Gen–X celebrities

Generation X has been defined and influenced by many prominent leaders in the fields of business, film, music, politics and sports. Prominent Gen-Xers (born between 1961 and 1981) include:

• 1961
  • George Clooney – actor, “ER”
  • Diana, Princess of Wales – Princess of Wales (died 1997)
  • The Edge – rock guitarist, U2
  • Enya – new age vocalist
  • Melissa Etheridge – rock vocalist
  • k.d. lang – rock vocalist
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus – actor, "Seinfeld"; "Saturday Night Live"
  • Michael J. Fox – actor, “Family Ties”
  • Wayne Gretzky – NHL legend
  • Sean Hannity – conservative tv/radio personality, "Hannity and Colmes"
  • Peter Jackson – filmmaker, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • Greg LeMond – cyclist, three–time Tour de France winner
  • Carl Lewis – track & field legend
  • George Lopez – actor/comedian, "George Lopez"
  • Dan Marino – NFL quarterback, Miami Dolphins
  • Dylan McDermott – actor, "The Practice"
  • Eddie Murphy – actor/comedian, Coming to America; Beverly Hills Cop
  • Dave Mustaine – rock vocalist/guitarist, Megadeth; Metallica
  • Kirby Puckett – Baseball Hall of Famer
  • Dennis Rodman – NBA forward, San Antonio Spurs; Chicago Bulls; Los Angeles Lakers
  • Henry Rollins – rock vocalist, Black Flag; Rollins Band
  • Tim Roth – actor, Pulp Fiction; Reservoir Dogs
  • Meg Ryan – actor, When Harry Met Sally
  • Isiah Thomas – NBA guard, Detroit Pistons
  • Irvine Welsh, Scottish writer
  • Reggie White – NFL defensive lineman, Philadelphia Eagles; Green Bay Packers; deceased
  • Steve Young – NFL quarterback, San Francisco 49ers
• 1962
  • Paula Abdul – pop vocalist
  • Matthew Broderick – actor, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
  • Garth Brooks – country vocalist
  • Jon Bon Jovi – rock vocalist, Bon Jovi
  • Cliff Burton – rock bassist, Metallica (died 1986)
  • Jim Carrey – actor, "In Living Color"; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  • Steven Curtis Chapman – contemporary Christian music vocalist
  • Roger Clemens – MLB pitcher
  • Tom Cruise – actor, Rain Man; Top Gun
  • Joan Cusack – actor, Say Anything; Sixteen Candles
  • Sheryl Crow – rock vocalist
  • Clyde Drexler – NBA guard, Houston Rockets
  • Anthony Edwards – actor, ER; Fast Times at Ridgemont High
  • Emilio Estevez – actor, The Breakfast Club; The Outsiders
  • Patrick Ewing – NBA center, New York Knicks; Seattle SuperSonics
  • David Fincher – filmmaker, Fight Club; Se7en
  • Flea – rock bassist, Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Doug Flutie – CFL & NFL quarterback, Calgary Stampeders; Toronto Argonauts; Buffalo Bills; San Diego Chargers
  • Jodie Foster – actor, The Silence of the Lambs; The Accused
  • Bobcat Goldthwait – actor, Police Academy; Scrooged
  • MC Hammer – (a.k.a. Hammer) rapper
  • John Hannah, Scottish actor
  • Steve Irwin, Australian herpetologist and TV personality (The Crocodile Hunter)
