List of people from Westport, Connecticut

In this List of people from Westport, Connecticut are people who have been born in, raised in, lived in or who died in Westport, Connecticut, USA. Individuals are listed by area in which they are best known:

Actors, comedians, others in the film, television and industries

• Mason Adams (1919–2005), character actor, voice of Pepper Young and Smuckers, and a longtime resident of the town
• Millette Alexander, actress, musician, current resident
• Madchen Amick, actress
• Linda Blair, child star who appeared in The Exorcist and a television actor, is a past resident
• Scott Bryce, actor, past resident, 1974 graduate of local public high school, Staples High School
• Marilyn Chambers (1952–2009), reformed porn star, born in town, graduate of Staples High School, 1970
• Imogene Coca (1908–2001), comedian
• Kevin Conroy (b. 1955), actor, spent much of his childhood in town
• Ray Dalio, ceo, money manager at Bridgewater Associates
• Rodney Dangerfield, comedian, past resident
• Bette Davis, actress, past resident
• Sandy Dennis (1937–1992) Academy Award-winning actress, died in town
• Gerry Mulligan (1927–1996), jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger
• Michael Douglas, actor, past resident
• Linda Fiorentino, actress
• Luke Greenfield, movie director ,grew up in town
• Matt Harding (b. 1976), Internet celebrity notable for videos showing him dancing in many locations around the world
• Melissa Joan Hart, actress, moved to Westport in 2009
• Mariette Hartley, actress, 1957 graduate of Staples High School
• Patricia Kalember (b. 1957), actress, partly raised in town
• Kerri Kenney-Silver (b. 1970), actress, singer, writer and daughter of Larry Kenney, born in town
• Paul Lieberstein, writer and co-star of the American version of "The Office"
• Christopher Lloyd, actor, past resident, graduate of local public high school, Staples High School
• Bob Lorenz (b. 1963), television sports anchor, pregame and postgame host for the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES Network), current resident
• George Lowther (1913–1975), writer and producer for radio and television programs, including Superman, Terry and the Pirates and The Edge of Night
• Pamela Sue Martin (b. 1953), actress, born in town, graduated from Staples High School, 1971
• Cady McClain (born 1969), soap opera actress, owned a home in town since 1992^[1]
• Steve Miner (b. 1951), film and television director, born in town
• Paul Newman (1925–2008), actor and entrepreneur, lived in town
• Alisan Porter (b. 1981), actress (Curly Sue) and singer, went to high school in town
• Robert Redford actor, past resident
• Eric Roberts actor, past resident
• Micah Sloat, actor and star of Paranormal Activity^[2]
• Brett Somers, actress, game show personality
• Rod Serling (1924–1975), creator of The Twilight Zone
• Martha Stewart (b. 1941) past resident, business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate
• Marlo Thomas (wife of Phil Donahue), actress, current resident
• Harvey Weinstein, film producer, current resident
• Joanne Woodward, actress, current resident

Singers, musicians and other entertainers

• Michael Bolton, singer, current resident
• Phil Donahue, (husband of Marlo Thomas) talk show host, current resident
• Matt Gallant (b. 1964), a television host, raised in town
• Don Imus, radio personality, current resident
• Larry Kenney, radio personality on the Don Imus show, actor, and father of Kerri Kenney-Silver, lives in town.
• Nile Rodgers, musician and music producer
• Martha Stewart, entrepreneur, past resident, also had a studio in town
• Eric Von Schmidt (1931–2007), a folk and blues singer-songwriter of the folk/blues revival of the 1960s, is a town resident.
• Hy Zaret (d. 2007), lyricist, lived in Westport, where he died.
• Mike Greenberg ESPN Personality, host of Mike and Mike current resident.
• Meat Loaf (Michael Lee Aday), Rock singer and songwriter, moved to town from Stamford with his wife and stepdaughter Pearl Aday shortly after the 1981 birth of another daughter, Amanda Aday; coached girls softmall in town; later moved to Redding, Connecticut.^[3]
• Gerry Mulligan, Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan (b. April 6, 1927 – d. January 20, 1996), was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger.
• Dan Hartman (1950–1994) a singer, songwriter and record producer, died in town.
• Neal Smith, drummer for Alice Cooper and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee briefly lived in Westport. He now sells real estate in the area.

