University Of Washington Notable Alumni
Discover the notable alumni of University Of Washington. The list includes people like Bruce Lee, Anna Faris, Rainn Wilson, David Foster & Jean Smart. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as writers, film & theater personalities, scientists, sportspersons and miscellaneous etc.
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1
Bruce Lee(The Most Influential Martial Artist of All Time)
Birthdate: November 27, 1940
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: July 20, 1973
An iconic actor and martial artist, Bruce Lee, in his short life, gained international fame and developed his own form of martial arts, Jeet Kune Do. In films, he debuted as a child actor and became a huge Hollywood star after the release of his last film Enter the Dragon.
2
Anna Faris(American Actress Who is Known for Her Performances in Comedic Roles)
Birthdate: November 29, 1976
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Baltimore
Actress Anna Faris is known for her comedic roles, especially as the lead in the commercially successful Scary Movie films. Lost in Translation, Brokeback Mountain, Just Friends, The House Bunny, The Dictator, Calgary and Overboard are some of her other notable films. She has also acted in television sitcoms like Friends and Mom. Anna Faris has been featured on the covers of several magazines.
Birthdate: September 12, 1944
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Galveston, Texas, United States
Died: July 4, 2003
Barry White was an American musician, composer, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Renowned for his bass-baritone voice, White was one of the most popular vocalists of his generation. Having sold more than 100 million records worldwide, Barry White is counted among the best-selling musicians of all time.
4
Rainn Wilson(Best Known for His Role as 'Dwight Schrute' on the NBC sitcom 'The Office')
Birthdate: January 20, 1966
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
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.
Birthdate: July 30, 1981
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Richland, Washington, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
6
Joel McHale(Best Known for His Role as 'Jeff Winger' on the NBC sitcom 'Community')
Birthdate: November 20, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Actor, comedian, and producer Joel McHale is best known for hosting the television series The Soup. He was interested in sports as a young boy but shifted his focus to acting while in college and earned his master's degree in acting. Even though he is more popular as a television actor, he has appeared in many films too.
Birthdate: September 13, 1951
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Active in the field of entertainment for over 40 years, actress Jean Smart began her career in regional theater. After finding much fame as a stage actress, she started taking up TV and film roles as well. She has given many critically acclaimed performances and is the winner of three Primetime Emmy Awards.
8
David Foster(Musician who Chaired 'Verve Records' (2012 to 2016))
Birthdate: November 1, 1949
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Victoria, Canada
Canadian musician, composer, and arranger David Foster is a prominent figure in the international music scene and has worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna. The winner of 16 Grammy Awards, he has also been nominated for the Academy Awards thrice. He launched the David Foster Foundation to help sick children.
Birthdate: February 22, 1959
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yakima, Washington, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
10
Nate Robinson
(American Former Professional Basketball Player)
Birthdate: May 31, 1984
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Nate Robinson is a former professional basketball player who has played in the NBA for the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, and Chicago Bulls. He went professional in 2005 and became the NBA's first three-time slam dunk champion in 2010. He retired in 2018. He now runs a restaurant in Rainier Beach.
11
Nancy Wilson
(Guitarist and Backing Vocalist in the Rock Band 'Heart')
Birthdate: March 16, 1954
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Nancy Wilson is a celebrated musician, singer, songwriter and composer. A guitar virtuoso from the age of ten, she joined the rock band Heart in early 1970s, releasing numerous albums with them. She released her first solo studio album in 2021.
12
Frank Herbert
(Science Fiction Author Best Known for His 1965 Novel 'Dune' & Its Sequels)
Birthdate: October 8, 1920
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States
Died: February 11, 1986
American author, newspaper-journalist, book-reviewer, lecturer, photographer, and ecological consultant Franklin Herbert is most noted for his 1965 sci-fi novel Dune and its five sequels. Dune won the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award and spearheaded the Dune franchise. The novel is cited as the best-selling sci-fi novel in history while the series is counted among the classics of the genre.
13
Markelle Fultz
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: May 29, 1998
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Upper Marlboro, Maryland, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
14
Amanda Knox(Wrongful conviction of the murder of Meredith Kercher)
Birthdate: July 9, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Amanda Knox is an American woman who made headlines when she was convicted for the murder of Meredith Kercher in Italy. After spending almost four years in prison, Amanda was definitively acquitted after a new trial that found her not guilty. Her story inspired books and documentaries; Knox's memoir Waiting to Be Heard became popular.
Birthdate: March 17, 1949
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Townsend, Montana
Patrick Duffy is an American actor known for contributing immensely to the success of the popular TV soap opera Dallas where he portrayed the role of Bobby Ewing. Predominantly a TV actor, Duffy became a household name in the USA during the 1970s. A longtime member of Soka Gakkai International, Duffy is credited with popularizing Nichiren Buddhism in the USA.
16
Emily Compagno
(Journalist, TV Host)
Birthdate: November 9, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
17
Kenny G(Smooth Jazz Saxophonist and One of the Best-Selling Musicians of All Time)
Birthdate: June 5, 1956
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, better known as Kenny G, is a best-selling jazz saxophonist who has sold over 75 million records and even owns a line of saxophones. He is also a certified pilot and a skilled golfer who has participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am seven times.
18
Bob Sapp
(Mixed Martial Artist, Kickboxer and Professional Wrestler)
Birthdate: September 22, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
19
Garret Dillahunt(Best Known for His Roles in the Film ‘No Country for Old Men’ and TV Sitcom ‘Raising Hope’)
Birthdate: November 24, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Castro Valley, California, United States
Garret Dillahunt is best known as Dr. Jody Kimball-Kinney from The Mindy Project and as Burt Chance from Raising Hope. He has also appeared in major roles in Fear the Walking Dead, Hand of God, and Deadwood, and has been part of films such as 12 Years a Slave.
20
Dyan Cannon(First Woman to be nominated for Oscars Both in Front of and Behind the Camera)
Birthdate: January 4, 1937
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States
Dyan Cannon is best known for her Academy Award-nominated roles in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Heaven Can Wait. She has also written, directed, and produced the Academy Award-nominated film Number One. She has appeared in series such as Ally McBeal and Three Sisters, too.
21
Richard Karn(Actor and Game Show Host Known for His Role ‘Al Borland’ in the TV Series ‘Home Improvement’)
Birthdate: February 17, 1956
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Richard Karn is an American actor and former game show host. He is known for hosting the popular game show, Family Feud, and for playing Al Borland in the television series Home Improvement. Karn used the popularity, which he achieved through Home Improvement, to author a couple of books on home renovation, such as House Broken and Handy at Home.
22
Ann Dunham(American Anthropologist and Mother of Former United States President, Barack Obama)
Birthdate: November 29, 1942
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas, United States
Died: November 7, 1995
Ann Dunham was the mother of former U.S. President Barack Obama. She was an economic anthropologist and worked for the betterment of rural Indonesian women. She had met Barack Obama Sr. while studying at the University of Hawaii. She had worked with USAID, the Ford Foundation, and Bank Rakyat Indonesia.
23
Frances Farmer
(American Actress and Television Hostess)
Birthdate: September 19, 1913
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Died: August 1, 1970
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
24
Jeannette Rankin(Feminist Politician & the First Woman to be Part of the US Congress and Only from Montana)
Birthdate: June 11, 1880
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Missoula
Died: May 18, 1973
Jeannette Rankin scripted history as the first female member of the US Congress. A feminist, she was also associated with the women’s suffrage movement. Earlier, the Republican worked as a dressmaker, a furniture designer, and a teacher. She was the only legislator to vote against war after the Pearl Harbor incident.
25
Rick Steves
(Travel writer)
Birthdate: May 10, 1955
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Edmonds, Washington, USA
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
26
Linda Lee Cadwell(Widow of Bruce Lee & Author of the Bruce Lee Biography 'Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew')
Birthdate: March 21, 1945
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Everett, Washington, United States
Linda Lee Cadwell, former wife of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, is a teacher and author who met Bruce at a Kung Fu workshop in Seattle. Her memoir Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew inspired Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. She was a trustee of the Bruce Lee Foundation.
27
Tim Lincecum
(Baseball Player)
Birthdate: June 15, 1984
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bellevue, Washington, USA
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
28
Warren Moon
(American Footballer)
Birthdate: November 18, 1956
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
29
Brandon Roy
(Basketball player - Shooting guard, Basketball coach)
Birthdate: July 23, 1984
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
30
Dejounte Murray
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: September 19, 1996
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
Birthdate: September 20, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, United States
32
Matisse Thybulle
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: March 4, 1997
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
33
Lynn Shelton
(Film director)
Birthdate: August 27, 1965
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Oberlin, Ohio, U.S.
Died: May 16, 2020
34
Robert Osborne
(Actor, Television actor, Biographer, Film actor, Historian, Journalist, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Film producer)
Birthdate: May 3, 1932
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Colfax
Died: March 6, 2017
Best known for his over two-decade-long stint as a Turner Classic Movies host, Robert Osborne also gained fame for his penning The Official History of the Academy Awards and the National Film Book Award-winning 50 Golden Years of Oscar. A qualified journalist, he also wrote columns for The Hollywood Reporter.
35
Detlef Schrempf(German-American Former Professional Basketball Player Who Played As a Small Forward / Power Forward)
Birthdate: January 21, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Leverkusen, Germany
Detlef Schrempf is a German-American former basketball player who played for popular NBA teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Seattle SuperSonics, and Portland Trail Blazers. A three-time NBA All-Star, Schrempf helped the SuperSonics reach the NBA Finals in 1996. Also known for his charitable work, Schrempf formed the Detlef Schrempf Foundation to help local charities.
Birthdate: November 3, 1930
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Topeka, Kansas, United States
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
37
Kelsey Plum
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: August 24, 1994
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Poway, California, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Birthdate: March 25, 1988
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Spokane, Washington, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Birthdate: April 2, 1949
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, USA
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
40
Ann Sothern
(Former actress in the 1949 film, A Letter to Three Wives)
Birthdate: January 22, 1909
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Valley City, North Dakota, United States
Died: March 15, 2001
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
Birthdate: June 29, 1971
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan
42
Ann Rule
(Author of True Crime Books, Famous for Her Book 'The Stranger Beside Me', About Serial Killer Ted Bundy)
Birthdate: October 22, 1931
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lowell, Michigan, United States
Died: July 26, 2015
True crime author Ann Rule had initially been a policewoman and was also well-versed in criminology and psychology. She first gained attention with her book The Stranger Beside Me, which relates her experiences of working with Ted Bundy, a volunteer at a suicide hotline, who later murdered several women.
Birthdate: October 10, 1959
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Spokane, Washington, United States
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
44
Zakir Hussain
(One of the Most Famous Tabla Players in India)
Birthdate: March 9, 1951
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Zakir Hussain is an Indian musician, tabla virtuoso, percussionist, composer, and music producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of all time, Hussain has received many prestigious awards in his illustrious career. In 1990, he was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. In 2002, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award.
Birthdate: July 5, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Monroe, Washington, U.S.
Died: August 19, 2021
46
David A. Johnston
(American Volcanologist Who was Caught in the Midst of the Eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980)
Birthdate: December 18, 1949
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: May 18, 1980
David A. Johnston was an American volcanologist who was caught in the midst of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. Johnston was killed during the eruption and his body was never found. David A. Johnston's life and career have inspired several documentaries, docudramas, and films.
47
Angela Rye
(Political commentator)
Birthdate: October 26, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Birthdate: April 5, 1989
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mission Hills, California, United States
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
49
John Ross
(American football player)
Birthdate: November 27, 1995
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
Birthdate: November 19, 1961
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Popularly known as UW or simply Washington, University of Washington was founded in 1861 and is a public flagship research university based out of Seattle, Washington. Occupying over 20 million gross square footage of space, the university finds itself with the continuing historical record with one of the highest operating and research budgets in the United States. University of Washington offers various graduate, post graduate and doctoral programs in over 140 departments of studies such as Business, Arts and Science, Law, Medicine, Engineering and Public Health. UW is constantly graded among the top 15 universities in the world by numerous international publications and is a prominent member of the Association of American Universities. The university practices sustainability and pro-environmental methods by the use of renewable sources of energy, in fact the electricity of the whole campus in Seattle runs only on renewable energy. As per the 2016 statistics of U.S rankings by U.S. News & World Report, UW finds itself tied in the 16th place among public universities in the United States. With over 54,000 individuals as a part of the student body, Washington University is rich in diversity as it offers various diversity leadership programs. Many prominent celebrated and influential personalities have been a part of the university as students. Michael P. Anderson, Irv Robbins, William H. Gates Sr, Bruce Lee and Kenny G are a few of the many celebrities who are alumni’s of UW. Here is the full-list of notable individuals who were a part of University Of Washington.