This is a list of people who were born, were raised, or have lived in Houston, Texas.
Entertainment, arts, and media personalities
Debbie Allen, choreographer, actress Lauren Anderson, ballet dancer Wes Anderson, film director Archie Bell and the Drells, soul/R&B music group Mark Ballas, ballroom dancer and choreographer from Dancing with the Stars, actor, singer-songwriter and musician (member of duo Alexander Jean) Kirko Bangz, rapper Michelle Barnes, artist and arts administrator Donald Barthelme, journalist (deceased) Skye McCole Bartusiak, actress (deceased) Baby Bash, rapper Texas Battle, actor Frank Beard, percussionist for ZZ Top Jeff Bennett, voice actor Melissa Benoist, actress Michael Berry, from Orange, lawyer and radio talk show host Beyoncé, singer, songwriter, producer and actress Clint Black, musician Lisa Hartman Black, singer and actress B L A C K I E (born Michael LaCour), rapper Alexis Bledel, actress Maggie Blye, actress (deceased) Craig Bohmler, composer Matt Bomer, from Spring, actor Danielle Bradbery, from Cypress, Texas, season 4 winner of The Voice Berkeley Breathed, born in California, cartoonist Jonathan Breck, actor, best known as The Creeper in Jeepers Creepers Josh Brener, actor Mistress Isabelle Brooks, drag performer Jean Brooks, actress (deceased) Karamo Brown, television personality and activist William Broyles Jr., screenwriter Bun B, rapper, one half of the rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz), raised in Houston Ingrid Burley, rapper and songwriter Johnny Bush, country singer (deceased) William Butler, born in California; raised in The Woodlands; musician Win Butler, born in California; raised in The Woodlands Christian de la Campa, actor telenovela and model Peter Cambor, actor Chandler Canterbury, actor Jonathan Caouette, filmmaker Richelle Carey, newscaster Kathryn Casey, non-fiction author and mystery novelist Scott Cawthon, former video game developer, creator of the Five Nights at Freddy's series Chamillionaire (born Hakeem Seriki), rapper Nicholas Alexander Chavez, actor Lois Chiles, actress Imani Chyle, singer-songwriter and rapper Lynn Collins, actress Chedda Da Connect, rapper Dan Cook, sportswriter (deceased) Henry G. Sanders, actor Peter James Cooper, screenwriter, film producer and businessman Nichole Cordova, singer for girl group Girlicious Walter Cronkite, television journalist (deceased) Rodney Crowell, musician Peter Brett Cullen, actor Willie D, rapper D4vd (born David Anthony Burke), rapper Trevor Daniel, singer Alexandria DeBerry, actress Loretta Devine, actress DhoomBros, YouTube personalities, actors, dancers, entertainers, and DJs Ryan Donowho, actor and musician Allen Drury, author (deceased) Haylie Duff, actress Hilary Duff, actress and singer Shelley Duvall, actress (deceased) Rama Duwaji, animator, illustrator, and ceramist; first lady of New York City Melvin Edwards, sculptor Ike Eisenmann, sound effects Dorian Electra, singer Shannon Elizabeth, actress Robert Ellis, country singer Terry Ellis, singer for R&B girl group En Vogue Kelly Emberg, model Sean Faris, actor Fenix TX, band Ashley Fink, actress of Glee Suzanne Finstad, author Will Flanary, ophthalmologist and comedian Sean Patrick Flanery, actor; from Sugar Land Mark Flood, artist Tom Ford, designer A. J. Foyt, auto racer Justin Furstenfeld Jennifer Garner, born in Houston; raised in Charleston, West Virginia; actress Greg Germann, actor Geto Boys members Billy Gibbons, guitarist and singer for ZZ Top Robert Glasper, musician Glen Gondo, founder of the Japan Festival (deceased) Olivia Gonzales, dancer R.W. Hampton, singer Lisa Hartman, actress Allison Harvard, model, artist, actress and Internet celebrity Bill Hicks, comedian (deceased) Dusty Hill, bassist and singer for ZZ Top (deceased) Ian Hill, drag performer Jay Hooks, blues musician Larry Hovis, actor (deceased) Irene the Alien, drag performer Molly