Artists, illustrators, cartoonists, designers

• William Glackens (1870–1938), a realist painter, died in town.
• Hilla von Rebay (1890–1967), painter and founding curator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, spent the last years of her life in Greens Farms and died there in 1967.
• Stevan Dohanos (1907–1994) an artist and illustrator known for his Saturday Evening Post covers, lived in town.
• Annie Leibovitz (b. 1949), portrait photographer, was born in town.
• Joe McNally, photographer, former resident^[4]
• Mel Casson, cartoonist lived and died in Westport.
• Gerry Turner (1921–1992) photographer.
• George Hand Wright (1872–1951), painter and illustrator.

Authors, writers, journalists

• Lincoln Child (b. 1957), author of techno-thriller and horror novels, was born in town.
• Frank Deford, journalist, writer and commentator, current resident
• Peter De Vries (1910–1993) an editor and novelist, died in Norwalk.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald, past resident, author of The Great Gatsby
• Hardie Gramatky (1907–1979), author, artist, illustrator, resident later in life, died and buried in town.
• Jane Green, also known as Jane Green Warburg, author and current resident.
• A.E. Hotchner, author and cofounder with Paul Newman of Newman's Own^[5]
• Shirley Jackson (1916–1965), author of many novels including the short story The Lottery, lived in town from 1949–51
• Melissa Kirsch (b. 1974), author of The Girl's Guide to Absolutely Everything, lived in town, graduated from Staples High School.
• Hilton Kramer, editor and art critic, current resident
• Ruth Krauss (1901–1993), author of children's books, including The Carrot Seed, died in town.
• Nora Benjamin Kubie (1899–1988) author and illustrator of children's books
• Robert Lawson (1892–1957), an author and artist whose children's books made him the first person to receive both the Newbery Medal (Rabbit Hill, 1945) and Caldecott Medal (They Were Strong and Good, 1940), died in town.
• Sheila Lukins (1942–2009), cook and food writer who co-authored the The Silver Palate series of cookbooks and The New Basics Cookbook.^[6]
• Jim Nantz, CBS Sports, current resident.
• David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist, current resident.
• Harry Reasoner, late news anchor, lived in town
• Ronald B. Scott, former resident, journalist, biographer of presidential candidate W. Mitt Romney, and author of the novel "Closing Circles: Trapped in the Everlasting Mormon Moment" that was set in Westport.
• Jack Tippit, late cartoonist, "Amy", lived in town
• Max Wilk, author and current resident
• Jane Yolen, author and past resident
• Robert Ludlum, late author and past resident lived on Sasco Creek where he and Dangerfield frequently visited.
• Ramin Ganeshram (b. 1968), journalist, chef, author, current resident

Government and politics, office holders and activists

• Wilbur Lucius Cross (1862–1948), a governor of the state and namesake of the Wilbur Cross Parkway, was principal of Staples High School in his early 20s.
• Henry M. Judah, a Civil War brigadier general, is entombed at Kings Highway Cemetery in town.
• Hellen Keller (1880–1968), American author, political activist, lecturor, died in her sleep on June 1, 1968 in her home in Westport.
• John Davis Lodge (1903–1985), Connecticut governor and congressman, the Gov. John Davis Lodge Turnpike (Interstate 95 in Connecticut) is named after him.^[7]
• Anne Wexler (1930–2009), political advisor and lobbyist.^[8]

See also

• List of people from Connecticut
• List of people from Darien, Connecticut
• List of people from Bridgeport, Connecticut
• List of people from Greenwich, Connecticut
• List of people from New Canaan, Connecticut
• List of people from New Haven, Connecticut
• List of people from Norwalk, Connecticut
• List of people from Redding, Connecticut
• List of people from Ridgefield, Connecticut
• List of people from Stamford, Connecticut

Notes