List of people from Indianapolis

The following is a list of notable people who have been born or lived in Indianapolis, Indiana. Organized alphabetically by field of study and then by last name.

Actors

Abraham Benrubi (1969– ), actor, best known for ER and Parker Lewis Can't Lose

Monte Blue (1887–1963), silent film/character actor

Connie Booth (1944– ), actress, screenwriter

Steve Burton (1970– ), television actor

Joyce DeWitt (1949– ), actress, best known for Three's Company

Cullen Douglas (1967– ), actor, producer, director, best known for Grey's Anatomy and Pure Genius

Robert Emhardt (1914–1994), actor

Mike Epps (1970– ), stand-up comedian, actor, producer, writer, rapper

Frances Farmer (1913–1970), actress

Rhett Fisher (1980– ), actor, best known for Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue

Brendan Fraser (1968– ), film actor

Ken Foree (1948– ), actor

Vivica A. Fox (1964– ), actress

Chase Infiniti (2000– ), actress

Doug Jones (1960– ), actor

Brook Kerr (1973– ), actress

Priscilla Lawson (1914–1958), actress

Marjorie Main (1890–1975), actress

Steve McQueen (1930–1980), Academy Award-nominated actor

Julie McWhirter (1947– ), actress

Margo Moore (1931–2000), actress

Dohn Norwood(1974– ) actor, Hell on Wheels

Katy O'Brian (1989– ), actress

Dayo Okeniyi (1988– ), film actor

Jake Short (1997– ), actor

Steve Talley (1981– ), television/film actor

Harry von Zell (1906–1981), television/film actor and radio announcer, best known for The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

Clifton Webb (1889–1966), stage/film actor

Sasheer Zamata (1986– ), comedian, actress, former cast member on Saturday Night Live

Artists

Vija Celmins (1938– ), visual artist

Don Gummer, artist

John Wesley Hardrick (1891–1968), artist

Ron McQueeney, photographer

Wilhelmina Seegmiller (1866–1913), author, illustrator, art teacher

Sheida Soleimani (1990–), contemporary artist, born in Indianapolis

Jeremy Spencer, musician (1973– )

Athletes

Joe Amico (1995– ), soccer player

Sarah Bacon (1996– ), Olympic diver

George Bailey (1900–1940), IndyCar Series driver

Jalen Brown (1995– ), soccer player

Kevin Burns (1985– ), soccer player

Donie Bush (1887–1972), Major League Baseball (MLB) player/manager

Bryce Campbell (1994– ), plays for the United States national rugby union team

Rodney Carney (1984– ), National Basketball Association (NBA) player

Oscar Charleston (1896–1954), baseball player, member of Baseball Hall of Fame

Mike Clark (1972– ), soccer player

Josh Coan (1998– ), soccer player

Mike Conley Jr. (1987– ), NBA player

Hooks Dauss (1889–1963), MLB player

Euphrasia Donnelly (1905–1963), swimmer, Olympic gold medalist (1924)

Stu Douglass (1990– ), American-Israeli basketball player for the Israeli team Maccabi Ashdod

Jack Doyle (1990– ), National Football League (NFL) tight end

Daeshon Francis (born 1996), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League

Jeff George (1967– ), NFL quarterback

Eric Gordon (1988– ), NBA player

Greg Graham (1970– ), NBA player

Marcellus Greene (1957– ), NFL player

Gordon Hayward (1990– ), NBA player

Alan Henderson (1972– ), NBA player

John F. Hennessey (1900–1981), tennis player (1920s)

Oral Hildebrand (1907–1977), MLB All-Star pitcher

George Hill (1986– ), NBA player

Cole Hocker (2001– ), distance runner, Olympian

Lauren Holiday (1987– ), US Women's National Soccer player, Olympic gold medalist, 2015 Women's World Cup champion

Lester Horton (1906–1953), dancer and choreographer

Tommy Hunter (1986– ), Major League baseball pitcher for Philadelphia Phillies

Kenny Irwin (1969–2000), NASCAR driver

Jack Johnson (1987– ) NHL player

Mathias Kiwanuka (1983– ), NFL player

Ken Klee (1971– ), National Hockey League (NHL) player

Chuck Klein (1904–1958), MLB player

Kyle Krisiloff (1986– ), NASCAR driver

Shawn Langdon (2007– ), NHRA funny car driver 2013; Top Fuel Champion; 2-time Super Comp Champion

Brad Leaf (1960–), American-Israeli basketball player for Hapoel Galil Elyon and Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israel Premier League

Courtney Lee (1985– ), NBA player

Don Leppert (1931– ), MLB player

Lori Lindsey (1980– ), U.S. Women's National Soccer player, Olympic gold medalist

Maicel Malone-Wallace (1969– ), sprinter, Olympic gold medalist (1996)

Zack Martin (1990– ), NFL player

George McGinnis (1950– ), NBA player

Frank McKinney (1938–1992), diver, Olympic gold medalist (1960), banking executive

