Most Awesome People in No Particular Order

by SpaceOctopus | created - 24 Mar 2012 | updated - 11 Nov 2017 | Public

These are most of my favorites. Epic actors, directors, comedians, musician/actors, writers, creators etc etc.... These are the people whose existence I appreciate the most in the world of film, comedy and more.

It's a fairly big list, so I'll be working on it periodically. It's in progress but will be done soon. The first 13 are my top 13 in no particular order either necessarily, in a way, since most of them I love equally, but the order I put them in are what I'd put them in if I really was forced to pick. Just so they know though, I love them all more than any other artist out there & yes, I consider acting, directing, cinematography, music, comedy etc all as art forms. (screw a top 5 lol).

I desperately wanted to add "The Monarch" from Venture Bros, but apparently I can't choose that. That's really lame. :'(

1. David Cross

Actor | Arrested Development

David Cross is an American actor, writer and comedian who is known for playing Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development, Minion from Megamind, Crane from Kung Fu Panda, Ian Hawke from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Yivo from Futurama and Happy Time Harry from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. He also acted in Grand ...

EasilƔ my ϜaѷoƦite persoȠ in Ϯɧe ⱳorȴɗ. Tђe ɓesϮ ⱳriϮer, Ͼoϻeɗian, acϯor aԓɗ ϼerson Ϯɧere has been. This ɠuƴ is a ɱaȵ afϮer ϻƴ oⱳȵ ђearϮ. He's ɠoϮ a ɠreaϮ ϻinԃ anɗ ɧe reallƴ seems to ӄᾗoⱳ hoⱳ sɧɨȶ is. I Fῧƈƙɬɳɠ LOѶE Ɖaѷid Ͼross.

READ HIS BOOK! (er...actually LISTEN to the book on audio, because he read it himself and it's 1000x more awesome.) Seriously, "I Drink For a Reason" is possibly the best book ever written. Although I may be a bit biased.... then again, I think this book made me develop the deepest part of my appreciation for him. This, "Mr Show" & his stand up work. Don't get me wrong, he's been fairly fun as his more iconic, famous characters, but that's not really "David Cross" as I see it, that's who people expect to see when they don't know anything about him & then try to see his stand up or something. They're going to be disappointed, and that's a god damn shame because he really has a great mind. I'm talking about the man, not the character. Or at least that's how I see it. Of course I could be wrong about him, he could be a total dick. I can't say for sure since I have not had the pleasure of meeting him. I certainly get a good feel for people though & my feelings about him are all great.

I may not always 100% agree with every sentiment or idea he shares, but it is the way in which he writes, his sense of humor, his massive amounts of talent, and his general personality & outlook on things, which makes me such a huge fan. Oh and he has the most hilariously awesome tattoos I think I've ever seen. Easily. If you don't know about them, just find the youtube video. It's great.

One of my favorite things to do is watch older shows from around the 90's and early 2000's and it is beyond every comprehension of awesome when suddenly he is a guest star, appearing on an episode. Even better, him with not only Bob Odenkirk, but Brian Posehn, too!

Oh, but I have to say, recently, screw you David, for talking smack about people who vape. Clearly you don't know much about vaping, so I'll chalk it up to ignorance, but just so you know, people with that mentality are making it extremely difficult for people who enjoy it & for who it helped quit smoking (I quit a pack a day habit I had for over 10 years in less than a week. So suck on that!). We are fighting an uphill battle right now, and remarks like yours are just pushing us back down further, specifically because so many people (me included) tend to agree with you on most things & because you're usually pretty dead on accurate. Between big tobacco fighting to keep people smoking death sticks & - well, does there really need to be anyone else fighting us? they're HUGE.... - government agencies in the pockets of dickwads, and all the lobbyists, we are starting to see it being treated like pot has been for decades.... Anyway, still love ya, but please sir, kindly eat a dick for that. ;P

2. John Waters

Writer | Pecker

Growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s, John Waters was not like other children; he was obsessed by violence and gore, both real and on the screen. With his weird counter-culture friends as his cast, he began making silent 8mm and 16mm films in the mid-'60s; he screened these in rented Baltimore ...

I couldn't love this man any more! From his movies, to his sense of humor, to his perversion and finally to his PERSONALITY, which is just so awesome.... he is one of my favorite people in existence. This man is not only imaginative and filthy-minded, but he seems to be a really sweet guy. I love him. He just came out with a new book a few days ago (June 3rd 2014) and I can't wait to hear it (it's on audio, too, with HIM reading it, which I LOVE), I hope I get a chance to as soon as possible. It looks absolutely awesome. It's about him hitchhiking across America & I can only IMAGINE what that entails. I know for a fact it WILL be epic.

3. Buckethead

Soundtrack | Mortal Kombat

Buckethead was born on May 13, 1969 in Huntington Beach, California, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for Mortal Kombat (1995), Ghosts of Mars (2001) and Last Action Hero (1993).

One of my top favorite persons in the world and my #1 favorite musician that has ever existed. Not only for his incredible...AMAZING...MIND BLOWING guitar skills, but his style and the way he does things. I love everything about this guy. When I was a young teen, I even wore a white mask like his for a long time, freaked people out. Love this guy though. Man, I wish I was able to still write like I used to because my words do not do him justice.

