The following is a list of notable people who were born or who live or formerly lived in the city of Sarasota, Florida.
Carl Abbott, architect Erik Arroyo, former mayor of Sarasota and lawyer Doug Band (born 1972) , assistant to Bill Clinton and businessman. Helped found the Clinton Global Initiative and assisted with the Clinton Foundation after his presidency Freddie Bartholomew (1924–1992), child actor in 1930s Roy Basler (1906–1989), historian Dickey Betts (1943–2024), guitarist and founding member of The Allman Brothers Band Duane Betts (born 1978), singer-songwriter, guitarist, and member of The Allman Betts Band Kevin Biegel, writer-producer, screenwriter Vern Buchanan (born 1951), U.S. representative Daniel Bukantz (1917–2008), Olympic fencer Eugene A. Burdick (1912–2000), North Dakota District judge and surrogate judge for the North Dakota Supreme Court William J. Burns (1861–1932), Director of the Bureau of Investigation, later the Federal Bureau of Investigation Flossie M. Byrd (1927–2020), home economist and academic Lincoln Child (born 1957), author of techno-thriller and horror novels Barber Conable (1922–2003), New York state senator, U.S representative from New York, and World Bank President under President Ronald Reagan Marlow Cook (1926–2016), U.S. senator from Kentucky Eric Curran (born 1975), racing driver Vincent D'Autorio (1915–2008), two-time Olympic gymnast Ian Desmond (born 1985), professional baseball player for the Colorado Rockies Lois Duncan (1934–2016), writer, novelist, poet, and journalist Gil Elvgren (1914–1980), painter of pin-up models Richard Floethe (1901–1988), printmaker and illustrator Sonia Pressman Fuentes (1928–2025), lawyer; author and co-founder of National Organization for Women Jackie Gerlich (1925–1960) , dwarf actor and circus entertainer Brian Gottfried (born 1952), tennis player, reached Nº3 in the world in 1977 Carla Gugino (born 1971), actress Dalton Guthrie (born 1995), Major League Baseball player for the San Francisco Giants James A. Haley (1899–1981), U.S. representative from Florida and member of the Florida House of Representatives. President of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1952, 1956, and 1960 Denver David Hargis (1921–1989), U.S. representative from Kansas Forest Harness (1895–1974), U.S representative from Indiana and Sergeant at Arms of the Senate Ian Hornak (1944–2002), founding artist of the Hyperrealist and Photorealist fine art movements; owned a local winter home.Stephen Bennett Phillips, Eric Ian Hornak Spoutz, "Ian Hornak Transparent Barricades," exhibition catalogue, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Fine Art Program, Washington D.C., 2012Joan Adan, Eric Ian Hornak Spoutz, "Transparent Barricades: Ian Hornak, A Retrospective," exhibition catalogue, Forest Lawn Museum, Glendale, California, May 2012 Tim Jaeger (born 1979), artist Brian Johnson (born 1947), lead singer of AC/DC Mackinlay Kantor (1904–1977), Pulitzer Prize winning author Josh Kaufman (born 1976), soul singer and singer-songwriter Margaret Kerry (born 1929), actress, radio host, and model for Tinker Bell in the 1953 Walt Disney film Peter Pan Stephen King (born 1947), author David Lawrence (1888–1973), publisher; founded what would later become U.S. News & World Report La Norma Fox (1926–2026), trapeze artist in RBB Circus and Sarasotan from 1949 onwards Mirjana Lučić-Baroni (born 1982), professional tennis player Victor A. Lundy (1923–2024), architect Jes Macallan (born 1982), actress John D. MacDonald (1916–1986), crime novelist Marlon Mack (born 1996), running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League George E. Martin (1902–1995), US Army major general, lived in Sarasota during retirement Myka Meier (born 1982), etiquette coach and writer Eric Minkin (born 1950), American-Israeli basketball player Daniel Myrick (born 1963), director of horror films Bello Nock (born 1968), daredevil and circus performer Carol Perkins (born 1957), fashion model Jack Perkins (1933–2019), reporter, commentator, war correspondent, and anchorman Joe Perry (born 1950), lead guitarist of Aerosmith Guy Peterson (born 1953), architect Paul Reubens (1952–2023), actor known for creating and portraying Pee-wee Herman Michael Rey (born 1979), abstract painter Charles Edward Ringling (1863–1926), one of the Ringling brothers Stephen Root (born 1951), actor, voice actor and comedian Milton Rubenfeld (1919–2004), pilot and one of five founding pilots of Israeli Air Force Randy Savage (1952–2011), professional wrestler Tim Seibert (1927—2018), architect Monica Seles (born 1973), former no.1 tennis player Sharon Shewmake (born 1980), Washington State Senator was born and raised in Sarasota Sam Shields (born 1987), cornerback in the National Football League George Snyder (1929–2017), Maryland state senator and majority leader Kyle Snyder (born 1977), Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Dick Smothers (born 1938), actor, comedian, composer and musician; one half of the Smothers Brothers Syd Solomon (1917–2004), American abstract artist Jerry Springer (1944–2023), television personality Ben Stahl (1910–1987), artist, illustrator and author. Alex Steinweiss (1917–2011), graphic artist, credited with being the inventor of album cover art. Greg Steube (born 1978), U.S. representative and former Florida senator and Florida representative Mildred Ladner Thompson (1918–2013), journalist and writer Ralph Twitchell (1890–1978), architect, cofounded Sarasota School of Architecture Dick Vitale (born 1939), college basketball coach and broadcaster Adrienne Vittadini (born 1943), fashion designer Noelia Voigt (born 1999), interior designer, won Miss USA 2023 Joseph Volpe (born 1940), general manager of the Metropolitan Opera Nik Wallenda (born 1979), tightrope walker Iain Webb (born 1959), director of The Sarasota Ballet and former dancer with The Royal Ballet Scott Weiss, venture capitalist Hoyt Wilhelm (1922–2002), Major League Baseball pitcher and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee George Howard Williams (1871–1963), U.S Senator from Missouri Geoff Wilson (born 1978), entrepreneur, investor, and sports card collector Jack West (1922–2010), architect, leader in the Sarasota School of Architecture. Robert Windom (1930–2016), former Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services Linda Winikow (1940–2008), politician and New York State Senator Roger Zare (born 1985), composer and pianist Bridgett Zehr (born c. 1985), ballet dancer with the English National Ballet
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