  • Eddie Izzard – comedian
  • Bo Jackson – MLB & NFL player
  • Craig Kilborn – comedian/talk show host, "The Late Late Show"; "SportsCenter"; "The Daily Show"
  • Andrew McCarthy – actor, Pretty in Pink; St. Elmo's Fire
  • Dylan McDermott - actor, theatrical director
  • Demi Moore – actor, Ghost; St. Elmo's Fire
  • Rosie O'Donnell – comedian/actor/talk show host, "The Rosie O'Donnell Show"
  • Chuck Palahniuk – novelist, Fight Club
  • Jerry Rice – NFL receiver, San Francisco 49ers; Oakland Raiders; Seattle Seahawks
  • Axl Rose – rock vocalist, Guns N' Roses
  • Ally Sheedy – actor, The Breakfast Club; WarGames
  • Jon Stewart – comedian/actor, "The Daily Show"; "The Jon Stewart Show "
  • John Stockton – NBA point guard, Utah Jazz
• 1963
  • Charles Barkley – NBA forward, Phoenix Suns
  • Len Bias – NBA player (died 1986)
  • Jack Del Rio – NFL coach, Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Johnny Depp – actor, Edward Scissorhands; Ed Wood
  • Eazy-E – rapper (died 1995)
  • Whitney Houston – pop vocalist
  • Randy Johnson – MLB pitcher, Seattle Mariners; Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Michael Jordan – NBA guard, Chicago Bulls; Washington Wizards
  • Garry Kasparov – chess champion
  • Julian Lennon – vocalist; son of John Lennon
  • Heather Locklear – actress, "T.J. Hooker"; "Dynasty"
  • Karl Malone – NBA forward, Utah Jazz; Los Angeles Lakers
  • Mark McGwire – MLB player, Oakland Athletics; St. Louis Cardinals
  • Natalie Merchant – rock vocalist, 10,000 Maniacs
  • Mike Myers – actor, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery; "Saturday Night Live"
  • Hakeem Olajuwon – NBA center, Houston Rockets
  • Conan O'Brien – comic/talk show host, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"; "Saturday Night Live"
  • Tatum O'Neal – actress, Paper Moon
  • Brad Pitt – actor, Fight Club; Se7en
  • Vijay Singh – golfer
  • Steven Soderbergh – filmmaker, Traffic; sex, lies, and videotape
  • Quentin Tarantino – filmmaker, Pulp Fiction; Reservoir Dogs
  • Vinny Testaverde – NFL quarterback, New York Jets; Dallas Cowboys
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn – actor, Basic Instinct
• 1964
  • Jeff Bezos – founder, amazon.com
  • Juliette Binoche, French actress
  • Barry Bonds – MLB player, San Francisco Giants
  • Nicolas Cage – actor, Raising Arizona; Adaptation.
  • Tracy Chapman – blues vocalist
  • Les Claypool – rock vocalist/bassist, Primus
  • Courteney Cox – actor, Friends; Scream
  • Matt Dillon – actor, Wild Things; The Outsiders
  • Brett Easton Ellis – novelist, Less Than Zero; American Psycho
  • Chris Farley – comedian/actor, "Saturday Night Live"
  • Calista Flockhart – actor, "Ally McBeal"
  • Michael Johns – health care executive and former White House speechwriter
  • Lenny Kravitz – rock vocalist/guitarist
  • Courtney Love – vocalist/guitarist for the band Hole.
  • Rob Lowe – actor, St. Elmo's Fire; The Outsiders
  • Keanu Reeves – actor, The Matrix; Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
  • Jim Rome – sports tv/radio personality
  • Eddie Vedder – rock vocalist, Pearl Jam
• 1965
  • Jon Cryer – actor, Pretty in Pink; "The Famous Teddy Z "
  • Robert Downey Jr. – actor, Weird Science; Natural Born Killers
  • Dr. Dre - rapper/music producer
  • Jami Gertz – actor, The Lost Boys; Sixteen Candles
  • Martin Lawrence - actor/comedian, "Martin "
  • Brandon Lee - actor, (son of Bruce Lee) The Crow (d. 1993)
  • Sam Mendes - filmmaker, American Beauty
  • Sarah Jessica Parker - actress, "Square Pegs"; "Sex and the City"
  • Trent Reznor - industrial musician/vocalist, nine inch nails
  • David Robinson – NBA forward
  • Joanne Kathleen Rowling - author, Harry Potter series
  • Charlie Sheen – actor, Platoon; Ferris Bueller's Day Off
  • Brooke Shields – model/actor, The Blue Lagoon
  • Ben Stiller - actor, There's Something About Mary; Meet the Parents
  • Shania Twain – country vocalist
  • Larry Wachowski – filmmaker, The Matrix
• 1966
  • Michelle Akers – soccer player
  • Halle Berry – actor, Monster's Ball; Jungle Fever
  • Cindy Crawford – model
  • John Cusack – actor, Being John Malkovich; Sixteen Candles
  • Janet Jackson – pop vocalist
  • Greg Maddux – MLB pitcher
  • Adam Sandler - actor/comedian, "Saturday Night Live"; Happy Gilmore
  • Kiefer Sutherland – actor, The Lost Boys; Stand by Me
  • Mike Tyson – boxer, undisputed heavyweight champion
  • Rob Zombie - rock vocalist, White Zombie
• 1967
  • Jim Abbott – MLB player
  • Pamela Anderson – centerfold/actor, "Baywatch"
  • Boris Becker – tennis pro
  • Lisa Bonet – actor, "The Cosby Show"
  • Kurt Cobain –rock vocalist/guitarist, Nirvana (died 1994)
  • Billy Corgan - rock vocalist, Smashing Pumpkins; Zwan
  • Nichole Kidman - Australian actress and singer
  • Dave Matthews – jazz & rock vocalist/guitarist, Dave Matthews Band
  • Liz Phair - rock vocalist/musician
  • Julia Roberts - actress, Pretty Woman (movie)
  • Andy Wachowski – filmmaker, The Matrix
  • Moon Unit Zappa – entertainer; daughter of Frank Zappa
• 1968
  • Patricia Arquette – actor, True Romance; Ed Wood
  • Gary Coleman – actor, "Diff'rent Strokes"
  • Céline Dion Angélil – pop vocalist
  • Anthony Michael Hall – actor, The Breakfast Club; Weird Science
  • Tony Hawk – skateboarding legend
  • Salma Hayek – actress, Four Rooms
  • Mary Lou Retton – gymnast, 1984 Olympic gold medalist
  • Molly Ringwald – actor, The Breakfast Club; Pretty in Pink
  • Barry Sanders – Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, Detroit Lions
  • Will Smith – rapper/actor, Independence Day; Men in Black
  • Sammy Sosa – MLB player, Chicago Cubs
  • Wuer Kaixi – Chinese politician
• 1969
  • Jennifer Aniston – actor, "Friends"
  • Tucker Carlson – conservative television commentator
  • Brett Favre – NFL quarterback, Green Bay Packers
  • Steffi Graf – tennis player
  • David Grohl - rock vocalist/drummer/guitarist, Nirvana; Foo Fighters
  • Ice Cube - rapper/actor, N.W.A.; Boyz N the Hood; Friday
  • Spike Jonze - filmmaker, Being John Malkovich
  • Marilyn Manson - rock vocalist, Marilyn Manson
  • Edward Norton - actor, Fight Club
  • Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park
  • Christian Slater - actor, Heathers
  • Emmitt Smith – NFL running back, Dallas Cowboys; Arizona Cardinals
  • Gwen Stefani - rock vocalist, No Doubt
• 1970
  • Andre Agassi – tennis player
  • Mariah Carey – pop vocalist
  • Ani DiFranco – pop vocalist
  • Deborah Gibson – pop vocalist
  • Malcolm-Jamal Warner - actor, "The Cosby Show"