Terry McLaurin Ohio State Buckeyes and Washington Redskins wide receiver

Eric Montross (1971– ), NBA player

Logan Neidlinger (2005– ), soccer player

Greg Oden (1988– ), NBA player

Jaycie Phelps (1979– ), gymnast, Olympic gold medalist (1996), Magnificent Seven team member

Austin Price (born 1995), basketball player in the Israeli Premier Basketball League

Derrick Ransom (1976– ), National Football League (NFL) player defensive tackle

Matt Reiswerg (born 1980), soccer player, coach, and administrator

Zion Richardson (2001– ), basketball player

Oscar Robertson (1938– ), basketball player, member of Basketball Hall of Fame

Sally Schantz, figure skater, U.S. ice dancing champion (1963)

Judy Schwomeyer (1950– ), figure skater, U.S. ice dancing champion (1968–1972)

Sandra Spuzich (1937–2015), LPGA pro golfer

Brad Stevens (1976– ), President of Basketball Operations and former head coach of the Boston Celtics

Major Taylor (1878–1932), cyclist

Jeff Teague (1988– ), NBA player

Johnny Weaver (1935–2008), pro wrestler, first to use the sleeper hold "Weaver Lock"

Randy Wittman (1959– ), NBA head coach

Greg Wojciechowski (1951– ), wrestler

Sean Woods (1970– ), college basketball coach

T. J. Yates (1987–), former quarterback; wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons

Business and philanthropy

Steve Bellamy, sports media entrepreneur, founder of The Ski Channel and The Tennis Channel

Steve Ells, founder, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Scott Flanders, businessman and former CEO of Playboy, Inc.

John Geisse, businessman, founder of Target Stores

Bob Glenalvin, first manager of Detroit Tigers

Sid Grauman, founder of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, former home of the Academy Awards

Scott A. Jones, co-founder of ChaCha

Eli Lilly, founder, president of pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company

Josiah K. Lilly Sr., president of pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company

Ruth Lilly, philanthropist

Kim Ng, Major League Baseball executive

Ewald Over, entrepreneur

Freeman Ransom, lawyer, businessman, civic leader

Willard Ransom, lawyer, businessman, civic leader

Henry J. Richardson Jr., lawyer and civil rights activist, member of the Indiana House of Representatives (1932–36), and a judge in Marion County, Indiana.

Madam C.J. Walker, pioneering African-American businesswoman, first female self-made millionaire in America

Margaret Ray Wickens (1843–1918), organizer and social reformer

Criminals

Howard Allen, serial killer

Herb Baumeister, suspected serial killer

Melvin Carr, murderer, rapist, and suspected serial killer

John Dillinger, bank robber

Cecil Henry Floyd, serial killer

Jared Fogle, Subway restaurant endorser, motivational speaker, and convicted child pornographer

Jim Jones, cult leader and mass murderer who led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978

Entertainment

Rupert Boneham, reality show contestant, Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: Blood vs. Water; politician

June Cochran, model, Miss Indiana USA 1960, Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Year 1963

Ken Hixon, screenwriter

David Letterman, television personality, former host of The Late Show (1993–2015)

Ryan Murphy, film and television screenwriter, director, and producer, notably Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story and Glee

Blair St. Clair (Andrew Bryson), drag performer

Marc Summers, game show host, television personality

Dan Wakefield, screenwriter, novelist

Marjorie Wallace, Miss World 1973

Journalists and media

Roy Blount Jr., journalist, author

Scott Evans, television personality

Louis McHenry Howe, reporter for the New York Herald; political advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Jack Olsen, journalist and author

Jane Pauley, television personality, journalist

Myrta Pulliam, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

Military

Timothy Maude, U.S. Army lieutenant general, the highest-ranking military officer killed in the September 11 attacks

Thomas A. Morris, railroad executive, civil engineer, Union general in the Civil War

Norris W. Overton, U.S. Air Force brigadier general

Raymond A. Spruance, commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet (1944–1945)

Musicians

Mark Battles, rapper-songwriter, founder of record label Fly America

Scrapper Blackwell, blues musician and songwriter, writer of the earliest version of "Sweet Home Chicago"

Carl Broemel, multi-instrumentalist, member of My Morning Jacket

Darrell Clanton, singer

Dorian, hip-hop recording artist and music producer

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, R&B music producer/performer

Guitar Pete Franklin, blues musician

Jan Garber, bandleader

Blind Leroy Garnett, boogie-woogie and ragtime pianist and songwriter

Thurston Harris, singer, songwriter

Billy Henderson, singer, member of The Spinners

John Hiatt, musician

Freddie Hubbard, jazz trumpeter

J. J. Johnson, jazz trombonist

Josh Kaufman, singer-songwriter, contestant on The Voice (U.S. Season 6)

Adam Lambert, singer, runner-up of American Idol (Season 8)

Adrianne Lenker, musician, singer songwriter of the indie band Big Thief

Ted Leo, musician

Charles Scott Leonard, member of the a cappella group Rockapella

Lily & Madeleine, folk duo

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, indie rock band formed in Indianapolis