Ivins, journalist (deceased) Cassandra Jean, actress, model Mickey Jones, musician (deceased) Mike Jones, rapper Nicky Jones, voice actor Bradley Jordan, rapper Robert Earl Keen, singer Ruth Kelley, one of the first women to fly to Antarctica Keshi, singer Candice King, actress and singer Awsten Knight, musician Solange Knowles, singer and songwriter Liza Koshy, actress and YouTube personality Tony Labrusca, actor Eric Ladin, actor Hubert Laws, jazz musician Johnny Lee, singer Richard Linklater, film director Lizzo, singer Lyle Lovett, from Klein, musician and actor Todd Lowe, actor Mark Lowry, southern gospel vocalist, songwriter and comedian, formerly sang with the Gaither Vocal Band LeToya Luckett, singer Machine Gun Kelly, singer, rapper, and actor born in Houston Debra Maffett, Miss America 1983 Barbara Mandrell, singer David Matranga, voice actor Ayanna Jolivet McCloud, visual artist Maxine Mesinger, columnist (deceased) Angelbert Metoyer, artist Mitchelle'l, singer-songwriter Farrah Moan, drag queen and entertainer Jason Moore, Wikipedia editor and organizer Lecrae Moore, Christian rapper, co-founder of Reach Records Jason Moran, pianist Cory Morrow, country singer Johnny Nash, singer (deceased) Edwin Neal, actor Michael Nesmith, musician, singer for The Monkees (deceased) Iceman Nick, jeweler and jewelry designer Renee O'Connor, actress Odetari (born Taha Othman Ahmad), singer and rapper Mary-Jean O'Doherty, opera singer Tony Oller, actor Annette O'Toole, actress Jim Parsons, actor David Phelps, Christian singer DJ Premier (born Christopher Edward Martin) Billy Preston, keyboardist, and singer (deceased) James Prince, CEO and music executive of Rap-A-Lot P. J. Proby, singer Dennis Quaid, actor Randy Quaid, actor Leven Rambin, actress Cierra Ramirez, actress Phylicia Rashad, actress Dan Rather, from Wharton, television journalist Stevie Ray, professional wrestler Oyibo Rebel, musician and actor Prudencesa Renfro, singer Riff Raff (born Horst Christian Simco), rapper LaTavia Roberson, singer Charlie Robinson, actor (deceased) Charlie Robison, singer (deceased) Kenny Rogers, singer (deceased) Kelly Rowland, singer Joshua Rush, actor Sapnap, Youtuber Scarface (born Brad Terrence Jordan) Travis Scott, Grammy-nominated artist, rapper, singer, songwriter, producer DJ Screw (born Robert Earl Davis, Jr.) (deceased) San Kim Sean, martial artist (deceased) Joan Severance, actress Guitar Shorty (deceased) Kaitlyn Siragusa, internet personality Anna Nicole Smith, born in Houston; raised in Mexia, model and actress (deceased) Jaclyn Smith, actress South Park Mexican (born Carlos Coy) Brent Spiner, actor Megan Thee Stallion, rapper Matt Stone, co-creator of South Park Patrick Swayze, actor (deceased) Susan Swift, actress Amir Taghi, fashion designer That Mexican OT, rapper B. J. Thomas, singer (deceased) Larry D. Thomas, 2008 Texas State Poet Laureate Slim Thug (born Stayve Jerome Thomas), rapper Gary Tinterow, art historian and curator Don Toliver, rapper, singer and songwriter Allison Tolman, actress Nephew Tommy, actor Rigo Tovar, emigrated from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico (deceased) Trae tha Truth (born Frazier Othel Thompson), rapper Tommy Tune, dancer and choreographer Steve Tyrell, singer and music producer Ngozi Ukazu, author The Undertaker (born Mark William Calaway), wrestler Brooke Valentine, singer Idalia Valles, actress Ameer Vann (former member of Brockhampton), rapper Jaci Velasquez, singer Sauce Walka, rapper Paul Wall, rapper Isaiah Washington, actor Watermark, band Waterparks, band William Ward Watkin, architect (deceased) Johnny Guitar Watson, musician, singer, and songwriter (deceased) Alicia Webb, wrestling personality Wesley Weston, Jr., rapper Al White, actor JoBeth Williams, actress Chandra Wilson, actress Harris Wittels, actor, writer, comedian, musician (deceased) Craig Xen, rapper Z-Ro (born Joseph Wayne McVey) Renée Zellweger, from Katy, actress Gwendolyn Zepeda, author
