List of people from Oakland, California

This is a listing of famous people who were either born in, or have lived in, Oakland, California.

Actors and directors

• Eddie Anderson – actor
• Max Baer, Jr. – actor, film director
• Buster Crabbe – actor
• Robert Culp – actor
• Mark Curry – actor
• Clint Eastwood – actor, film director
• Mark Hamill – actor
• Tom Hanks – actor, raised in Oakland
• Susan Seaforth Hayes – actor
• Joseph Jackson – talent manager
• Ted Lange – actor
• Brandon Lee – actor, born in Oakland
• Bruce Lee – actor
• Russ Meyer – film director
• Shemar Moore – actor, model
• Mitch Mullany –actor
• Foamy the Squirrel – main character in Neurotically Yours
• George Stevens – film director
• Jo Van Fleet – actor

Artists and designers

• Julia Morgan – architect, raised and buried in Oakland
• Willis O'Brien – animator
• Lisa Quinn – artist, author, designer
• Galen Rowell – photographer
• Flo Oy Wong – installation artist
• Wendy Yoshimura – artist

Athletes

• Will Blackwell – football player
• John Brodie – football player, sportscaster
• Don Budge – tennis player
• Glenn Burke – baseball player
• Dennis Eckersley – baseball player
• Greg Foster – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland
• Brad Gilbert, former tennis player and tennis coach
• Rickey Henderson – baseball player
• Jason Kidd – basketball player
• Terrell Lowery – baseball player
• Lorenzo Lynch – retired football player
• Marshawn Lynch – football player
• Joe Morgan – baseball player
• Kirk Morrison – football player
• Gary Payton – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland
• Paul Pierce – basketball player
• Isiah Rider – basketball player
• Chris Roberson – baseball player
• Jimmy Rollins – baseball player
• Bill Russell – basketball player
• Dave Stewart – baseball player
• Andre Ward – boxer
• George Wells – professional wrestler
• Archie Williams – runner
• Dontrelle Willis – baseball player
• Frank Robinson – baseball player
• Drew Gooden – basketball player

Leaders - activists and politicians

• Richard Aoki – activist
• Sonny Barger – founder of the Hells Angels motorcycle club
• Frank Chu – activist
• Angela Davis – activist
• Ron Dellums – politician
• Marcus Foster – educator
• Barbara Lee – United States Representative
• Edwin Meese III – former United States Attorney General
• Huey P. Newton – activist
• Bobby Seale – activist

Military officers

• Jeremiah C. Sullivan – American Civil War general in the Union Army

Musicians, composers and dancers

• Billie Joe Armstrong – musician
• Tim Armstrong – musician
• Gaylord Birch – musician
• Carla Bley – composer, musician
• Peter Buck – musician
• Emilio Castillo – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
• Mike Clark – musician
• Keyshia Cole – singer
• Del tha Funkee Homosapien – musician
• Mike Dirnt – musician
• Isadora Duncan – dancer
• Pete Escovedo – musician, born in Oakland
• Sheila E. – musician, born in Oakland
• Robb Flynn – musician
• Michael Franti – musician
• David Garibaldi – musician, member of Tower of Power
• Mic Gillette – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
• Goapele – soul and R&B singer
• Jeff Hanneman Guitarist for Slayer
• MC Hammer – musician, born in Oakland
• Andre Hicks (aka Mac Dre) – rapper
• Henry Kaiser – musician
• Keak da Sneak – musician
• Kid 606 – musician
• Stephen "Doc" Kupka – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
• Michael Manring – bassist, born in D.C, lives in Oakland
• Tony Martin – singer, actor
• Mary Mary – gospel duo
• David Murray – musician
• Andy Narell musician, lived in Oakland in the 60s
• Holly Near – singer, teacher, activist
• Numskull, Rapper
• Harry Partch – composer
• The Pointer Sisters – singing group
• Francis Rocco Prestia – musician
• Cynthia Robinson – musician
• Raphael Saadiq – musician
• Pharoah Sanders – musician
• Too Short – entertainer, lived in Oakland 1980-1994
• Freddie Stone – musician
• Rose Stone – musician
• Sly Stone – musician
• Bill Summers – musician
• Tower of Power – band; formed and based in Oakland
• Tre Cool – drummer/musician
• Lenny Williams – musician, early member of Tower of Power
• Yukmouth – rapper
• Pepe Jauregui – Musician/Rockstar Extraordinaire

Scientists and inventors

• Fernando J. Corbató – computer scientist
• Frederick Cottrell – inventor
• Kim Eric Drexler – engineer, molecular nanotechnology theorist
• Frank Epperson Popsicle Inventor
• Stanley Miller – chemist
• Aaron Vanderwerff – Spiral Notebook inventer
• Lance McVay – AV Cable Inventor.

(formally know as "Kcables`z"

Writers and poets

• Catherine Asaro – writer
• Anthony Boucher – writer
• Frank Chin – writer
• Daniel Clowes – comic book writer, screenwriter, currently resides in Oakland
• Robert Duncan – poet
• Maxine Hong Kingston – writer, currently resides in Oakland
• Sidney Howard – playwright, screenwriter
• Jack London – writer
• Rod McKuen – poet, composer, singer
• Joaquin Miller – poet, lived in Oakland 1886-1913
• Stephen Morse – poet, publisher,
• Jess Mowry – writer
• Ishmael Reed – writer, currently resides in Oakland
• Alex Steffen – writer, born in Oakland
• Gertrude Stein – writer
• Amy Tan – writer, born in Oakland
• Li Keng Wong – writer
• Nellie Wong – poet and activist, born in Oakland
• William Wong – writer, columnist, born in Oakland
• Helen Zia – writer, journalist, and activist, currently resides in Oakland
• Pepe Jauregui – Writer/Poet