New York University Notable Alumni

A fashion icon, acclaimed actress, influential humanitarian and Special Envoy for the UNHCR, Angelina Jolie is a highly noted celebrity in Hollywood. She has been hailed for her philanthropic efforts around the globe and praised for her power packed performances. Mother of six, of whom three are adopted, Angelina Jolie is a role model for the women of this generation.

One of the highest-paid actresses in the world in the 2010s, Anne Hathaway is the recipient of many awards, including an Academy Award. She began acting as a teenager in the early 2000s and often portrayed princesses in her initial films. She started taking up versatile roles as her career progressed. She campaigns for gender equality and supports LGBTQA+ rights.

Martin Scorsese is widely considered one of the most influential and significant film directors in the history of the American film industry. One of the most decorated film directors, Scorsese has nine Oscar nominations, the most for any living director. He has also founded many non-profit organizations like The Film Foundation and World Cinema Foundation.

The Queen of American romantic comedy movies in 1990s, Meg Ryan is best recognised for her role in When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, all of which earned her prestigious award nominations. After proving her mettle in romantic comedies Meg Ryan showed her versatility as actress by acting in other genre movies. She made her directorial debut with Ithaca.

From hosting her comedy show The Sarah Silverman Program, to winning an Emmy and writing a best-selling autobiography, Sarah Silverman has done it all. The NYU drop-out started off as a writer for SNL. She has been an ardent Democratic supporter and often discusses controversial topics on her show.

Elizabeth Olsen gained worldwide recognition for her performance as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in films, such as Avengers: Endgame. Starting out as a child actress, she received singing and ballet lessons when she was a child. A New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumna, Elizabeth Olsen went on to establish herself as a successful actress.

From being a child artist for various commercials to becoming one of the youngest actors to be nominated for the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actor, Timothée Chalamet has achieved much during his short career till now. He shot to fame with the movies Call Me by Your Name and Lady Bird; however, before these he also appeared in the TV series, Homeland, and  the movie, Interstellar.

The actor, rapper, writer and director, Donald Glover Jr became famous after playing the role of a college student In the sitcom, Community, from 2009 to 2013. He also stars in the FX series Atlanta. He has also acted in a number of commercially successful films. His albums have done well and he won a Grammy award for the single Redbone.

Aubrey Plaza is an American actress, writer, producer, and comedian. She is best known for her portrayal of April Ludgate in the sitcom Parks and Recreation for which she earned a couple of nominations at the ALMA Award. Plaza is also known for playing Allison in the 2020 film Black Bear which earned her the Imagen Award for Best Actress.

Dakota Fanning rose to fame as a child actor for her performance in the film, I Am Sam. Some of the other films in which she made her mark include New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. She has also appeared in successful television series; the science fiction series, Taken being one of them.

The actor, comedian, writer and musician, Andy Samberg, is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and has also acted in several films like Hot Rod, That's My Boy and Palm Springs. Plus, he has starred in television sitcoms like the Brooklyn Nine-Nine and has been part of Saturday Night Live as a featured player.

Bryce Dallas Howard is an American actress and filmmaker, who attained fame after starring in the psychological thriller, The Village. Some of her other notable films are Lady in the Water, As You Like, Spiderman 3, Terminator Salvation, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. She is the daughter of famous and celebrated director and producer, Ron Howard.

Miles Teller is an American actor best known for his impressive performance as Andrew Neiman in the 2014 award-winning film Whiplash. A self-made man, Teller pursued acting out of his own interest; he even studied method acting before starting his acting career. Apart from acting, he can also play musical instruments, such as the piano, guitar, drums, and alto saxophone.

Actress Natalia Dyer is best known for her role in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things. Interested in acting from a young age, she graduated from the performing arts high school Nashville School of the Arts before embarking on her career. She has appeared in many TV shows and films.

American actor, Cole Sprouse, started acting as a child and a teenager. He is known for television series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Riverdale, and Friends. In the early days of his career, he mainly acted alongside his twin brother, Dylan Sprouse, in commercials, television shows and films. He has also acted in the film Five Feet Apart.

Joel Coen is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. One-half of the popular sibling duo, the Coen Brothers, Joel Coen is best known for making such films as Fargo and Miller's Crossing along with his brother Ethan Coen. The duo has received several honors including multiple nominations for the Academy Award and the prestigious Palme d'Or.