4. Phil Hartman

Actor | NewsRadio

Phil Hartman was born Philip Edward Hartmann on September 24, 1948, in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. His surname was originally "Hartmann", but he later dropped the second "n". He was one of eight children of Doris Marguerite (Wardell) and Rupert Loebig Hartmann, a salesman. He was of German, Irish, ...

One of my top 5 favorite people of all time, he was a great person with a wonderful personality and he was taken from us far too soon. We missed out on a ridiculous amount of awesome movies, shows and other funny things he would have continued to do. His career was just becoming pretty big at the time of his death.... something I'm still deeply saddened by every day.

5. Patrick Stewart

Actor | Logan

Sir Patrick Stewart was born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, to Gladys (Barrowclough), a textile worker and weaver, and Alfred Stewart, who was in the army. He was a member of various local drama groups from about age 12. He left school at age 15 to work as a junior reporter on a local paper; he ...

OMG I love this guy. Not only is he one of the best actors in the universe, but man, he's just awesome. The guy has the greatest personality, such good humor & he seems so nice & just rad. I honestly do not want to live in a world where he doesn't exist. He is undoubtedly one of my most favorite of favorite people. If you don't understand why...maybe the picture of him in a lobster costume in a bathtub with an awesome smile on his face, will explain a little. I highly recommend looking for it with google image search, you won't be disappointed. Xmen is ok, and honestly he's pretty much the one thing that makes it worth watching those movies (except the first one was pretty good). He was amazing in TNG, and I find it so funny & interesting how both similar & completely different he is from the character Picard. Obviously, he is more....whimsical? I'm not sure if that's the word, but he seems to have much more fun than I think Picard ever could. I just love the guy, he seems like a real great guy who is probably just a pleasure to spend time with. He also has great views & supports causes like preventing violence against women. He just rocks.

6. Sam Rockwell

Actor | Moon

Sam Rockwell was born on November 5, 1968, in San Mateo, California, the only child of two actors, Pete Rockwell and Penny Hess. The family moved to New York when he was two years old, living first in the Bronx and later in Manhattan. When Sam was five years old, his parents separated, at which ...

So unbelievably underrated....I mean holy BALLS, this man is so much more amazing than SO many "famous" stars... he is just one of those people I hold dearly to my heart, in the world of actors. I have never EVER seen him in a single thing I didn't like him in. In fact, I think he's MADE every movie he's ever been in. I mean he's MADE them good, made them worth seeing. How is this man not more than or as famous as Gary Oldman & John Malkovich? (this statement is a reference to something he supposedly said) I simply don't see how he couldn't be. They are no greater than him. Whenever I am going to see something and I find out he's in it, I know right away I'm gonna like it. Even when he's not in a movie much, he's always my favorite character for some reason. Oh and did I mention.... Moon was incredible. I mean a really, truly, insanely amazing performance. He did such an incredible job with that and it must have been hard. I commend him for his many many many years of great acting and hard work and I hope more people will come to realize what a great damn actor he is and give him the respect and recognition he deserves, GOD DAMMIT! ~Sam Rockwell is a Handsome, Extremely Talented, Awesome Person~

I highly highly recommend two of his lesser known films, "Lawn Dogs" and "Box of Moonlight", both films which I very deeply enjoy & have for many years. Especially Lawn Dogs. The first time I saw it was when I was about 9, and ever since then, I've been in love. <3 Oh and a nice little bit of trivia, he's in the 1989 TMNT for about all of 15 seconds. It's awesome, he's SO freaking young. I loved recently re-watching that & suddenly noticing this previously unknown fact, it was such an epic surprise. Seriously. Oh and this man can make a terrible movie actually worth watching. I know, I've sat through a few just to enjoy his acting.

7. Bill Bailey

Actor | Hot Fuzz

Bill Bailey is known for his sharp wit and classic sense of humor. he is most famous for being in Never Mind The Buzzcocks, celebrity game-show in which he is a team captain. Bill is a stand up comedian, and has also starred in cult comedies such as Spaced and of course Black Books. He was given ...

This guy is just epic. Not only is he a GREAT actor, but he is a hilarious and talented man. He is a fantastic musician and comedian. He manages to combine comedy and music in a simply entertaining and awesome way. I wish there was more of him in our lives!

8. Amy Poehler

Actress | Inside Out

Amy Meredith Poehler was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to high school teachers Eileen Frances (Milmore) and William Grinstead Poehler. Her brother is comedian Greg Poehler. She is of Irish (from her mother) and English, Irish, German, and Portuguese (from her father) descent. Amy was first ...

There's nothing I can say to do her justice, she is just so awesome it hurts your brain. She was so hilarious in Upright Citizens Brigade and continues to be amazing and hilarious in Parks and Recreation. There are a number of other things she has been great in as well! She's great in everything she does, but my favorite is Upright Citizens Brigade. She's always adorable as hell, too. I definitely was stoked when Parks and Recreation came out, and I absolutely love it. I think she should be recognized more often for her pure awesomeness, beautifulness and adorableness! I think it's crazy how young she looks too, considering her actual age. She's supposedly in her 40's, but I think she looks even younger than she did in UCB, and that was a long time ago. I'd say she looks 30 at the oldest, but even that seems too much. Maybe it's because she's just so damn cute.

9. Jon Stewart

Producer | The Daily Show

Jon Stewart was born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz in New York City, New York, to Marian (Laskin), a teacher, and Donald Leibowitz, a physics professor. His family is Ashkenazi Jewish (from Austria, Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus). Stewart moved to Lawrenceville, New Jersey during his childhood. He ...

