s, and for judging American Idol in the 2000s.

Ansel Adams was an American photographer best known for his iconic images of the American West, including Yosemite National Park.

Ben Affleck is known for co-writing and acting in Good Will Hunting, starring in Armageddon, and directing, co-producing and acting in Argo.

One of America's best-loved comediennes, Gracie Allen developed the Burns and Allen weekly radio program with husband George Burns.

Tom Anderson is best known as president and co-founder of MySpace, a site intended to help fans connect with their favorite bands and share music.

Jennifer Aniston won the hearts of TV viewers as Rachel on the NBC sitcom Friends. The show ran for 10 seasons.

Actress Christina Applegate played Kelly Bundy on the popular sitcom Married... With Children. She is a breast cancer survivor and publicly promotes awareness.

Jodi Arias was convicted of brutally murdering her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, at his Arizona home in 2008.

Alexis Arquette is a transgendered actor and member of the Arquette acting family. She performs in drag as "Eva Destruction."

Dorothy Arzner was a pioneer in the film industry, becoming one of the first women directors of feature films and the first woman to join the Directors Guild of America.

Susan Atkins was a member of Charles Manson's "Family" and was convicted of the group's infamous 1969 murder of Sharon Tate, which was orchestrated by Manson.

A former supermodel, Tyra Banks turned her runway success into a multimedia brand and worked at the helm of two successful television series simultaneously.

Actress Drew Barrymore gained early fame as a child star. She later struggled with substance abuse and notoriety, before re-emerging as a talented actress and producer.

Star of the 1980s sitcom Family Ties, Meredith Baxter has appeared in several films and television shows throughout her lifetime.

Swimmer Amanda Beard competed in four Olympic Games, the first in 1996 when she was just 14 years old. She appeared on the cover of Playboy in 2007.

Bobby Beausoleil, a part of Charles Manson's circle, is serving a life sentence in a California prison for the July 1969 murder of Manson associate Gary Hinman.

American actress Mayim Bialik is best known for her roles in the film Beaches and on the hit television shows Blossom and The Big Bang Theory.

Filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow has directed films like Point Break and Zero Dark Thirty. In 2009, she became the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director for The Hurt Locker (2008).

From 1957 to 1963, actress Barbara Billingsley played the perfect apron-wearing, cookie-baking housewife June Cleaver on TV's Leave it to Beaver.

Actress Thora Birch earned her first starring film role in Monkey Trouble and got her big break in American Beauty. In 2001 she starred in Ghost World.

Film and TV actor Jack Black appeared in the popular comedy films Shallow Hal, High Fidelity and Tropic Thunder, and is the voice of Kung Fu Panda.

Mel Blanc was a voice actor and entertainer who provided voices for Bugs Bunny and over 400 other cartoon characters.

Chaz Bono is an Emmy-nominated media figure who, born the daughter of performers Sonny and Cher, has undergone gender reassignment

Timothy Bradley is an American boxing champion, who has won WBO and WBC titles. In June 2012,  Bradley won a bout against multi-title champion Manny Pacquia, spurring disbelief among thousands of fans and wide media speculation. 

The winner of three Super Bowls, Tom Brady is one of the top players in the NFL. He is married to model Gisele Bündchen.

Christian Brando was the eldest son of Hollywood legend Marlon Brando. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for killing his half-sister’s boyfriend.

Stephen Breyer is a justice for the U.S. Supreme Court, having been nominated by President Bill Clinton.

Jeff Bridges is an American actor best known for his film roles in The Last Picture Show, TRON, The Big Lebowski and Crazy Heart.

American actor Todd Bridges is best known for playing Willis Jackson on the hit TV sitcom Diff’rent Strokes.

Josh Brolin made his film debut as the older brother in The Goonies in 1985. He is also played a corrupt detective in 2007’s American Gangster.

For 40 years, Actor and comedian Albert Brooks has worked steadily in Hollywood, appearing both in other people's movies and in his own self-directed projects.

Alton Brown is best known as a celebrity chef, best-selling author and award-winning Food Network star.