Business, government, law, and military
Elsa Alcala, judge since 2011 of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Kingsville native, resides in Houston Monroe Dunaway Anderson, banker; cotton trader; co-founder of Anderson, Clayton and Company; philanthropist; namesake of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Mary Kay Ash, cosmetics mogul James A. Baker (born 1821), lawyer and founder of the law firm now known as Baker and Botts James A. Baker (born 1857), lawyer for William Marsh Rice and trustee for Rice University James A. Baker Jr., lawyer for the law firm now known as Baker and Botts, banker, and real estate developer James A. Baker III, White House chief of staff, secretary of state John Brown Bell, African American real estate investor, businessman, civic leader, and civil servant Paul Bettencourt, member of the Texas State Senate from District 7 Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com Bill Blythe, Houston realtor and former state representative Paul Bremond, merchant and railroad developer George H. W. Bush, 43rd vice president and 41st president of the United States; father of George W. Bush George W. Bush, former governor of Texas (1995–2000) and 43rd president of the United States; son of George H.W. Bush Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida (1999–2007), and 2016 presidential candidate; brother of George W. Bush Briscoe Cain, Republican member of the Texas House Erica Lee Carter, U.S. representative for Texashttps://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/508276/Erica_Shelwyn_Lee_Carter.html John Carter, United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative for Texas Greg Casar, U.S. representative for Texas William L. Clayton, cotton trader; co-founder of Anderson Clayton Co., government official John Cornyn, U.S. senator from Texas Ted Cruz, U.S. senator from Texas; former 2016 Republican presidential candidate Adam Dell, millionaire businessman, lawyer Michael Dell, co-founder and CEO of Dell Inc. Richard W. Dowling, Civil War officer Anna Johnson Dupree (1891–1977), business owner and philanthropist Rama Duwaji, animator, illustrator and ceramist, First Lady-designate of New York City Les Eaves, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for White County; former Houston resident Gary Elkins, politician Tilman J. Fertitta, businessman and reality TV personality Lizzie Fletcher, U.S. representative for Texas Nobia A. Franklin (1892–1934), African-American beauty mogul Sylvia Garcia, U.S. representative for Texas, former Texas state senatorhttps://www.texastribune.org/directory/sylvia-r-garcia/ Glen Gondo, businessman and founder of the Japan Festival Al Green, U.S. representative for Texashttps://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Things-to-know-about-Al-Green-the-first-11157219.php Jay F. Honeycutt, former director of the Kennedy Space Center; began career in Houston in 1966 as engineer at Johnson Space Center Edward Mandell House, diplomat, a commissioner of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, and advisor of Woodrow Wilson Randolph W. House, US Army lieutenant general, raised in Houston Joan Huffman, politician Howard Hughes, billionaire aviator, film producer. Retrieved August 16, 2013. Wesley Hunt, U.S. representative for Texas Thad Hutcheson, politician Jesse H. Jones, politician Barbara Jordan, U.S. representative Sheila Jackson Lee, member of the House of Representatives (1995 to 2024), candidate for mayor of Houston, TX in 2023, member of the Houston City Council (1990 to 1995) Mickey Leland, politician Morgan Luttrell, U.S. representative for Texas James E. Lyon, banker"Rites Set for Developer, Banker James E. Lyon", Houston Chronicle, May 2, 1993 Gray H. Miller, senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress