List of people from Maine

The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the American state of Maine, live in Maine, or for whom Maine is a significant part of their identity.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

A

• Angela Adams (born 1965), designer; born in North Haven, Maine
• Erin Andrews (born 1978), sportscaster, Dancing With the Stars contestant and co-host; born in Lewiston
• Dorothy Appleby (1906–1990), film actress from the 1930s and 1940s; born in Portland
• Katie Aselton (born 1978), actress, The League; born in Milbridge

B

• Christopher Daniel Barnes (born 1972), actor, voice actor, The Little Mermaid film, Spider-Man television series; born in Portland
• Leon Leonwood Bean (1872–1967), founder of L.L. Bean Inc., a large private retail company in Freeport
• Anna Belknap (born 1974), actress, Lindsay Monroe on CSI: NY; born in Damariscotta
• Joan Benoit (born 1957), first women's Olympic marathon champion; born in Cape Elizabeth
• Carroll Thayer Berry (1886–1978), printmaker, woodcut engraver, painter and photographer; born in New Gloucester
• Corey Beaulieu (born 1983), musician, guitarist in Trivium; born in Brunswick
• Nina Blackwood (born 1955), radio and television personality, actor, model; lives in Mid Coast region
• Dennis Blair (born 1947), US Director of National Intelligence (2009–2010), retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral; born in Kittery
• Cindy Blodgett (born 1975), basketball player and coach, born in Clinton
• Gordon Bok (born 1939), folk singer-songwriter; born in Camden
• Contessa Brewer (born 1974), news anchor for MSNBC; born in Parsonsfield
• Brett Brown, assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs; raised in born in Rockland
• Harry Brown (1917–1986), poet, novelist, screenwriter; born in Portland
• Scott Brown (born 1959), U.S. Senator of Massachusetts (2010–12); born in Kittery
• Brian Butterfield (born 1958), third-base coach for the Boston Red Sox; born in Bangor

C

• John Cariani, actor, Law & Order; grew up in Presque Isle
• Howie Carr, journalist, author, radio talk-show host; born in Portland
• Bill Carrigan (1883–1969), catcher and manager for Boston Red Sox; born in Lewiston
• Josh Casaubon (born 1978), actor, Hugh Hughes on One Life to Live; born in Brunswick
• Joshua Chamberlain (1828–1914), Civil War Major General, Governor of Maine (1867–1871)
• Conrad Chase (born 1965), actor, singer; born in Portland
• Oren Burbank Cheney (1816–1903), student, teacher, principal Parsonsfield Seminary; Free Will Baptist clergyman; abolitionist; founding president of Bates College
• Frank Churchill (1901–1942), Oscar-winning composer for many Disney animated films; born in Rumford
• William Cohen (born 1940), U.S. Congressman (1973–1979), Senator (1979–1997), US Secretary of Defense (1997–2001); born in and Mayor (1971–1973) of Bangor
• Samuel Colman (1832–1920), artist, writer, interior designer; born in Portland
• Susan Collins (born 1952), U.S. Senator from Maine; born in Caribou
• William Coperthwaite (1930–2013), educator and yurt advocate; born in Monticello
• Mike "Fluff" Cowan (born 1947), PGA Tour golf caddy; born in Winslow
• Ricky Craven (born 1966), ESPN broadcaster, NASCAR driver; born in Newburgh
• Laura Creavalle (born 1959), Guyanese-born Canadian/American professional bodybuilder; live in Old Orchard Beach
• Ian Crocker (born 1982), three-time Olympic champion in swimming; born in Portland
• Earl Cunningham (1893–1977), folk artist, born in Edgecomb

