Notable Alumni of Emerson College

Doris Haddock 1910–2010

Activist who walked across the US for campaign finance reform

Henry Oscar Talle 1892–1969

Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa

Also attended: University of Chicago, Luther College, Boston University

Michael Rulli 1969–

US Representative for Ohio's 6th district

Attended until 1991

Simeon B. Chittenden 1814–1889

US representative from New York

Katherine G. Langley 1888–1948

U.S. representative from Kentucky

Elaine Noble 1944–

First openly gay candidate elected to a state legislature

Also attended: Boston University, Harvard University

Suzan Johnson Cook 1957–

Pastor and former US Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom

Also attended: Dartmouth College, Columbia University in the City of New York, Teachers College at Columbia University

Jacob A. Garber 1879–1953

US representative from Virginia

Also attended: Bridgewater College

Justin Chou 1966–

Taiwanese politician and former legislator

Also attended: Cornell University

Bobbi Brown 1957–

Makeup artist and founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

Andrew Nkom 1943–

Nigerian professor, educator, administrator and writer

Also attended: Boston University

Jay Leno 1950–

Former Tonight Show host and comedian

Also attended: Bentley University

Jennifer Coolidge 1961–

Actress known for American Pie films

Also attended: American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York

Brandon Lee 1965–1993

Actor, star of The Crow

Father: Bruce Lee (Seattle Central College, University of Washington-Seattle Campus)

Mother: Linda Lee Cadwell (University of Washington-Seattle Campus)

Paul Thomas Anderson 1970–

Filmmaker and three-time Academy Award winner

Also attended: Santa Monica College, New York University

Father: Ernie Anderson (Suffolk University)

David Cross 1964–

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer

Henry Winkler 1945–

Actor known as Fonzie in Happy Days

Also attended: Yale University, Austin College

Child: Max Winkler (University of Southern California)

Gina Gershon 1962–

Actress and singer, starred in Face/Off

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School, New York University

Denis Leary 1957–

Stand-up comedian and actor

Bill Burr 1968–

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer

Bachelor's degree · Class of 1993

Steven Wright 1955–

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer

Also attended: Middlesex Community College

Andrea Martin 1947–

Actress and comedian known for SCTV

Maria Menounos 1978–

Actress and television host

Spencer Tunick 1967–

Photographer known for large-scale nude shoots

Glenn Branca 1948–2018

Avant-garde composer and guitarist

Also attended: York College of Pennsylvania

Elden Henson 1977–

Actor, Foggy Nelson in Marvel series

Michael Nouri 1945–

Screen and stage actor

Also attended: Rollins College

Joely Fisher 1967–

Actress known for sitcom Ellen

Sibling: Carrie Fisher (Sarah Lawrence College)

Sibling: Billie Lourd (New York University)

May Calamawy 1986–

Egyptian-Palestinian actress in Moon Knight

Kerem Bürsin 1987–

Turkish actor and producer

Norman Lear 1922–2023

Television writer and producer, created All in the Family

Natasha Gregson Wagner 1970–

Actress and daughter of Natalie Wood

Also attended: University of Southern California

Lori Alan 1966–

Actress, voice of Pearl Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants

Also attended: New York University

Richard Dysart 1929–2015

Actor known for L.A. Law

Joanna Going 1963–

Actress known for House of Cards and Mad Men

Also attended: American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York

Spouse: Dylan Walsh (University of Virginia-Main Campus)

Matt McGorry 1986–

Actor in Orange Is the New Black

Abbi Jacobson 1984–

Comedian, co-creator of Broad City

Also attended: Maryland Institute College of Art

Paul Dini 1957–

Writer, comic creator and television producer

Also attended: Harvard University

Hartley Sawyer 1985–

Actor known for playing Ralph Dibny on The Flash

Mary Kay Adams 1962–

Actress known for Guiding Light and Babylon 5

Donzaleigh Abernathy 1957–

Actress, author and civil rights activist

Father: Ralph Abernathy (Alabama State University, Clark Atlanta University)

Mother: Juanita Abernathy (Selma University, Tennessee State University)

Apolline Traoré 1976–

Burkinabé director, screenwriter and producer

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1998

Also attended: New York Film Academy

Adam Green 1981–

Singer-songwriter of the Moldy Peaches

Iliza Shlesinger 1983–

Stand-up comedian and actress

Also attended: University of Kansas

Kevin S. Bright 1954–

Television producer and director of Friends

Spalding Gray 1941–2004

Actor and writer known for autobiographical monologues

Sophiko Shevardnadze 1978–

Georgian journalist and presenter, former RT correspondent

Also attended: New York University

Seth Grahame-Smith 1976–

Author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Lilly Wachowski 1967–

Film director and writer, one of the Wachowskis

Bill Dana 1924–2017

Comedian, actor and screenwriter

Morgan Page 1981–

DJ and electronic music producer

George Watsky 1986–

Rapper, singer-songwriter and author

Marion Fairfax 1875–1970

Screenwriter, playwright and producer

Alex Tse 1976–

Screenwriter, co-creator of Wu-Tang: An American Saga

Veronica Belmont 1982–

Online media personality, former Tekzilla co-host

Jason Scott 1970–

Technology historian and archivist

Attended until 1992

Jaclyn Friedman 1971–

Feminist writer and activist

Also attended: Wesleyan University

Hussein Ibish 1963–

Writer and senior scholar at Arab Gulf States Institute

Also attended: University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Elma Lewis 1921–2004

Arts educator, founder of Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts

Also attended: Boston University

E. W. Kenyon 1867–1948

Pastor, writer and founder of Bethel Bible Institute

Princess Noor bint Asem Al-Hashem 1982–

Member of the Jordanian royal family

Spouse: Hamzah bin Al-Hussein (Harvard University)

Sibling: Princess Yasmine bint Asem (Clark University, Emerson College)