This man is one of my favorite people in general. Not only has he done some awesome acting, but he does The Daily Show, which I love. The greatest thing about him is how absolutely intelligent he is and his ability to debate things with people on an intellectual level. He has the right ideas about things and he supports the awesome, such as Planned Parenthood. I'd like to thank his parents for bringing him into the world! :)

10. Charlie Brooker

Writer | Black Mirror

Charlton "Charlie" Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English humourist, critic, author, screenwriter, producer, and television presenter. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the anthology series Black Mirror and has written for programmes such as Brass Eye, The 11 O'Clock Show, and Nathan Barley...

Easily one of the most intelligent, realistic & observant people I think I've enjoyed listening to or watching a program from. His writing is so on par with most of the things I think and feel, especially when it comes to television ᙖᘮƪƪᔕℋℐ✞. Screenwipe, Newswipe, Black Mirror, and How TV Ruined Your Life, just to name a few, are some of his work that I enjoy & appreciate very much. He's high on the list for that great mind of his & I'm sad I didn't discover him sooner.

11. Martin Scorsese

Producer | Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Charles Scorsese was born on November 17, 1942 in Queens, New York City, to Catherine Scorsese (née Cappa) and Charles Scorsese, who both worked in Manhattan's garment district, and whose families both came from Palermo, Sicily. He was raised in the neighborhood of Little Italy, which later ...

Words cannot do this man justice. He is simply one of the greatest directors & stuff of all time. Anything with him involved is epic, & I mean anything. Gangs of New York is one of my most favorites, but I'm in love with pretty much everything he's done.

12. Louis C.K.

Writer | Louie

Louis C.K. was born on September 12, 1967 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Louie (2010), American Hustle (2013) and Horace and Pete (2016). He was previously married to Alix Bailey.

My second favorite comedian & one of my top favorite people in general in the world. End of story.

13. Christopher Meloni

Actor | Man of Steel

Blessed with a piercing, blue-eyed glint, brawny looks, cocky "tough guy" stance and effortless charisma, TV's Christopher Meloni has grabbed audiences' attention, male and female alike, finding breakthrough small screen stardom playing both sides of the law. Audiences first were taken in by his ...

I think he's highly underrated and a fantastic actor with a broad variety of acting abilities. He's played such different characters in the movies/shows that he's been in. From a detective in S.V.U, to a disturbed prisoner in OZ (my favorite part he's ever played and the best acting he's done), to characters like the cook in Wet Hot American Summer and a few ridiculous characters in the Harold & Kumar films. Most people don't know this, but he was also in Fear & Loathing, in a very short scene with a gay receptionist (him).

14. Mel Brooks

Actor | Spaceballs

Mel Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. He served in WWII, and afterwards got a job playing the drums at nightclubs in the Catskills. Brooks eventually started a comedy act and also worked in radio and as Master Entertainer at Grossinger's Resort before going to ...

What can I say that hasn't been said before? This man is a comedic genius. He's got such a great sense of humor and style, that his movies are timeless pieces of gold. I'm thankful for his awesomeness.

15. Brendon Small

Writer | Home Movies

Small started learning guitar at 15, and graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1997. During his music studies he concurrently took several writing and comedy classes at Emerson College. After graduating, he began performing stand-up at The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square, where he was ...

Awesome exploding more awesomeness and kick-assery, this guy is just full of ridiculawesome-itis and excretes it from his face. Awesome musician, writer and multiple other things, this guy definitely belongs on my list.

16. Daniel Day-Lewis

Actor | There Will Be Blood

Born in London, England, Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is the second child of Cecil Day-Lewis, Poet Laureate of the U.K., and his second wife, actress Jill Balcon. His maternal grandfather was Sir Michael Balcon, an important figure in the history of British cinema and head of the famous Ealing ...

This guy is ridiculously good. He works extremely hard to be absolutely fantastic at what he does, and I think it pays off completely. You can see how much his hard work has done when you see him in a movie, especially one like "Gangs of New York" for which I believe he spent time researching his role like crazy for & might I say, was the best part of the entire movie, bringing immense life & a vivid, complete personality to a character unlike anyone else in the business. "My Left Foot" is another extremely good example of the man's pure talent.

17. David Lynch

Writer | Twin Peaks

Born in precisely the kind of small-town American setting so familiar from his films, David Lynch spent his childhood being shunted from one state to another as his research scientist father kept getting relocated. He attended various art schools, married Peggy Lynch and then fathered future ...

Honestly... I cannot seem to find words to say what I want to say, or how I feel. I love this guy and I love his projects.

18. Bryan Cranston

Actor | Breaking Bad

Bryan Lee Cranston was born on March 7, 1956 in Hollywood, California, to Audrey Peggy Sell, a radio actress, and Joe Cranston, an actor and former amateur boxer. His maternal grandparents were German, and his father was of Irish, German, and Austrian-Jewish ancestry. He was raised in the Canoga ...

He's great in Breaking Bad and all...but honestly, I really wish he'd do more comedy shows, he's so funny that he pretty much is the one thing that made Malcolm in The Middle good, hilarious & worth watching. He's hilarious and he's great with facial expressions. He definitely is versatile though, as you can see between his parts in both of those shows, how vastly different they are!

