The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Evanston, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Evanston, Illinois.
Academia
Oliver Marcy, two-time president of Northwestern University. Dale T. Mortensen, Nobel Prize winner in economics, faculty of Northwestern University. Gail Thain Parker, Scholar of American literature, President, Bennington College. Dwight H. Perkins, Economist, Harvard University. Edmund Phelps, Nobel Prize winner in economics and professor. Stuart Vyse, psychologist and author. Specialist on superstitions. John Carrier Weaver, American professor of geography, and college administrator for several major universities in the United States. John Henry Wigmore, dean of Northwestern Law School.
Business
John C. Whitehead, banker, chairman of Goldman Sachs, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State 1985–89, board member of World Trade Center Memorial Foundation (WTC Memorial Foundation) William Liston Brown, director of American Ship Building Company James Cayne, former CEO of Bear Stearns Lester Crown, son of Chicago financier Henry Crown and controls family holdings John Donahoe, president and CEO of eBay, born in Evanston Bob Galvin, former CEO of Motorola Hecky Powell, restaurateur Gordon Segal, founder and CEO of Crate & Barrel Gwynne Shotwell, American businesswoman, engineer, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX
Entertainment
Kate Baldwin, actress and singer
Viola Barry, silent film actress
William Bassett, actor
Carlos Bernard, actor
Marlon Brando, actor
Tamara Braun, actress
Heather Burns, actress
Ronnie Burns, actor
Timothy Carhart, actor
William Christopher, actor, charity spokesperson
Joan Cusack, actress
John Cusack, actor
John Dickson, poet and short story writer
Sean Evans, host of Hot Ones
Robert Falls, director
Julie Fulton, actress
Zach Gilford, actor
Alicia Goranson, actress
Seth Gordon, director, producer, editor
Laura Harrier, actress
Barbara Harris, actress
Charlton Heston, actor
Anders Holm, comedian and co-creator of Workaholics
James Jewell, voice actor, producer & director for radio shows The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet Jake Johnson, actor Amanda Jones, Miss Illinois USA 1973 & Miss USA 1973 Tim Kazurinsky, actor and writer, Saturday Night Live Walter Kerr, drama critic Lauren Lapkus, actor and comedian Jeffrey Lieber, writer and co-creator of the television series Lost Richard Long, actor Michael Madsen, actor John Lee Mahin, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jeff McCracken, actor, director, producer Elizabeth McGovern, Oscar-nominated actress Patrick Melton, screenwriter Josh Meyers, actor and comedian Seth Meyers, actor and comedian John Moffatt, producer Jessie Mueller, actress and singer Bill Murray, actor and comedian Ajay Naidu, actor and singer Christopher Nolan, director, screenwriter, and producer Jonathan Nolan, screenwriter, producer and director James Olson, actor Geeta Patel, film and TV director D.A. Pennebaker, documentary filmmaker William Petersen, actor Steve Pink, director, screenwriter, and producer Jeremy Piven, actor Shira Piven, director David Schwimmer, actor Anna D. Shapiro, award-winning director Jerry Springer Hope Summers, actress, founder of Evanston's Showcase Theater Daniel Sunjata, actor Dave VanDam, voice actor Ruby Wax, comedian Jenniffer Weigel, actress, writer Rafer Weigel, actor, television personality Martin Sherman, actor