Famous American Theater Personalities

Fran Drescher is an American actress and comedian. Characterized by her thick New York accent and nasal voice, Fran Drescher serves as an inspiration to many cancer patients as she successfully fought off the disease after suffering from uterine cancer. She is also an outspoken LGBT rights activist and healthcare advocate.

Skylar Astin Lipstein is a sort of ‘pitch-perfect’ combination of acting and singing skills. He caught the attention of movie lovers with his success in the comedy film Pitch Perfect and its sequel Pitch Perfect 2, followed by 21 and Over. He also acted in a number of television series and featured in panel game show Match Game.

Vanessa Marcil is an American actress. Over the years, Vanessa Marcil has contributed to the success of TV series, such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Las Vegas, and General Hospital. Also known for her good looks, Vanessa Marcil has been honored with awards, such as the Hottest Female Star award at Soap Opera Digest Awards.

Five-time Emmy Award-winning actor Doris Roberts is best remembered as Marie Barone from the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and as Mildred Krebs from Remington Steele. She also appeared on various talk/game shows and in films such as The Honeymoon Killers. She was a prominent animal rights activist, too.

Montgomery Clift was an American actor whose decision not to sign a contract in Hollywood for the first couple of films went on to help establish the structure of the star-studio relationship from the 1950s to the '80s. One of the original American method actors, Clift was the subject of a documentary named Making Montgomery Clift, which released in 2018.

Stockard Channing is an American actress best known for playing Abbey Bartlet on the political drama TV series The West Wing. Over the years, Channing has been contributing to the success of many TV series as an actress, for which she has received 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. A seven-time Tony Award nominee, Channing is also an important stage actress.

Actor, Michael Ealy, is best known for his role in the drama film, For Colored Girls. An alumnus of the University of Maryland, he began his acting career in the late 1990s. Initially, he appeared in many off-Broadway stage productions. He transitioned to films soon and didn’t take long to establish himself as a sought-out actor.

Actor David Hyde Pierce is best known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane in the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received four Primetime Emmy Awards. Active in the entertainment industry for almost four decades, he has acted in many stage productions, TV shows, and films. He is openly gay and is married to producer Brian Hargrove.

From being a stage and B movie actor, Jack Nicholson went on to become one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors and a huge star. The three time Academy award winning legendary actor has, in his six decades career, delivered performances that have become iconic. His notable performances include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and As Good as It Gets.

Actor Morris Chestnut is best known for his role in the film Boyz n the Hood. Beginning his career as a young man, he appeared in a few TV shows before venturing into films. He steadily evolved as an actor and went on to co-star alongside major actors in big-budget films. He has co-authored a book on health and fitness.

American actress, Marisa Tomei, gained fame when she starred in the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny. She received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the film. She was also appreciated for in the movies In the Bedroom and The Wrestler. What Women Want, Anger Management, The Ides of March, Cyrus, The Big Short and Avengers: Endgame are some of her other notable films.

Gary Burghoff is an American actor who is credited with originating the popular role of Charlie Brown in the 1967 Broadway musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He is also known for originating the role of Walter Eugene O'Reilly in the 1970 black comedy war movie MASH and the popular TV series of the same name.

Maggie Siff is best known as Tara Knowles from Sons of Anarchy and Rachel Katz from Mad Men. She was also part of the film The 5th Wave and the series Billions. She has promoted Betterment, a robo-advising service, and was part of the podcast You Must Remember This.

Jeffrey Jones is an American actor known for his deadpan portrayal of film characters, often to comic effect. For an actor who claims to value anonymity, Jeffrey Jones has attracted unnecessary public attention as a sex offender. In 2002, he was arrested for possessing child pornography and was subsequently accused by an underage boy of solicitation to pose nude.

Loretta Swit is a veteran American stage and small screen actress who became a household name with her award-winning portrayal of Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan in M*A*S*H, a comedy-drama series on CBS television. Apart from playing a wide range of character roles on television and stage, she also appeared in movies and hosted a documentary on the Korean war.

Nicole Ari Parker is best known for her role as Becky Barnett in the movie Boogie Nights. Fans also loved her as Teri Joseph in Soul Food and as Giselle Barker in the soap Empire. She also plays Samantha Miller in Chicago P.D. Nicole is an active Democrat.

Chris Sarandon is an American actor best known for voicing the popular Disney character Jack Skellington in the film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Apart from voicing the character in the movie, Sarandon has also voiced Skellington for many Disneyland Halloween attractions, such as Halloween Screams and Haunted Mansion Holiday. He has also voiced Skellington in many video games.

Actress, Annabella Sciorra, is known for her roles in films like Cadillac Man and Jungle Fever. The daughter of a fashion stylist, she was introduced to the world of glamour as a child. She studied dance and received training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before making her professional debut. She acts in both films and TV shows.

Jeffrey Wright is a popular American actor. A self-made man, Jeffrey Wright overcame many childhood problems, including the demise of his father, to become an award-winning actor. Jeffrey Wright serves as an inspiration to many black Americans. In 2011, he established a gold exploration company called Taia Lion Resources, which provided employment to several Americans.

Mike Nichols started as a comedian with the troupe The Compass Players and then performed as part of the Grammy-winning duo Nichols and May. Nichols then delivered Tony-winning directorial stage ventures such as Luv and Death of a Salesman and won the Academy Award for his direction in The Graduate. 

Phyllis Smith is an American actress best known for portraying Phyllis Vance in the popular mockumentary TV series, The Office, for which she received a couple of Screen Actors Guild Awards. Also known for her skills as a voice actress, Smith was honored with the prestigious Annie Award for voicing Sadness in the 2015 computer-animated comedy film, Inside Out.

Ethan Embry is an American actor known for playing important roles in TV series like Sneaky Pete, Once Upon a Time, and Brotherhood. After starting his acting career at the age of 12, Ethan Embry went on to establish himself as a successful adult actor, appearing in films like Sweet Home Alabama and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

Reginald VelJohnson gained fame for portraying policemen such as Carl Winslow in Family Matters and Sgt. Al Powell in the Die Hard franchise. Fans also loved him as Dash DeWitt in the series Hart of Dixie. In 2017, he had to “tweet” to dispel rumors of his death.

Four-time Tony-winning actor Gwen Verdon is remembered for her SAG-nominated performance in Marvin’s Room. She was known for her signature red hair and her love for cats. She was nominated for Emmys for the series Magnum, P.I., Dream On, and Homicide: Life on the Street. She inspired the series Fosse/Verdon.

Anne Baxter is best remembered for her Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning performance as Sophie MacDonald in The Razor's Edge. Her other notable projects were the film All About Eve and the series The Name of the Game. She also actively participated in Republican campaigns.

Judd Hirsch is best known for his Emmy-winning role of Alex Rieger in Taxi. Fans also loved him as John Lacey in Dear John and Alan Eppes in Numb3rs. He received an Academy Award nomination for Ordinary People and has also been seen in films such as Independence Day.

Russ Tamblyn is an American actor and dancer who received an Academy Award nomination for his work in the 1957 drama film, Peyton Place. Trained as a gymnast, Tamblyn's acrobatic skills were put to use in films, such as West Side Story. Apart from acting in films and TV series, Russ Tamblyn also worked as a choreographer during the 1980s.