19. Rob Corddry

Actor | Warm Bodies

Rob Corddry was born on February 4, 1971 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Warm Bodies (2013), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) and Childrens Hospital (2008). He has been married to Sandra Beth Leftowits since 2002. They have two children.

I would seriously like to bang this guy. What a sexy sense of humor he has, it's so hot. Seriously, I love this guy's mind.

20. Bob Odenkirk

Actor | Nobody

Robert John Odenkirk was born in Berwyn, Illinois, to Barbara (Baier) and Walter Odenkirk, who worked in printing. His ancestry includes German and Irish. He grew up in Naperville, IL, the second of seven children. He worked as a DJ for WIDB, his college radio station at Southern Illinois ...

I <3 you Bob! I want more of you and David Cross together, for the rest of my life! You are funny as hell & talented. You never fail to make me laugh & you seem to have an awesome personality, though of course, since I don't know you, I could be wrong! :P

21. Hayao Miyazaki

Writer | Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi

Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan's greatest animation directors. The entertaining plots, compelling characters, and breathtaking visuals in his films have earned him international renown from critics as well as public recognition within Japan.

Miyazaki started his career in 1963 as an animator at the ...

This man is a brilliant, amazingly creative, awesome soul with one of the greatest imaginations I've ever seen. His creatures and characters are just unbelievably INCREDIBLE. He is one of my favorite directors of ALL TIME. I'm not able to do justice to how I really feel when it comes to the pure awesomeness of him.

22. Tim Curry

Actor | Congo

Timothy James Curry was born on April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England. His mother, Maura Patricia (Langmead), was a school secretary, and his father, James Curry, was a Methodist Royal Navy chaplain. Curry studied Drama and English at Birmingham University, from which he graduated with ...

Talk about versatile! This man has done so many different kinds of parts in things and he has always done an amazing job. Even his VOICE is utterly fantastic. This man is just a great actor.

23. Jack Nicholson

Actor | Chinatown

Jack Nicholson, an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter, is a three-time Academy Award winner and twelve-time nominee. Nicholson is also notable for being one of two actors - the other being Michael Caine - who have received an Oscar nomination in every decade from the '60s through ...

He's fᕰcking Jack Nicholson, do I really need to say anything?

24. Robin Williams

Actor | Mrs. Doubtfire

Robin McLaurin Williams was born on Saturday, July 21st, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, a great-great-grandson of Mississippi Governor and Senator, Anselm J. McLaurin. His mother, Laurie McLaurin (née Janin), was a former model from Mississippi, and his father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a Ford ...

He's the only person I've ever cried about dying that was famous. Anyone born between the 1980-1999 knows how influential he was to our lives & what a big part of who we are, he was. I have not been so devastated in a long time, and I tend to have very bad luck & suffer often. It's senseless, and while I can understand how he might have felt, as well as know that most comedians are often more depressed than anyone, I can't believe he died the way he did & he will truly & deeply be missed, remembered & held in the highest esteem by me until my last days. We were all lucky as hell to get to have him in our lives in one way or another for the time we did & I'm thankful he was able to make so many of us laugh & to bring us joy in many ways. Hopefully he at least knew how special that was to so many of us & that he'll always have a special place in our warm gooey heart-things.

25. Steve Buscemi

Actor | Fargo

Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Dorothy (Wilson), a restaurant hostess, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker. He is of Italian (father) and English, Dutch, and Irish (mother) descent. He became interested in acting during his last year of high school. After graduating, he moved to...

Do I really need to explain this one? REALLY?

26. Kevin Kline

Actor | Wild Wild West

Kevin Kline was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Margaret and Robert Joseph Kline, who owned several stores. His father was of German Jewish descent and his mother was of Irish ancestry. After attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Kline studied at the Juilliard School in New York. In 1972, ...

27. John Cleese

Actor | A Fish Called Wanda

John Cleese was born on October 27, 1939, in Weston-Super-Mare, England, to Muriel Evelyn (Cross) and Reginald Francis Cleese. He was born into a family of modest means, his father being an insurance salesman; but he was nonetheless sent off to private schools to obtain a good education. Here he ...

28. Rick Moranis

Actor | Parenthood

Rick began his career as a radio DJ while he was still at high school which led to him writing, producing and being on air in his own show. He joined the Canadian TV series, SCTV (1976), winning an Emmy for writing and portraying the character, Bob McKenzie, which became the basis for the film, ...

29. Wes Anderson

Director | Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wesley Wales Anderson was born in Houston, Texas. His mother, Texas Ann (Burroughs), is an archaeologist turned real estate agent, and his father, Melver Leonard Anderson, worked in advertising and PR. He has two brothers, Eric and Mel. Anderson's parents divorced when he was a young child, an ...

Still making some of the best movies in history and not selling out at all, this man has brought us masterpieces of golden comedy such as Rushmore, The Life Aquatic and The Royal Tenenbaums! Also, I think Moonrise Kingdom is one of my favorite love stories of all time.

30. H. Jon Benjamin

Actor | Archer

Harry Jon Benjamin is an American actor, voice actor and comedian from Worcester, Massachusetts who is known for playing Bob Belcher from Bob's Burgers, Sterling Archer from Archer, the Mothmonsterman from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a trainer from Not Another Teen Movie, a Can of Vegetables from Wet ...

