Famous People Born in California a to z

Stephen Strasburg drew close media scrutiny as the first pick in Major League Baseball's 2009 draft.

David Strathairn is an American actor best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Good Night, and Good Luck, and performances in We Are Marshall, The Bourne Ultimatum, Temple Grandin and Lincoln.

Power-hitting outfielder Darryl Strawberry was one of baseball's biggest stars in the 1980s before his career was derailed by substance-abuse problems.

Woody Strode was a Hollywood actor who also had a brief career as a professional football player.

Actor Michael Stuhlbarg has combined a stage career with work on the TV series Boardwalk Empire and films like A Serious Man, Men in Black III and Hitchcock.

Japanese-American actor George Takei played Lieutenant Sulu in the original Star Trek television series and movies and is a popular social-media presence.

Amber Tamblyn is an actress known for roles in the films Joan of Arcadia and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and on the series General Hospital. She is married to actor/comedian David Cross.

Jeffrey Tambor is an American actor best known for his roles on the late-night spoof series The Larry Sanders Show and the comedy series Arrested Development.

Shirley Temple was the leading child actor of her time, receiving a special Oscar and starring in films like Bright Eyes and Heidi.

Robin Thicke is a singer/songwriter and reality-television star known for major soul hits like "Lost Without U," "Magic" and "Sex Therapy."

Actress Tiffani Thiessen caught her big break when she landed a starring role on the TV sitcom Saved By the Bell. She's also known for her work on Beverly Hills, 90210 and White Collar.

Tiffany was a 1980s teen-pop sensation best known for her hit "I Think We're Alone Now."

Football player Pat Tillman enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2002. He was killed in action in 2004, and the exact circumstances of his death are still in question.

Dara Torres is an American swimmer who has taken home 12 Olympic medals and will seek more at the age of 45 in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Christy Turlington is one of America’s most successful models. Best known for her work for Maybelline, she has appeared on more than 300 magazine covers.

Mexican-American musician Ritchie Valens is best known for his hit "La Bamba." His successful career was cut short when he died in a plane crash at age 17.

Leslie Van Houten was a member of Charles Manson's "Family," and was convicted of the 1969 murder of Rosemary LaBianca, orchestrated by Manson.

Kara Walker is an African-American artist who rose to fame for her use of large paper silhouettes to explore social issues surrounding gender, race and black history.

Paul Walker is an actor who made a splash with the movie Varsity Blues and found enduring success with The Fast and the Furious franchise.

Kerri Walsh-Jennings is a professional beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She is the longtime competitive partner of Misty May-Treanor.

M. Ward is a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician known for his solo albums as well as his work with Zooey Deschanel in the duo She & Him.

Earl Warren served as governor of california, chief justice of the Supreme Court and head of the commission that investigated the JFK assassination.

Paul Watkins, a member of Charles Manson's "family," was not involved in the infamous Tate/LaBianca murders, but testified for the prosecution in the Manson trial, specifically about Manson's theory of "Helter Skelter."

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Scott Weiland is best known for performing as lead vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver.

Bob Weir was a rhythm guitarist for the legendary rock band the Grateful Dead from 1964 to 1995 and later reunited to tour with former members as The Other Ones.

Tina Weymouth is best known as the bassist in the band The Talking Heads.

Dan White assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist, in 1978.

Actor Jaleel White rose to fame as the nerdy boy-next-door Steve Urkel on the 1990s hit sitcom Family Matters.

American skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White, known as the "Flying Tomato," is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He has also won multiple Summer and Winter X Games medals.

Model Kendra Wilkinson was one of Hugh Hefner's Playboy girlfriends. She co-starred in the TV series The Girls Next Door about the Playboy Mansion.

Esther Williams, nicknamed "America's Mermaid," was an American actress who helped popularize synchronized swimming through a string of hugely popular films in the 1940s and '50s.

Baseball legend Ted Williams was best known as the Boston Red Sox Player who had a contentious relationship with Boston fans, who he refused to tip his hat to during his career.

Venus Williams rose from a tough childhood in Compton, Los Angeles to become a champion women's tennis player and four-time Olympic gold medalist.

Ann Wilson is best known as the vocalist for Heart, the rock band that became famous for songs like "Barracuda."

Nancy Wilson is a singer, songwriter and guitarist for the rock band Heart, along with her sister, Ann Wilson. 

Actor Paul Winfield was best known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper in the film Sounder, which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Actress Natalie Wood starred in the films Rebel Without a Cause with James Dean and in West Side Story as Maria. She drowned during a boating trip in 1981.

Professional golf player Tiger Woods was the youngest man (at the age of 21) and the first African-American to win the U.S. Masters.

Steve Wozniak is an American computer scientist best known as one of the founders of Apple and the inventor of the Apple II computer.

Kristi Yamaguchi is a U.S. figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. She is also an author, philanthropist and founder of the Always Dream Foundation.

Weird Al Yankovic parodies popular hit music. His version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It", which he titled "Eat It", became an MTV favorite.

Rapper-producer Dr. Dre first made it big with hip hop group N.W.A. in 1980s. He has also enjoyed success as a solo act and worked with Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.