Emmys 2018: Trending Names

101. John Oliver

Writer | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

John Oliver was born on April 23, 1977 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014), The Lion King (2019) and The Smurfs (2011). He has been married to Kate Norley since October 2011. They have two children.

102. Stephen Colbert

Writer | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Stephen Tyrone Colbert (pronounced "cole-BEAR") was born on May 13, 1964 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. He is the son of Lorna Elizabeth (Tuck) and James William Colbert, Jr., a doctor and medical school dean at Yale, Saint Louis University, and MUSC. He is the ...

103. James Corden

Producer | The Late Late Show with James Corden

Describing himself as the "chunky unit," James Kimberley Corden was born in Hillingdon, London, England and raised in Buckinghamshire, England, the son of Margaret (Collins), a social worker, and Malcolm Corden, a musician. He studied drama at the Jackie Palmer Stage School before going on to ...

104. Tim Gunn

Producer | Project Runway

Tim Gunn was born in Washington DC. He began working at New York's Parson's The New School for Design in 1982, and serves as chair of the department of fashion design. During the school's summer hiatus, Gunn is involved in the hit TV show Project Runway (2004) where he serves as a den father and ...

105. Heidi Klum

Producer | Project Runway

Heidi Klum was born in Bergisch Gladbach, a small city near Cologne, Germany, in 1973. Her career as a top fashion model and swimsuit star began almost by accident when, on a lark, she submitted photos to a model competition hosted by Petra, a young woman's magazine. Klum won the competition, and ...

106. Padma Lakshmi

Actress | Glitter

Padma Lakshmi was born on September 1, 1970 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. She is a producer and actress, known for Glitter (2001), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020). She was previously married to Salman Rushdie.

107. RuPaul

Soundtrack | RuPaul's Drag Race

RuPaul Andre Charles is an American actor, model, singer, songwriter, television personality, and author. As executive producer and host of the reality competition TV series RuPaul's Drag Race, RuPaul has received fourteen Primetime Emmy Awards - the most wins for outstanding host of a reality or ...

108. Tom Colicchio

Producer | Top Chef

Tom Colicchio was born on August 15, 1962 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Top Chef (2006), The Smurfs (2011) and Billions (2016). He has been married to Lori Silverbush since September 14, 2001. They have two children.

109. Jane Lynch

Actress | Wreck-It Ralph

Jane Marie Lynch is an American actress, comedian and author. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series Glee (2009-2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recognition for her roles in Christopher Guest's mockumentary films, such as Best in ...

110. Ellen DeGeneres

Producer | Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Emmy-winning talk show host Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana, a New Orleans suburb. She is the daughter of Betty DeGeneres (née Elizabeth Jane Pfeffer), a speech therapist, and Elliott Everett DeGeneres, Jr., an insurance agent. Her brother is musician and producer Vance DeGeneres...

111. W. Kamau Bell

Producer | We Need to Talk About Cosby

W. Kamau Bell was born on January 26, 1973 in Palo Alto, California, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for We Need to Talk About Cosby (2022), United Shades of America (2016) and Sorry to Bother You (2018). He has been married to Dr. Melissa Hudson Bell, Ph.D. since 2009. They have two ...

112. Amy Sherman-Palladino

Producer | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

An only child, Amy Sherman-Palladino is daughter to comedian Don Sherman & dancer Maybin Hewes.

Originally a dancer herself, Palladino had initially received a callback to the musical Cats, while also having a possible writing position on the staff of Roseanne in rotation. When she and writing ...

113. Matt Duffer

Writer | Stranger Things

Matt Duffer of The Duffer Brothers, born in Durham, February 15, 1984, is a writer, producer, and director for film and television. He is most known as the creator and showrunner of the hit Netflix Sci-Fi TV series Stranger Things. Other works include the thriller film Hidden and he has written ...

114. Ross Duffer

Writer | Stranger Things

Ross Duffer is known for Stranger Things (2016), We All Fall Down (2005) and Wayward Pines (2015). He has been married to Leigh Janiak since December 22, 2015.