This guy not only is hilarious but has a great voice, as you can see in many shows, but probably most originally well known for Home Movies. When he gets together with David Cross, amazing things happen and you will end up laughing your A$$ off. I don't know why Freakshow didn't go so well, but it's an animated little show that I found to be hilarious and just their kind of comedy. If you want to see something really funny, check out one of the Comedians of Comedy films, the one where he and David Cross do a thing together. It gets so ridiculous that you just don't even know what to do. F yeah H. Jon Benjamin, I love you.

31. Michel Gondry

Director | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

He grew up in Versailles with a family who was very influenced by pop music. When he was young, Gondry wanted to be a painter or an inventor. In the 80s he entered in an art school in Paris where he could develop his graphic skills and where he also met friends with whom he created a pop-rock band ...

Mind blowing director and cinematographer that will captivate and inspire you with anything he works on, from music videos to full blown films. The Science of Sleep is my favorite, although Eternal Sunshine is a close second, but that movie severely depresses me. His music videos are just incredible too, for instance, the one with the song by Morcheeba, where the entire video is done in one take, with the rooms in a building set up in different ways with people laying or standing or leaning to make it look like they are, for instance, standing up, when actually laying down against a wall. I highly recommend seeing it and anything else he's made.

32. Gilda Radner

Actress | Saturday Night Live

Gilda Radner was one of the great comic geniuses of the 20th century, ranked with Lucille Ball and other comedy legends of the highest caliber. She was born on June 28, 1946, in Detroit, Michigan, the younger of two children of Henrietta (Dworkin), a legal secretary, and Herman Radner, a ...

:( It breaks my heart knowing we all had to lose her so young, before I was even a kid. It hurts even more knowing that Gene Wilder lost her & she was the great love of his life, that is just gut-wrenching. She was funny, adorable & had such a great personality. She seemed like a really nice girl, too.

33. Hugh Laurie

Actor | House M.D.

Hugh was born in Oxford, England on June 11, 1959, to Patricia (Laidlaw) and William George Ranald Mundell "Ran" Laurie, a doctor, both of Scottish descent. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge. Son of an Olympic gold medalist in the sport, he rowed for the England youth team (1977) and for ...

House was a stupidly written show, all except for a lot of his role (especially the very realistic views of people & of religion even more than anything) & of course, his acting & everything else about him. However, this is not why he's on the list. He is here because he's hilarious & widely not known for the things I think he was best in (example: A Bit of Fry and Laurie, which is easily one of the funniest shows ever made). Hugh Laurie & Stephen Fry make the best duo ever, especially in the comedy realm. Not to mention the fact this man is extremely talented in more than just acting & humor, he's an awesome musician, a talented singer & he does a great job imitating stupid Americans here, especially with the fake accent. He's absolutely fantastic in every way!

34. Sarah Silverman

Actress | Wreck-It Ralph

Sarah Silverman was most recently the host of the two-time Emmy-nominated weekly topical series, I Love You America, which streamed on Hulu and also received a Writers Guild Awards nomination.

Silverman is currently working on a musical adaptation of her 2010 memoir and New York Times Bestseller ...

35. J.K. Simmons

Actor | Whiplash

J.K. Simmons is an American actor.

He was born Jonathan Kimble Simmons in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to Patricia (Kimble), an administrator, and Donald William Simmons, a music teacher. He attended the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; University of Montana, Missoula, MT (BA in Music).

He had ...

Another kind of underrated actor, I wish he was in more shows & movies. He had incredible chemistry with Lee Tergesen in OZ, and of course his acting was just unbelievably amazing in that show as well. He's been in quite a lot of things actually, usually not quite the star though. Just watched "The Music Never Stopped", where he WAS one of the main characters, and I have to say that it was just fantastic. He always manages to do justice to the characters he plays.

Oh yeah, and he's Cave Johnson from Portal 2, how epic is that? His voice should be in MORE video games, hell, more everything.

36. Lee Tergesen

Actor | Oz

He was born on July 8, 1965 in Ivoryton, Connecticut and is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. His brother, Chris Tergesen, is a music supervisor and music editor. Lee has been married three times and has been married to Yuko Otomo, an art therapist, since 2011. They have a ...

Ever since I fell in love with him as an actor, in OZ, I've felt quite ripped off by the fact he's virtually never really been in anything. He's not done much, but he's good and he's played some fun, silly roles for sure, such as the big brother in the show "Weird Science". I really like this guy, a lot.

37. Patrick Warburton

Actor | The Emperor's New Groove

Patrick Warburton is known to many for the role of "Puddy" in the hit NBC comedy "Seinfeld," the laconic, enigmatic, quirky Saab salesman and Elaine's boyfriend. Warburton starred for 7 seasons on the hit CBS comedy "Rules of Engagement" with David Spade, Oliver Hudson, and Megyn Price about two ...

38. Aaron Sorkin

Writer | The West Wing

Aaron Sorkin grew up in Scarsdale, a suburb of New York City where he was very involved in his high school drama and theater club. After graduating from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, Sorkin intended to pursue a career in acting. It took him only a short time to ...

Just watch "West Wing" & OMFG "Newsroom" (amazing as hell). Aaron Sorkin is pretty beyond damn awesome. He seems to have the perfect idea of a perfect president, too. It's too bad he wont just go and be that president for us. We'd be better off.

39. Bootsy Collins

Soundtrack | Undercover Brother

Bootsy Collins was born on October 26, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Undercover Brother (2002), Cloverfield (2008) and Free Guy (2021). He has been married to Patti Collins since December 24, 1996.