Dave Brubeck was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his unconventional meters, as well as songs like "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke."

Jeff Buckley was an American singer-songwriter who became widely known for his stirring cover of the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah."

Director, producer and screenwriter Tim Burton is known for such films as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, which blend themes of fantasy and horror.

Amanda Bynes is a well-known TV and film actress who got her start as a child. She has starred in hits like The Amanda Show, What a Girl Wants and Hairspray.

Actor Nicolas Cage, star of such films as Moonstruck and The Rock, is known for his intense on- and off-screen personality, as well as his passion for method acting.

Shaun Cassidy became a pop music sensation in the 1970s, much like his older half-brother David Cassidy. His first two albums sold more than 5 million copies.

Richard Chamberlain was a leading television heartthrob of the early 1960s, best known for his role as Dr. Kildare on the television show Dr. Kildare.

Wilt Chamberlain was the first NBA player to score more than 30,000 cumulative points over his career, and the first and only player to score 100 points in a single game.

Jessica Chastain is an American actress who first gained widespread attention in 2011 for her work in Take Shelter, The Help and Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life.

As famous for her unusual outfits as she is for her musical talent, Cher is an American singer and actress who got her start as half of Sonny and Cher in the 1960s.

TV chef and author Julia Child adapted complex French cooking for everyday Americans, with her groundbreaking cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Margaret Cho is a Korean-American comic best known for her candid comedy, TV roles and advocacy.

Actress and singer Zendaya Coleman first came to fame in 2010 as one of the stars of the television comedy Shake It Up.

American professional basketball player Jason Collins became the first active openly gay male athlete in the four major North American professional sports.

Grammy-award winning musician Ry Cooder has released multiple American-roots style records under his own name, and has also recorded with musicians worldwide.

Actor Jackie Coogan played Charlie Chaplin's sidekick in the silent film The Kid and Uncle Fester on the TV sitcom The Addams Family.

Child actor Jackie Cooper was in the Our Gang short film series and the Little Rascals television show. He also starred in the 1931 film The Champ.

Film actor and director Kevin Costner directed and starred in the epic film Dances With Wolves (1990), which won seven Oscars.

Swimmer Natalie Coughlin has won more than 10 Olympic medals in her career, including two gold medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Henry Cowell was an American pianist and experimental composer whose music influenced John Cage.

Cheryl Crane is the daughter of Hollywood legend Lana Turner. In 1958 when she was just 14 years old she committed murder, stabbing Turner's boyfriend after hearing him threaten to kill her mother.

Andrew Cunanan was a serial murder who killed fashion designer Gianni Versace, and at least four other people, before commiting suicide in a Miami houseboat.

Cherie Currie is a singer and actress who fronted the influential band The Runaways.

Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress, nicknamed the "Scream Queen" in the 1980's for her roles in several horror films including Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980) and Terror Train (1980). She is also an author of children's books.

Ted Danson is an American actor best known for playing bartender Sam Malone on the hit TV sitcom Cheers.

Glenn Woodward Davis won the 1946 Heisman Trophy as a halfback at Army, setting single season records for average yards per carry, 11.5 in 1945.

Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer who is best known for his winning bouts in six different weight classes, and for his popular televised fights.

Actor, director and writer Laura Dern, daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, has played everything from willowy ingénues to drug-addicted washouts. She's known for starring in Jurassic Park, and for co-producing and starring on the series Enlightened.

Actress Zooey Deschanel has appeared in such films as (500) Days of Summer, and on the hit TV sitcom New Girl.

Dustin Diamond is a former child actor known for his role as Screech on Saved by the Bell. He later appeared in a sex video and on reality TV.

Leonardo DiCaprio has starred in such films as Titanic, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Inception and Django Unchained.

Joe DiMaggio was one of the best all-round baseball players in the history of the game, helping the NY Yankees to nine World Series titles.

Snoop Dogg is a West Coast rapper who evolved under the tutelage of Dr. Dre, and has received fame for albums such as Doggystyle, Tha Doggfather and Reincarnation.

Professional soccer player Landon Donovan led the U.S. national team to the quarterfinals in the 2002 World Cup.