Tim McIlrath, musician

Wes Montgomery, jazz guitarist

Plumb, singer/songwriter

Hal Rayle, voice artist

Larry Ridley, jazz bassist

David Michael Schuster, opera singer

George Shirley, operatic tenor

Noble Sissle, composer

Tiara Thomas, singer-songwriter

Albert Von Tilzer, composer, notably "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

Pharez Whitted, jazz trumpeter

Keke Wyatt, R&B singer

Politicians

James Bingham, Indiana attorney general (1907–1911)

Maria Cantwell, U.S. senator from Washington

Paul Cantwell, Indiana state representative

André Carson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana, second Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress (2008)

Julia Carson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana; grandmother of André Carson

Harriette Bailey Conn, state representative and the first African American to serve as Indiana's state public defender

Ray Crowe, basketball coach and politician

John J. Dillon, Indiana attorney general (1965–1969)

Charles W. Fairbanks, 26th vice president of the United States (1905–1909)

William T. Francis, U.S. ambassador to Liberia (1927–1929)

Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president of the United States (1889–1893); lived and died in Indianapolis

Thomas A. Hendricks, 21st vice president of the United States (1863–1869)

Eric Holcomb, governor of Indiana

William A. Ketcham, Indiana attorney general (1894–1898), commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (1920–1921)

Jon Krahulik, justice of the Indiana Supreme Court (1990–1993)

Daisy Riley Lloyd, first African-American woman to serve in the Indiana legislature

Richard Lugar, U.S. senator from Indiana

Frank E. McKinney, Democratic Party chairman

Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States (2017–2021)

Dan Quayle, 44th vice president of the United States (1989–1993)

Mike Quigley, U.S. representative for Illinois

Charles Ray, justice of the Indiana Supreme Court (1865–1871)

Jefferson Shreve, U.S. representative for Indiana

Pat Spearman, politician, cleric, veteran

Edwin K. Steers, Indiana attorney general (1953–1965)

Ted Stevens, U.S. senator from Alaska

Mark Warner, U.S. senator from Virginia

Writers

Georgia Alexander (1868–1928), textbook author and educator

Grace Alexander (1872–1951), writer, journalist, teacher

Margaret C. Anderson, critic, editor and publisher

John David Anderson (1975– ), children's book author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day, 2017 Indiana Authors Award Winner

Allan Bloom, philosopher and essayist

A'Lelia Bundles (1952– ), TV producer, journalist, and author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker

Jared Carter (1939– ), poet, author of Work, for the Night Is Coming (1981), and winner of the Walt Whitman Award and the Poets' Prize

Matt Dellinger (1975– ), author of Interstate 69: The Unfinished History of the Last Great American Highway

Elliot Engel, writer, lecturer, and dramatist

Mari Evans (1923–2017), poet, author of I Am a Black Woman (1970), winner of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters poetry award

Janet Flanner, Paris correspondent of The New Yorker

Hildegarde Flanner, poet

John Green, novelist and writer, including of The Fault in Our Stars; YouTuber

Alex Hall, author of Ben Drowned (2010)

Joseph Hayes, author

Phillip Hoose (1947– ), children's book author of Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Kathryn Lasky (1944– ), children's book author of Guardians of Ga'Hoole

Charles Major, author

Elizabeth Miller (1878–1961), novelist

Bill Peet (1915–2002), children's book author and illustrator of Pamela Camel

Madelyn Pugh, script-writer, I Love Lucy

Booth Tarkington, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Kurt Vonnegut, author

James Whitcomb Riley, poet

Alice Wong, disability rights activist, founder of the Disability Visibility Project, and 2024 MacArthurs Fellow

Other

Frank J. Anderson, former sheriff of Marion County, Indiana (2003–2011)

Dilley sextuplets, the first surviving set of sextuplets in North America

Kent Brantly, physician, author, speaker, first American to be treated for the Ebola virus in 2014, TIME Person of the Year 2014

Emmett I. Brown Jr., professional photographer, documented Indiana Avenue's jazz scene in the 1940s and 50s, editor Sepia magazine

John P. Donohue, professor, doctor, pioneered treatments for testicular cancer

Ruth M. Gardiner, first nurse killed in action during World War II

Michael Graves, architect

Margaret Yandes Holliday, Presbyterian missionary in Tabriz 1883–1919

Peter Kassig, aid worker, taken hostage and ultimately beheaded by the Islamic State

Justin Knapp, Wikipedia editor

Emma Messing (1872–1950), American secretary, vaudeville performer, and secretary of the American Embassy in Berlin

John Morton-Finney, Buffalo soldier, lawyer, educator and civil rights leader

Irvine Page, physiologist, former president of the American Heart Association (1956–1957)

Harriet Augusta Prunk (1840–1911), educator and school founder

John C. Rule, historian at Ohio State University

Bill Shirk, escape artist, president of Hoosier Broadcasting Corp.