40. Dennis Hopper

Actor | Easy Rider

Multi-talented and unconventional actor/director regarded by many as one of the true "enfant terribles" of Hollywood who led an amazing cinematic career for more than five decades, Dennis Hopper was born on May 17, 1936, in Dodge City, Kansas. The young Hopper expressed interest in acting from a ...

It's a real bummer he was almost only ever cast in terrible movies etc, because he was pretty awesome. (-Blue Velvet, which was fantastic, but of course it was, it's a David Lynch film! I also liked him in the Starz show "Crash", based on the movie. There's a few others, but for the most part, he was put in terrible movies/shows with terrible roles & was highly unappreciated even with his talents)

41. Stephen Fry

Actor | Gosford Park

Writer, actor, comedian, doer of good works, excellent good friend to the famous and not, Fry lives in his London SW1 flat and his Norfolk house when not traveling. Famous for his public declaration of celibacy in the "Tatler" back in the 1980s, Emma Thompson has characterised her friend as "90 ...

What could I say that hasn't already been said about him? This guy is just ridiculously awesome, with awesome-rays shooting out of his face. I adore him!

42. Tim Robbins

Actor | Mystic River

Born in West Covina, California, but raised in New York City, Tim Robbins is the son of former The Highwaymen singer Gil Robbins and actress Mary Robbins (née Bledsoe). Robbins studied drama at UCLA, where he graduated with honors in 1981. That same year, he formed the Actors' Gang theater group, ...

43. Dustin Hoffman

Actor | Tootsie

Dustin Lee Hoffman was born in Los Angeles, California, to Lillian (Gold) and Harry Hoffman, who was a furniture salesman and prop supervisor for Columbia Pictures. He was raised in a Jewish family (from Ukraine, Russia-Poland, and Romania). Hoffman graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1955, ...

44. Jim Henson

Soundtrack | The Muppet Show

Jim Henson never thought that he would make a name of himself in puppetry; it was merely a way of getting himself on television. The vehicle that achieved it was Sam and Friends (1955), a late-night puppet show that was on after the 11:00 news in Washington DC. It proved to be very popular and ...

45. John Lithgow

Actor | The World According to Garp

If "born to the theater" has meaning in determining a person's life path, then John Lithgow is a prime example of this truth. He was born in Rochester, New York, to Sarah Jane (Price), an actress, and Arthur Washington Lithgow III, who was both a theatrical producer and director. John's father was ...

Do I really even need to explain this one? This guy is just beyond awesome.

46. Steve Martin

Writer | Roxanne

Steve Martin was born on August 14, 1945 in Waco, Texas, USA as Stephen Glenn Martin to Mary Lee (née Stewart; 1913-2002) and Glenn Vernon Martin (1914-1997), a real estate salesman and aspiring actor. He was raised in Inglewood and Garden Grove in California. In 1960, he got a job at the Magic ...

Although I can't forgive him for The Pink Panther, he used to be so hilarious and awesome. It's really too bad what this last decade has done to so many actors/writers, turning them into crap and making them star in crap movies... because they really were golden.

47. Jennifer Connelly

Actress | A Beautiful Mind

Jennifer Connelly was born in the Catskill Mountains, New York, to Ilene (Schuman), a dealer of antiques, and Gerard Connelly, a clothing manufacturer. Her father had Irish and Norwegian ancestry, and her mother was from a Jewish immigrant family. Jennifer grew up in Brooklyn Heights, just across ...

She is one of the few actresses I like and she's beautiful as well. She has been incredible in pretty much everything she's been in. Some of my favorites include: The House of Sand and Fog, The Labyrinth (of course) and Dark City.

48. Dana Carvey

Actor | Wayne's World

One of SNL's most talented alumni, comedian Dana Carvey reigned supreme during his six-season run creating some of the show's most memorable characters, including "Church Lady", "Garth" of Wayne & Garth fame, Grumpy Old Man and bodybuilding "Hans" of Hans & Franz notoriety. This sharp and witty ...

49. Dave Chappelle

Writer | Chappelle's Show

Dave Chappelle's career started while he was in high school at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC where he studied theatre arts. At the age of 14, he began performing stand-up comedy in nightclubs. Shortly after graduation, he moved to New York City where he quickly established ...

50. Les Claypool

Actor | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Les Claypool was born on September 29, 1963 in Richmond, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991), Pig Hunt (2008) and Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008). He has been married to Cheney since 1995. They have two children.

51. Ben Kingsley

Actor | Sexy Beast

Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England. His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, was a Kenyan-born medical doctor, of Gujarati Indian descent, and his mother, Anna Lyna Mary (Goodman), was an English actress. Ben began to act in stage plays during ...

52. Chris Farley

Actor | Tommy Boy

Christopher Crosby Farley was born on February 15, 1964, in Madison, Wisconsin, to Mary Anne (Crosby) and Thomas Farley, who owned an oil company. Among his siblings are actors Kevin P. Farley and John Farley. He was of Irish heritage. Farley studied theatre and communications on Marquette ...

53. Garrett Morris

Actor | Coneheads

Garrett Morris was born on February 1, 1937 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Coneheads (1993), Saturday Night Live (1975) and How High (2001). He has been married to Freda Morris since September 20, 1996.

If you ever saw him on SNL in the 70's, you'll know he belongs on this list.