115. Mike Judge

Writer | Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Mike Judge is an American actor, animator, film director, screenwriter, and television producer.

In 1962, Judge was born in Guayaquil, the largest city of Ecuador and the country's main port. His parents were expatriate Americans. His father was archaeologist William James Judge and his mother was ...

116. 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 ...

117. 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 ...

118. Bruce Miller

Producer | The Handmaid's Tale

Bruce Miller is known for The Handmaid's Tale (2017), Eureka (2006) and Alphas (2011).

119. Alec Berg

Producer | Barry

Alec Berg is known for Barry (2018), Silicon Valley (2014) and The Cat in the Hat (2003). He has been married to Michele Maika since May 28, 2000.

120. Amy Sedaris

Actress | Elf

Amy Louise Sedaris is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She played Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central comedy series Strangers with Candy (1999-2000) and the prequel film Strangers with Candy (2005), which she also wrote.

Sedaris appeared as Hurshe Heartshe in the Adult Swim comedy series The...

121. 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 ...

122. Kristen Bell

Actress | Frozen

Kristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). ...

123. Andy Samberg

Actor | Saturday Night Live

Andy Samberg was born in Berkeley, California, to Marjorie (Marrow), a teacher, and Joe Samberg, a photographer. With Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, Samberg is one of three Los Angeles, California-based writer-performer-filmmakers--all childhood friends--dubbed The Lonely Island, whose short ...

124. Tracy Morgan

Actor | 30 Rock

Tracy Morgan is an African-American comedian and actor from New York City who is known for playing Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock, Luiz from the Blue Sky Studios Rio franchise, Tray Barker from The Last O.G. and several roles on Saturday Night Live. He also was in Scoob, Fist Fight, G-Force, The ...

125. Emilia Clarke

Actress | Game of Thrones

British actress Emilia Clarke was born in London and grew up in Oxfordshire, England. Her father was a theatre sound engineer and her mother is a businesswoman. Her father was working on a theatre production of "Show Boat" and her mother took her along to the performance. This is when, at the age ...

126. Jesse Peretz

Director | Our Idiot Brother

Jesse Peretz was born in 1968. He is a director and producer, known for Our Idiot Brother (2011), Girls (2012) and GLOW (2017).

127. Hiro Murai

Producer | Station Eleven

Hiro Murai was born on July 15, 1983. He is a producer and director, known for Station Eleven (2021), Atlanta (2016) and The Bear (2022).

128. Mike Judge

Writer | Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Mike Judge is an American actor, animator, film director, screenwriter, and television producer.

In 1962, Judge was born in Guayaquil, the largest city of Ecuador and the country's main port. His parents were expatriate Americans. His father was archaeologist William James Judge and his mother was ...

129. Alec Berg

Producer | Barry

Alec Berg is known for Barry (2018), Silicon Valley (2014) and The Cat in the Hat (2003). He has been married to Michele Maika since May 28, 2000.

130. Angela Bassett

Actress | Strange Days

Captivating, gifted, and sensational, Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters and on stages and television screens throughout the world. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a ...

131. Michael Douglas

Actor | Wall Street

A legendary actor with 50 celebrated years of film, television and producing experience, Michael Douglas is known for his era-defining roles and enduring cultural impact.

In addition to his career accomplishments, Douglas has remained a steadfast public servant, activist and philanthropist dedicated...

132. Maya Rudolph

Actress | Bridesmaids

Maya Rudolph was born on July 27, 1972 in Gainesville, Florida, to Richard Rudolph, a music producer, and soul singer Minnie Riperton. Her mother was African-American and her father is Ashkenazi Jewish (from a family from Lithuania, Russia, Germany, and Hungary). In 1973, Maya, her parents, and her...

133. Fred Armisen

Music_department | Portlandia

Fereydun Robert Armisen is an American actor, comedian, and writer. After having begun his career as a musician for groups such as Trenchmouth and the Blue Man Group, he would get his big break as a comedy actor when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975) in 2002, having remained with the...