  • P. Diddy (a.k.a. Puff Daddy) – rapper/music producer
  • River Phoenix – actor, Stand by Me (died 1993)
  • Rick Schroeder - actor, "Silver Spoons"; "NYPD Blue"
  • M. Night Shyamalan – filmmaker, The Sixth Sense
  • Uma Thurman - actress, Pulp Fiction
  • Renée Zellweger - actress, Jerry Maguire
• 1971
  • Jeff Gordon – Nascar Driver, four–time Winston Cup Champion
  • Lance Armstrong – cyclist, six–time Tour de France winner
  • Brad Friedel – soccer player
  • Tiffany (singer) – pop vocalist
  • Dido, pop vocalist
  • Pedro Martinez – MLB player
  • Selena Quintanilla – (a.k.a. Selena) Latin vocalist (died 1995)
  • Winona Ryder – actress, Heathers; Edward Scissorhands
  • Pete Sampras – tennis player
  • Tupac Shakur – rapper/actor/poet (died 1996)
  • Matt Stone, co-creator of South Park
  • Christine Taylor – actress
  • Félix Trinidad – boxer
  • Ryan White – AIDS activist (died 1990)
  • Luke Wilson – actor, The Royal Tenenbaums; Old School
• 1972
  • Jill Arrington – college football reporter, ESPN
  • Cameron Diaz – actress, There's Something About Mary
  • Eminem – rapper/actor, 8 Mile
  • Mia Hamm – soccer player
  • Monica Lewinsky - former White House intern, President Bill Clinton's mistress
  • Thandie Newton - actress, Mission Impossible 2
  • The Notorious B.I.G. – (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls) rapper (died 1997)
  • Shaquille O'Neal – NBA center, Orlando Magic; Los Angeles Lakers; Miami Heat
  • Trista Rehn – The Bachelorette
  • Samantha Smith – political activist (died 1985)
  • Wil Wheaton – actor, Stand by Me
• 1973
  • Rose McGowan – actress, Scream
  • Monica Seles – tennis player
  • Ichiro Suzuki – MLB outfielder
• 1974
  • Leonardo DiCaprio – actor, Titanic
  • Jewel – vocalist
  • Alanis Morissette - rock vocalist
  • Kate Moss - supermodel
• 1975
  • Drew Barrymore – actress, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; Scream
  • David Beckham – soccer player
  • Jennifer Love Hewitt – actress, I Know What You Did Last Summer; Can't Hardly Wait
  • Lauryn Hill – hip–hop vocalist
  • Heather O'Rourke - actress, Poltergeist series (d. 1988)
  • Alex Rodriguez – MLB shortstop
  • Kate Winslet – MLB Actor, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  • Tiger Woods – golfer
• 1976
  • Jennifer Capriati – tennis player
  • Tim Duncan – NBA center, San Antonio Spurs
  • Peyton Manning – NFL quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
  • Ronaldo – Brazilian soccer player
  • Alicia Silverstone – actress, Clueless
  • Reese Witherspoon – actress, Election; Legally Blonde
• 1977
  • Brittany Murphy – actor, "King of the Hill"; Girl, Interrupted
  • Peja Stojakovic – NBA guard, Sacramento Kings
• 1978
  • Kobe Bryant – NBA guard, Los Angeles Lakers
  • Ashton Kutcher – actor, "That '70s Show"
  • Brandy Norwood – (a.k.a. Brandy) vocalist/actor, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
  • Dirk Nowitzki – NBA forward, Dallas Mavericks
  • Usher Raymond - vocalist
• 1979
  • Aaliyah – vocalist/actor (died 2001)
  • Ron Artest - NBA forward, Indiana Pacers
  • Elton Brand - NBA forward, Los Angeles Clippers
  • Claire Danes – actor, "My So-Called Life"
• 1980
  • Christina Aguilera – vocalist
  • Macaulay Culkin – actor, Home Alone
  • Jake Gyllenhaal – actor, Donnie Darko
  • Christina Ricci – actress, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
  • Venus Williams – tennis player
  • Yao Ming – NBA center, Houston Rockets
• 1981
  • Ashanti Douglas (a.k.a. Ashanti) – vocalist
  • Alicia Keys – vocalist/songwriter
  • Beyoncé Knowles – vocalist
  • Britney Spears – vocalist
  • Serena Williams – tennis player
  • Elijah Wood - actor, Lord of the Rings trilogy