John F Kennedy Jr was the son of former US President John F Kennedy. He tragically died at a young age of 38 when the plane he was flying crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts in 1999. He was a lawyer and a journalist and had founded the trendy political magazine, George, which stopped publication in 2001.   

American actress, Lucy Liu, shot to fame with television series Ally McBeal and later proved her acting skills with films like Charlie's Angels, Kill Bill, Volume 1, Shanghai Noon and television series Elementary and Southland. Intelligent and multitalented, she has voiced animated films, turned producer/director, made her Broadway debut and last but not the least, is also a visual artist.

Amal Clooney is a Lebanese-British barrister, specializing in human rights and international law. Her clients include popular and influential personalities like Yulia Tymoshenko, Nadia Murad, and Julian Assange. Her work and philanthropic activities gained media coverage after her wedding to actor George Clooney. The Clooneys are well-known philanthropists and are founders of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

A record producer, Rick Rubin is the former co-president of Columbia Records and a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings. By promoting the musical groups  Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy, he helped popularize hip hop music. He has been named on Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

M Night Shyamalan is a filmmaker who is known for making original films with twist endings and supernatural plots. Born in India to a doctor couple, he moved to USA with his parents when he was a baby. He was expected to pursue medicine like his parents, but he chose a different path and became a filmmaker, finding success in his chosen profession.  

Rainn Wilson is an actor and writer who used his popularity to make his YouTube channel, SoulPancake, a success. Also a climate change advocate, Wilson made a documentary titled The Idiot’s Guide to Climate Change, based on his trip to Greenland. He is known for his charitable works and has adopted a vegan diet since adopting Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs.

American actor, Matthew Gray Gubler, is best known for playing the character of Dr Spencer Reid in the popular and acclaimed television series Criminal Minds. He has also acted in films like 500 Days of Summer, Suburban Gothic and How to Be a Serial Killer. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for his role in the television series, The Beauty Inside.

Oliver Stone is a filmmaker best known for his trilogy of war films, which he made based on his own experience in the Vietnam War, where he served as an infantry soldier. Known for making controversial films based on political issues, he is often criticized for misrepresenting real-world events and promoting conspiracy theories in his films.

African-American comedian and actress, Tiffany Haddish, gained fame with the ensemble comedy film Girls Trip. Earlier, a difficult childhood turned her towards comedy. After appearing in a comedy competition, sketch comedies and numerous minor roles in films and television, she made the heads turn with her brilliant performance in television series, Real Husbands of Hollywood, If Loving You Is Wrong and The Carmichael Show.

American politician Rudy Giuliani, who served as the Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, received major attention and praise for his handling of crisis in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in his city. He was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in December 2001 for his efforts. However, there have also been allegations of corruption against him.

A man of many talents, Haley Joel Osment is a popular actor and voice actor who can also play the guitar and piano. Also an avid golfer, Haley represented the American team under team leader Mark O'Meara at the 2005 All-Star Cup. He is one of those popular child actors who went on to have a successful career as an actor after growing up.

AnnaSophia Robb is an American model, actress, and singer. Robb started her acting career as a child artist before establishing herself as a successful actress. A multi-talented personality, AnnaSophia Robb quit gymnastics and dancing at a young age to focus on her career as an actress. She serves as an inspiration to young and aspiring actresses.

Rooney Mara is a well-known actress who won the Cannes Film Festival Award for her performance in the movie Carol. Apart from being an actress, Rooney is also an animal rights activist. Also known for her charity work, Rooney supervises the Uweza Foundation, which supports programs for children in Nairobi. She is also the founder of Hiraeth Collective, a vegan clothing line.

As the co-founder and CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey continues to influence the lives of millions around the world. Also a well-known philanthropist, Dorsey is credited with funding 600 public school projects in Missouri. A prolific donator, Jack Dorsey has donated $24 million as part of various relief efforts. He also donated $10 million to Boston University.

Nick Robinson is an American actor known for his contribution across all three major acting mediums. He started his career as a child artist before going on to establish himself in the film, TV, and theater industry; in 2018, he was mentioned in Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 list. 

If the world is successful in its fight against polio, the credit goes to American virologist Jonas Salk who developed a vaccine for the disease. Described as a “miracle worker”, his concerns for humanity were reflected in the fact that he did not claim a patent for the vaccine. He founded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, based in California.