134. Chrissy Teigen

Actress | Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Chrissy Teigen was born on November 30, 1985 in Delta, Utah, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018), Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) and The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021). She has been married to John Legend since September 14, 2013. They ...

135. Kit Harington

Actor | Game of Thrones

Kit Harington was born Christopher Catesby Harington in Acton, London, to Deborah Jane (Catesby), a former playwright, and David Richard Harington, a businessman. His mother named him after 16th-century British playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe, whose first name was shortened to Kit, a name ...

136. Constance Wu

Actress | Crazy Rich Asians

Constance Wu was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. Her mother is a computer programmer and her father is a college professor. Both are immigrants from Taiwan. Constance grew up in Richmond performing in the local community theater scene. At 16, she moved to New York City to study at the famed ...

137. 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 ...

138. Alec Baldwin

Actor | The Departed

Alec Baldwin is the oldest, and best-known, of the four Baldwin brothers in the acting business (the others are Stephen Baldwin, William Baldwin and Daniel Baldwin). Alexander Rae Baldwin III was born on April 3, 1958 in Massapequa, New York, the son of Carol Newcomb (Martineau) and Alexander Rae ...

139. 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 ...

140. James Corden

Producer | The Late Late Show with James Corden

Describing himself as the "chunky unit," James Kimberley Corden was born in Hillingdon, London, England and raised in Buckinghamshire, England, the son of Margaret (Collins), a social worker, and Malcolm Corden, a musician. He studied drama at the Jackie Palmer Stage School before going on to ...

141. Ryan Murphy

Producer | Glee

Born November 9, 1965 in Indianapolis, Indiana, US as Ryan Patrick Murphy, he is an American writer, director, and producer, responsible for creating such hits as Nip/Tuck (2003), Glee (2009) and American Horror Story (2011). His mother, J. Andy Murphy, was a writer and communications worker and ...

142. Abbi Jacobson

Actress | Broad City

Abbi Jacobson is an American comedian, actress, writer, and illustrator. She is best known for co-creating and co-starring in the Comedy Central series Broad City (2014) alongside Ilana Glazer, which was based on a web series of the same name that the two have created three years prior. Jacobson is...

143. Ilana Glazer

Actress | Broad City

Ilana Glazer was born on April 12, 1987 in Long Island, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Broad City (2014), Rough Night (2017) and Broad City (2010). She has been married to David Rooklin since February 25, 2017.

144. Ron Cephas Jones

Actor | This Is Us

Ron Cephas Jones was born on January 8, 1957 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for This Is Us (2016), Luke Cage (2016) and Half Nelson (2006). He died on August 19, 2023 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

145. Stan Lathan

Director | Real Husbands of Hollywood

Stan Lathan is an accomplished producer and one of Hollywood's most prolific directors of television and film.

Lathan has directed pilots for many popular sitcoms, including: Real Husbands of Hollywood, The Soul Man, Amen, Martin, Moesha, The Parkers, and The Steve Harvey Show.

In 1991, he launched ...

146. Michael Bonfiglio

Director | Who Are You, Charlie Brown?

Michael Bonfiglio is an Emmy-winning director, producer, writer, and camera operator.

Bonfiglio's acclaimed film MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS, a collaboration with Judd Apatow, premiered at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival where it won the 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award. The film was...

147. Glenn Weiss

Director | The 65th Annual Tony Awards

Glenn Weiss was born on September 6, 1961. He is a director and producer, known for The 65th Annual Tony Awards (2011), The 67th Annual Tony Awards (2013) and The 61st Annual Tony Awards (2007). He has been married to Jan Svendsen since February 14, 2023.

148. Marcus Raboy

Director | Adam Sandler: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Emmy nominated Director and Producer Marcus Raboy started his directing career in music videos working with seminal hip hop artists Naughty By Nature, Mary J Blige, Run DMC, and Ice Cube. The relationship with Ice Cube led to the feature film Friday After Next, written by and starring Ice Cube, ...

149. Hamish Hamilton

Director | The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Starring Usher

Hamish has directed each of the top ten most-viewed shows in U.S. history. He is the only individual to achieve the unique privilege of EGOS status by directing the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Awarded an Emmy in 2024 for Rihanna's Halftime Show, Hamish also boasts two ...

150. 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,...

151. Anthony Bourdain

Producer | Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Anthony Bourdain was born in New York City, to Gladys (Sacksman), an NYT staff editor, and Pierre Bourdain, a Columbia Records executive. He attended The Englewood School for Boys in New Jersey and Vassar College (for two years), and was a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. He began his...

152. David Ogden Stiers

Actor | M*A*S*H

David Ogden Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois, to Margaret Elizabeth (Ogden) and Kenneth Truman Stiers. He moved with his family to Eugene, Oregon, where he graduated from North Eugene High School in 1960. At the age of twenty, he was offered $200 to join the company of the Santa Clara ...

153. Harry Anderson

Actor | Night Court

Harry Anderson was born on October 14, 1952 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Night Court (1984), It (1990) and Tales from the Crypt (1989). He was married to Elizabeth Morgan and Leslie Pollack. He died on April 16, 2018 in Asheville, North Carolina, USA.

154. Robin Leach

Actor | The Ridiculous 6

Robin Leach was born on August 29, 1941 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and producer, known for The Ridiculous 6 (2015), I.M. Caravaggio (2010) and Sledge Hammer! (1986). He was married to Judith Desser. He died on August 24, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

155. Bill Daily

Actor | The Bob Newhart Show

Congenial, unassuming and always ingratiating comic actor Bill Daily came to fame as the bumbling, jittery playboy astronaut Roger Healy, best buddy and sidekick to Larry Hagman's accident-prone Tony Nelson in the perennial sitcom favourite I Dream of Jeannie (1965). Though his role had initially ...

156. Taraji P. Henson

Actress | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). She played a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005), for which she received a ...

157. Gina Rodriguez

Actress | Deepwater Horizon

Named the "next big thing" and one of the "top 35 Latinos under 35," by The Hollywood Reporter, Gina Rodriguez's profile has been rising steadily since her breakout performance as the titular character in FILLY BROWN during the Sundance Film Festival in 2012.

Gina Rodriguez was born in Chicago, ...

158. Lil Rel Howery

Actor | Vacation Friends 2

Comedian, actor, writer, and producer Lil Rel Howery is a movie star. His role as TSA agent Rod Williams in the Oscar-winning instant classic Get Out (2017), written and directed by Jordan Peele ushered Howery into superstar status. His keen ability to mesh humor and honor resonated so deeply with ...

159. Kari Skogland

Director | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Emmy-nominated, BAFTA award-winning director Kari Skogland is CEO of Mad Rabbit, a development and production company. Skogland is committed to producing high-end one-hour dramas for the international market while she continues her award- winning work. Most recently she was Executive Producer and ...

160. Hannah Gadsby

Writer | Hannah Gadsby: Douglas

Hannah Gadsby was born on January 12, 1978 in Smithton, Tasmania, Australia. Hannah is a writer and actor, known for Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (2020), Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018) and Please Like Me (2013). Hannah has been married to Jenney Shamash since January 2021.

161. Bobby Berk

Self | Queer Eye

As the Emmy-winning resident design expert and member of the Fab Five on Netflix's series Queer Eye, Bobby Berk brings change to people's lives by teaching them that a happy home means a happy life. Now in its eighth season, Queer Eye is one of the most popular shows on Netflix and is available in ...

162. Karamo Brown

Self | Queer Eye

Karamo Brown was born on November 2, 1980 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Queer Eye (2018), Steam Room Stories (2010) and Lean (2014).

163. Tan France

Self | Queer Eye

Tanweer Wasin "Tan" France (né Safdar) is an English fashion designer and television personality from Doncaster, South Yorkshire based in the United States. He is married to Rob France and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is best known for founding women's fashion line, Kingdom & State and for his...

164. Antoni Porowski

Actor | Ojcu

Antoni Porowski was born on March 14, 1984 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for To My Father (2015), Queer Eye (2018) and The Blacklist (2013).

165. Jonathan Van Ness

Self | Queer Eye

Jonathan Van Ness was born on March 28, 1987 in Quincy, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Queer Eye (2018), Gay of Thrones (2013) and About My Father (2023). He has been married to Mark Peacock since June 5, 2020.

166. Hayma Washington

Producer | The Amazing Race

Hayma Washington is known for The Amazing Race (2001), Naked Science (2004) and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997).

167. Will Ferrell

Producer | Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

John William Ferrell was born in Irvine, California, to Betty Kay (Overman), a teacher, and Roy Lee Ferrell, Jr., a musician. His parents were originally from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Ferrell became interested in performing while a student ...

168. 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 ...

169. Neal Brennan

Writer | Chappelle's Show

Neal Brennan is known for Chappelle's Show (2003), Half Baked (1998) and Get Him to the Greek (2010).

170. Trevor Noah

Producer | The Daily Show

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television host, actor, and political commentator. He is the host of The Daily Show, an American satirical news program on Comedy Central.

Born in Johannesburg, Noah began his career in South Africa in 2002. He had several hosting roles with the South African...

171. Eric Bana

Actor | Dirty John

Eric Bana was born Eric Banadinovic on August 9, 1968, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is the younger of two brothers. His father, named Ivan Banadinovic, came from Zagreb, Croatia, and worked as a manager for Caterpillar Inc. His mother, named Eleanor Banadinovic, came from a German family ...

172. Connie Britton

Actress | Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Connie Britton began playing country music fading sensation Rayna Jaymes in Nashville (2012) after having wrapped production for the five season long Friday Night Lights (2006) alongside Kyle Chandler. She previously appeared in Universal's Friday Night Lights (2004) -the movie- directed by Peter ...

173. Ben Stiller

Producer | Tropic Thunder

Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller was born on November 30, 1965, in New York City, New York, to legendary comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. His father was of Austrian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent, and his mother was of Irish Catholic descent (she converted to Judaism).

His parents made no real...

174. Benicio Del Toro

Actor | Sicario

Benicio Del Toro emerged in the mid-1990s as one of the most watchable and charismatic character actors to come along in years. A favorite of film buffs, Del Toro gained mainstream public attention as the conflicted but basically honest Mexican policeman in Steven Soderbergh's Traffic (2000).

...

175. Patricia Arquette

Actress | Boyhood

With her expressive blue eyes, soft, Southern-tinged voice and an acting range that can carry her from hysterically funny to terrifying in seconds, Patricia Arquette is one of the most underrated and talented actresses of her generation. Though she has been working for years, she's always stayed ...

176. Jenifer Lewis

Actress | The Princess and the Frog

Jenifer Lewis is one of Hollywood's most familiar faces, with more than 300 appearances in film and television. Dubbed a "national treasure" by TV Guide.com, Jenifer stars on the hit show Black-ish (ABC), where her hilarious portrayal of "Ruby Johnson" earned her a nomination for the 2016 Critics ...

177. John Mulaney

Actor | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

John Mulaney is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. A native of Chicago, Illinois, he started his career working as a writer for Saturday Night Live (1975) in 2008, where he co-created the recurring character of Stefon with Bill Hader and occasionally appeared on the show's Weekend ...

178. Aretha Franklin

Actress | The Blues Brothers

Grammy-winning Queen of Soul and the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Barbara Vernice (Siggers) and C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, who preached at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit for over thirty ...

179. Hugh Hefner

Actor | Miss March

Hugh Hefner was born on April 9, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for Miss March (2009), Hop (2011) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). He was married to Crystal Hefner, Kimberley Conrad and Mildred Williams. He died on September 27, 2017 in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles,...