54. Mark Heap

Actor | Stardust

Mark Heap was born on May 13, 1957 in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India. He is an actor and writer, known for Stardust (2007), Green Wing (2004) and Lark Rise to Candleford (2008).

Most notably for Green Wing & Spaced, I really like this guy's style. He's funny, weird & talented. He never fails to make me laugh. Would appreciate seeing him more often in things. SO underrated & it's so undeserved!

55. Mark Ryden

Art_director | 9

Mark Ryden is known for 9 (1996) and GamePro TV (1991).

One of two artists that are my most favorite. In this usage of the word "artist", I mean painting. He makes the most amazing & awesome paintings I've ever seen. He seems to have a fascination with depicting creepy little kids, lots of meat products & often Abraham Lincoln in his paintings. The other artist who does visual art in this sense (painting etc), is RS Connett, who makes absolutely amazing pieces of artwork that are EXTREMELY detailed & somewhat reminiscent of HR Giger. Beware, some of his work an be a bit disturbing, but that's one of many reasons I love his work. Unfortunately though, he's not on IMDB & I was very surprised Mark Ryden was, but that's because he did work for a video game in the 90's apparently (I didn't even know!).

56. David Firth

Director | Salad Fingers

David Firth was born on January 23, 1983 in Doncaster, England, UK. He is a director and actor, known for Salad Fingers (2004), Burnt Face Man (2004) and Jerry Jackson (2005).

Most people know him as the creator of Salad Fingers, but he has done much more than that & it's all demented, creepy, awesome, disturbing & often funny in a sick way. I absolutely admire his art-style, his sense of humor & overall ideas. He's just awesome.

57. Rowan Atkinson

Actor | Johnny English

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson was born on 6 January, 1955, in Consett, Co. Durham, UK, to Ella May (Bainbridge) and Eric Atkinson. His father owned a farm, where Rowan grew up with his two older brothers, Rupert and Rodney. He attended Newcastle University and Oxford University where he earned degrees ...

58. William Hurt

Actor | A History of Violence

William McChord Hurt was born in Washington, D.C., to Claire Isabel (McGill) and Alfred McChord Hurt, who worked at the State Department. He was trained at Tufts University and The Juilliard School and has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including the most recent nomination for his ...

59. BD Wong

Actor | Jurassic Park

BD Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He made his Broadway debut in "M. Butterfly." He is the only actor to be honored with the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theater World Award for the same performance. He starred in the ...

I really like this guy. Not sure exactly what it is, but he's got it.

60. Tina Fey

Actress | Date Night

Elizabeth Stamatina Fey was born in 1970 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia, to Xenobia "Jeanne" (Xenakes), a brokerage employee, and Donald Henry Fey, who wrote grant proposals for universities. Her mother is Greek, born in Piraeus, while her father had German, Northern Irish,...

61. Eddie Murphy

Actor | The Nutty Professor

Edward Regan Murphy was born April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York, to Lillian Lynch (born: Lillian Laney), a telephone operator, and Charles Edward Murphy, a transit police officer who was also an amateur comedian and actor. After his father died, his mother married Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a ...

He's not so funny or great these days, but back when he was on Saturday Night Live and a while after, he was damn hilarious.

62. DJ Q-Bert

Composer | Wave Twisters

DJ Q-Bert was born on October 7, 1969 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for Wave Twisters (2001), Short6 (2001) and Frequency (2001).

The king of Scratch

63. Lloyd Kaufman

Producer | The Toxic Avenger

Stanley Lloyd Kaufman never really wanted to make movies, he wanted to work in Broadway musicals. During his years in Yale he was introduced to "B" pictures and the works of Roger Corman. Lloyd later got the opportunity to executive-produce a short movie made by a fellow student. The film, called "...

64. Christopher Morris

Writer | Four Lions

Christopher Morris was born on September 5, 1965 in Bristol, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Four Lions (2010), The Day Today (1994) and Brass Eye (1997).

65. Mike Patton

Soundtrack | The Place Beyond the Pines

Michael Allan Patton was born on January 27th 1968 in California. He formed the band Mr Bungle at the age of 15, and after Jim Martin (of Faith No More) heard Mr Bungle, Mike was asked to join Faith No More as a permanent full time vocalist. After a turbulent career which lasted until April 1998, ...

I knew I was forgetting someone. Mike Patton is awesome. If you don't know who he is, I don't wanna know you.

66. Björk

Soundtrack | Dancer in the Dark

Born in 1965 in the Icelandic capital city of Reykjavik, the daughter of Gudmundur Gunnarsson (an electrician) and Hildur Hauksdóttir who divorced before her second birthday, Björk grew up in a hippie-type community with her mother and her seven siblings. She started to study classical music at the...

67. Garry Shandling

Writer | The Larry Sanders Show

Garry Shandling was born on November 29, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for The Larry Sanders Show (1992), It's Garry Shandling's Show. (1986) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He died on March 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

You're gonna be missed a ton, Garry.

68. Brian Posehn

Actor | Run Ronnie Run

Brian Posehn was born on July 6, 1966 in Sacramento, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Run Ronnie Run (2002), The Sarah Silverman Program. (2007) and Knights of Badassdom (2013). He has been married to Melanie Truhett since September 4, 2004. They have one child.

I knew I was forgetting someone epic. How the hell did I forget this awesome man? Seriously! Mad love for the guy, he's rad as all hell, and totally into metal. Couldn't be cooler.

69. Gabor Csupo

Writer | Rugrats

Gábor Csupó is a Hungarian animator, film director, and producer. He has had a long career, but he is better known as the co-founder of animation studio Klasky-Csupo, Inc., a graphic design and animation studio based in Hollywood. The other major co-founder was his business partner and wife Arlene ...

Klasky & Csupo, two names you may only understand if you grew up in the 90's & enjoyed the extremely unique, original, artistic, different, weird, rad cartoons/kid's shows they gave us. My thanks go to them for having such a great impact on my personality. Especially because it feels like their work is such a huge part of me.

70. Arlene Klasky

Producer | Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man

Arlene Klasky is an animator, graphic designer, and television producer from Omaha, Nebraska. She is of Polish-Jewish and Russian-Jewish descent. She co-founded the animation studio Klasky Csupo (1982-) with Gábor Csupó, who was at that time married to her.

During the 1980s, Klasky and her studio ...

71. Bill Hicks

Producer | Ninja Bachelor Party

Born in Georgia but raised in Houston since the age of 7, this self-described "Prince of Darkness" was compelled to use the comedy stage as his philosophic soapbox. At 13, he would sneak out of his suburban house to hustle his way onto open-mike night rosters. In two brief decades, Hicks worked his...

How the hell did I forget him until now for this list?! What's wrong with me?! Seriously, if you don't even know who he is, I don't want to know you.

72. Maria Bamford

Actress | Barnyard

Maria was born in Port Hueneme, California at the Naval Base. Her parents are Joel (dermatologist) and Marilyn (therapist) of Duluth, MN. She attended Chester Park Elementary and Marshall High School in Duluth MN and went on to attend Bates College (Lewiston, ME), University of Edinburgh (Scotland)...

One rad chick. Not afraid to be weird, or be in weird situations. That special she did in her living room with her parents as an audience (and filmed) was so awkwardly awesome. I really dig her.

73. Patton Oswalt

Actor | Young Adult

Patton Oswalt has been headlining at comedy clubs all over the United States since 1996, as well as appearing in his own standup specials on Comedy Central and HBO. He was chosen as Entertainment Weekly's "It" comedian in 2002. He is a regular on Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993). His other ...

I'm really sorry for forgetting to put you here sooner. It's not like it's a recent thing to have discovered you suddenly, but it's hard to come up with all these names off the top of my head sometimes. You aren't appreciated any less than anyone else here, though. You're fantasticalazmic.

74. Don Hertzfeldt

Director | World of Tomorrow

Don Hertzfeldt was born on August 1, 1976 in Fremont, California, USA. He is a director and writer, known for World of Tomorrow (2015), It's Such a Beautiful Day (2011) and The Simpsons (1989).

75. Bill Plympton

Director | Cheatin'

Bill Plympton was born on April 30, 1946 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Cheatin' (2013), I Married a Strange Person! (1997) and Idiots and Angels (2008).

Really mad at myself for not adding him sooner. This guy is a genius. Seriously. My favorite film of his is still "I Married a Strange Person". He is so wildly imaginative, creative & all-around rad. I love that most of his movies have a musical element. Huge fan of his work.

76. Doug Stanhope

Actor | Louie

Doug Stanhope was born on March 25, 1967 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Louie (2010), The Road Dog (2023) and Roseanne (1988). He has been married to Renee Morrison since March 26, 2002.

Recently really gotten into him. Extremely funny, even if at times he shows a little ignorance (Doug, there's a difference between a transvestite and a transexual! One just dresses like a woman, not even necessarily because they feel like one either. The other feels like they are a woman, and takes hormones and sometimes has surgery to become one. lol just thought I'd point that out....). I chalk it up to being consistently drunk. The funny thing is I typically really hate drunk people, and prefer not being around any whatsoever, as they annoy the ever-living shɬt out of me....but you, Doug, you're the exception. My favorite joke being the one about what your girlfriend gets out of titty-sex, and you get hissed & booed at almost every time for telling.... man that joke makes me laugh so damn hard. I love it. That's coming from a 27 year old female who frankly doesn't give a crap about anyone and their delicate sensibilities.

77. Dick Van Dyke

Actor | Mary Poppins

Dick Van Dyke was born Richard Wayne Van Dyke in West Plains, Missouri, to Hazel Victoria (McCord), a stenographer, and Loren Wayne Van Dyke, a salesman. His younger brother was entertainer Jerry Van Dyke. His ancestry includes English, Dutch, Scottish, German and Swiss-German. Although he had ...

You may not do a British accent any justice at all, but I adore you. Words fail to explain why. Too many reasons! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for one, and Dick Van Dyke Show for another....

78. Lily Tomlin

Actress | Nashville

Lily Tomlin was born September 1, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, to Lillie Mae (Ford) and Guy Tomlin, who moved to Michigan from Paducah, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. Her mother was a nurse's aide and her father was a factory worker. She graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1957, and ...

79. Betty White

Actress | The Proposal

Betty White was born in Oak Park, Illinois, to Christine Tess (Cachikis), a homemaker, and Horace Logan White, a lighting company executive for the Crouse-Hinds Electric Company. She was of Danish, Greek, English, and Welsh descent.

Although she was best known as the devious Sue Ann Nivens on the ...

Spry as *beep* & still kicking ass! All over. The day she passes will be one of the worst & saddest in history



Recently Viewed