D

• Sarah D'Alelio (born 1980), professional mixed martial artist; born in Belfast
• Bette Davis (1908–1989), two-time Oscar-winning actress; born in Massachusetts and lived in Cape Elizabeth
• Owen Davis (1874–1956), Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist; born in Portland
• Howie Day (born 1981), singer; born and raised in Brewer
• William Deering (1826–1913), businessman and philanthropist, co-founder of International Harvester
• Patrick Dempsey (born 1966), actor; born in Lewiston
• Dorothea Dix (1802–1878), pioneering advocate for treatment and care of handicapped and mentally ill
• Nelson Dingley Jr. (born 1832), Governor of Maine, US House of Representatives (Dingley Tariff), Editor of Lewiston Journal
• Jeff Donnell (1921–1988), actress; born in Windham
• Paul Douglas (1892–1976), economist and Illinois senator (1949–1967); partly raised in Onawa in Piscataquis County

E

• Kevin Eastman (born 1962), comic book artist and writer; co-created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; born in Springvale
• Stanley Boyd Eaton (born 1938), radiologist, one of the originators of the concept of Paleolithic nutrition; born in Old Town
• Maxine Elliott (1868–1940), stage actress; born in Rockland
• George Barrell Emerson (1797–1881), educator; born in Kennebunk

F

• Myrna Fahey (1933–1973), actress, Father of the Bride; born in Carmel
• Parker Fennelly (1891–1988), actor; born in Northeast Harbor
• Greg Finley (born 1984), actor, The Secret Life of the American Teenager; born in Portland
• Frank Fixaris (1934–2006), sportscaster; resident of Falmouth
• Ryan Flaherty (born 1986), infielder for the Baltimore Orioles; born in Portland
• James Flavin (1906–1976), film and television actor; born in Portland
• Charles Flint (1850–1934), businessman, founder of Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company which later became IBM; born in Thomaston
• Francis Ford (1881–1953), actor, writer, director, brother of John Ford; born in Portland
• John Ford (1894–1973), film director, winner of six Oscars; born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, raised on Munjoy Hill in Portland
• Philip Ford (1900–1976), film director, nephew of John Ford; born in Portland
• Melville Fuller (1833–1910), eighth Chief Justice of the United States (1888–1910); born in Augusta
• Charlie Furbush (born 1986), starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners; born in Portland, attended St. Joseph's College of Maine

G

• Joey Gamache (born 1967), lightweight champion who boxed from 1992 to 2000; originally from Lewiston
• Scott Garland (born 1973), WWE wrestler, ring name Scotty 2 Hotty
• Gladys George (1904–1954), actress, The Maltese Falcon, The Best Years of Our Lives; born in Patten
• Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr. (1868–1924), early advocate of scientific management and pioneer of motion study; born in Fairfield
• Everett Glass (1891–1966), actor; born in Bangor
• Charles Goddard (1879–1951), playwright and screenwriter for silent films; born in Portland
• Gary Gordon (1960–1993), Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army who perished during Operation Gothic Serpent; born in Lincoln
• Noah Gray-Cabey (born 1995), teen actor, My Wife and Kids, Heroes; raised in Newry
• Patty Griffin (born 1964), Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician; born in Old Town

H

• Edwin Hall (1855–1938), physicist who discovered the "Hall effect"; born in Gorham
• John H. Hall (1781–1841), inventor of the M1819 Hall breech-loading rifle and a mass production innovator; born in Portland
• Hannibal Hamlin (1809–1891), 15th Vice President of the United States and U.S. Senator; born in Paris
• Marsden Hartley (1877–1943), artist, poet; born in Lewiston
• Juliana Hatfield (born 1967), guitarist and singer-songwriter; born in Wiscasset
• Heather Hemmens (born 1988), actress, Hellcats; raised in Waldo
• James Chico Hernandez (born 1954), Sambo martial artist; born in Chicago and lived in Washburn, Maine
• Joe Hill (born 1971), horror novelist; born in Hermon
• Patrick Aaron Hodgkins (born 1977), musician and bass guitarist for the alternative rock band As Fast As
• Will Holt (born 1929), singer-songwriter, librettist and lyricist; born in Portland
• Winslow Homer (1836–1910), 19th-century painter; lived in Prouts Neck, Maine
• Richard Herrick, received first successful organ transplant from identical twin brother Ronald Herrick in 1954; born and lived in Maine

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

J

• Dave Jackson (1902–1978), Allagash Wilderness Waterway guide
• Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909), novelist and short story writer, lifelong resident of South Berwick

K

• David E. Kelley (born 1956), Emmy-winning television producer and writer; born in Waterville
• Anna Kendrick (born 1985), Oscar-nominated actress, Jessica Stanley in The Twilight Saga; born in Portland
• Sumner Kimball (1834–1923), General Supt. of U.S. Life-Saving Service; born in Lebanon; raised in Sanford
• Angus King (born 1944 in Virginia), Governor of Maine (1995–2003), US Senator from Maine (since 2013)
• Owen King, author, raised in Bangor
• Stephen King (born 1947), novelist whose books have sold more than 350 million copies, born in Portland; raised in Durham
• Tabitha King (born 1949), novelist, born in Old Town

L

• Linda Lavin (born 1937), actress, Alice, six-time Tony Award nominee; born and raised in Portland
• Ralph W. 'Bud' Leavitt Jr. (1917–1994), Bangor sportswriter, outdoor columnist, television host
• Paul LePage (born 1948), Governor of Maine, former mayor of Waterville; born in Lewiston
• Tawny Little (born 1956), 1976 Miss America, television journalist; born in Portland
• Elle Logan (born 1987), 2008 Olympic gold medalist in women's rowing; born in Portland
• Alvin Orlando Lombard (1856–1937), inventor of continuous tracked vehicles, born in Springfield
• James B. Longley (1924–1980), first Independent Governor of Maine, born in Bangor
• Barry B. Longyear (born 1942), novelist, author of Enemy Mine, lives in New Sharon
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882), poet, born and raised in Portland; attended Bowdoin College
• Bob Ludwig (born 1945), audio mastering engineer, founder of Gateway Mastering and DVD in Portland

M

• Marc Macaulay (born 1957), actor, Burn Notice; born in Millinocket
• Bob Marley, stand-up comedian; from Portland; born in Bangor
• Andrea Martin (born 1947), actress, comedienne, voice actress, SCTV, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Kim Possible, Earthworm Jim; born in Portland
• H.S. Maxim (1840–1916), inventor of Maxim gun; born in Sangerville
• Cynthia McFadden (born 1956), co-anchor of Nightline and Primetime; born in Lewiston
• Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950); poet, born in Rockland
• George J. Mitchell (born 1933), U.S. Senate Majority Leader, significant player in peace process of Northern Ireland
• Matthew Mulligan (born 1985), tight end for Buffalo Bills; born in Bangor and lived in Enfield
• Edmund Muskie (1914–1996); politician, Governor of Maine, and Democratic Vice Presidential nominee (1968), U.S. Secretary of State (1980–1981), born in Rumford
• David McCullough, author, historian, Pulitzer Prize winner

N

• Judd Nelson (born 1959), actor, Breakfast Club, Suddenly Susan; born in Portland
• Louise Nevelson (born 1899 in Perislav, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire – died 1988 in New York City ), sculptor of found objects; came to Maine when she was five and lived in Rockland
• Rachel Nichols (born 1980), actress, Alias, Star Trek, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; born and raised in Augusta
• Stephanie Niznik (born 1967), actress, Everwood, Vanishing Son, Life Is Wild; born in Bangor

O

• Harry Oakes, discovered second-largest gold mine in Canada; mysteriously murdered in the Bahamas, which became basis of several books and movies; born in Sangerville
• Jeremiah O'Brien (1744–1818), naval officer of American Revolutionary War; born in Kittery
• John O'Hurley (born 1954), actor, voice actor, TV personality; J. Peterman on Seinfeld; born in Kittery

P

• Gilbert Patten (1866–1945), author of the Frank Merriwell novels; born in Corinna
• Greenleaf Whittier Pickard (1877–1956), radio pioneer and 1926 IEEE Medal of Honor winner; born in Portland
• John A. Poor (1808–1871), developer of the Portland gauge Maine railway system; born in Andover
• Shirley Povich (1905–1998), sports columnist and reporter for The Washington Post; born in Bar Harbor
• Zach Porter (born 1989), singer-songwriter for Allstar Weekend; born in Bath

R

• Esther Ralston (1902–1994), silent film actress; born in Bar Harbor
• Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935), poet; born in Alna and raised in Gardiner
• Nelson Rockefeller (1908–1979), businessman, philanthropist, public servant, Vice President of the United States (1974–1977) and Governor of New York (1959–1973); born in Bar Harbor
• Charles Rocket (1949–2005), actor, Saturday Night Live, Tequila and Bonetti, Dumb and Dumber; born in Bangor
• Lou Rogers (1879–1952), suffrage cartoonist, writer, and radio personality, born in Patten
• Victoria Rowell (born 1959), actress, The Young and the Restless, Diagnosis: Murder, Dumb and Dumber; born and raised in Portland

S

• Tim Sample (born 1951), humorist and author; born in Fort Fairfield and raised in Boothbay Harbor
• Reta Shaw (1912–1982), actress, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, Mary Poppins; born in South Paris
• Albion Woodbury Small (1854–1926), sociologist and founder of first university department of sociology in United States; born in Buckfield and raised in Bangor
• Margaret Chase Smith (1949–1973), first woman to serve in both houses of U.S. Congress; first woman to have her name placed in nomination for the Presidency at a major political party's convention; born in Skowhegan, Maine
• Samantha Smith (1972–1985), child peace activist, child actress; born in Houlton, Maine, later lived in Manchester, Maine
• Olympia Snowe (born 1947), Congresswoman and U.S. Senator; born in Augusta and raised in Auburn
• Brett Somers (1922–2007), actress; born in Canada and raised in Portland
• Percy Spencer (1894–1970), inventor of the microwave oven; born in Howland
• Spose (born 1985), rapper from Wells, Maine
• Andrew St. John (born 1982), actor, General Hospital, Life Is Wild; born in Millinocket
• Bob Stanley (born 1954), baseball player, pitched for Boston Red Sox in 1986 World Series
• C. A. Stephens (1844–1931), writer and gerontologist; born and died in Norway
• C. J. Stevens (born 1927), author; born in Smithfield and has lived in Philips, Weld, and Temple
• Noel Paul Stookey (born 1937); folk singer and songwriter; member of Peter Paul and Mary group; settled in Blue Hill
• Tony Shalhoub, actor, attended the University of Southern Maine in Portland
• David Evans Shaw. pharmaceutical industry executive; married to actress Glenn Close; lives in Scarborough, Maine

T

• Phyllis Thaxter (1919–2012), actress, born in Portland
• Brigadier Samuel Thompson (1734–1798), soldier of the American Revolutionary War; lived in Brunswick
• Liv Tyler (born 1977), actress, daughter of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, grew up in Maine

V

• Donald Valle (1908–1977), founder and owner of Valle's Steak House restaurant chain; born in Italy, moved to Portland in 1912
• Richard Valle (1931–1995), son of Donald Valle and owner of eponymously named Valle's Steak House; born in Portland
• Rudy Vallée (1901–1986), singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer; born in Island Pond, Vermont lived in Westbrook, Maine
• Todd Verow (born 1966), filmmaker, cinematographer, actor; born in Bangor

W

• Sam Webb, chairman of Communist Party USA; born in Maine
• Janwillem van de Wetering (1931–2008), Dutch-born, Maine-based novelist
• Clarence White (1944–1973), bluegrass, country rock, and rock guitarist; born in Lewiston
• E. B. White (1899–1985), essayist, author, humorist, poet; lived in Maine
• Ellen G. White (1827–1915), author, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; born in Gorham
• JoAnn Willette (born 1963), actress, Just the Ten of Us; born in Lewiston
• Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009), 20th-century painter; had a home in Cushing, Maine
• Jamie Wyeth (born 1946), contemporary American painter; has lived in Maine since the mid 1960s
• N. C. Wyeth (1882–1945), artist and illustrator; bought a home in Port Clyde, Maine, in the 1930s
• Nick Wyman (born 1950), actor, Die Hard with a Vengeance; born in Portland

See also

• Lists of Americans