This is primarily a list of notable people who contributed to the history of Eastern Orthodox Christianity's theology or culture. However it is also for people whose Eastern Orthodox identity is an important part of their notability. As there are many nations that are predominantly Eastern Orthodox names from such nations should usually meet a stricter standard, but in the case of converts their conversion might be notable enough to make an exception.
Artists
Andrei Rublev – important in the history of Russian iconography El Greco – from Crete, noted for Christian art Feofan Grek – noted iconographer Boris Kustodiev – Russian artist known for depictions of Russian Orthodox people and culture Jerzy Nowosielski – famous Polish painter, noted for his numerous works of Byzantine-influenced religious art Karl Matzek – convert from Catholicism who did religious art for the faith Prokhor of Gorodets – icon painter Simon Ushakov – leading religious artist linked to the reforms of Patriarch Nikon Valentin Alexandrovich Serov – Russian painter, and one of the premier portrait artists of his era. Constantin Brâncuși – Romanian world-renowned sculptor Gala Dalí – (Birth name Elena Ivanovna Diakonova Russian: Елена Ивановна Дьяконов), model, wife and muse of Salvador Dalí.
Entrepreneurs/industrialists Nikolay Alekseyev Igor Sikorsky
Entertainers Jennifer Aniston Stana Katic John Belushi – member of the Albanian Orthodox Church in childhood; his funeral was in that faith James Belushi – member of the Albanian Orthodox Church, John's brother. Charles Bronson – Russian Orthodox, son of a Kryashen. Yul Brynner – actor. His remains were interred in France on the grounds of the Saint-Michel-de-Bois-Aubry Russian Orthodox monastery near Luzé between Tours and Poitiers. George Chakiris – contributor to a Greek Orthodox Cathedral Michael Chiklis – actor, second generation Greek-American. Anna Maria – Indonesian model Kira Kazantsev – Miss America 2015 Vassiliki Betty Cantrell – Greek Orthodox Church Sunday school teacher, Miss America 2016 Sandra Dee – (birth name: Alexandra Cymboliak Zuck). One time wife of Bobby Darin. Raised Russian Orthodox in New Jersey. Her mother was of Carpathian Russian ancestry. Nina Dobrev Olympia Dukakis – actress, Greek Orthodox. Tina Fey – Greek-American on her mother's side and married in a Greek Orthodox wedding. Zach Galifianakis – Baptized at St. Barbara's Greek Orthodox Church in Durham, NC Tom Hanks – Converted on marrying Rita Wilson, mention by Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles. Hank Hanegraaff – radio talk host and important figure of Christian countercult movement, Chrismated at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, NC. Jonathan Jackson – actor, convert from Protestant Church Andreas Katsulas – actor; Greek Orthodox. Before his passing, he requested that memorials be made to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, St. Louis, MO. Melina Kanakaredes – St. Nicholas's Greek Orthodox Church listed her as a possible speaker, credits the church as helpful to her in youth. Grew up at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron, OH Angie Katsanevas - Real Housewife of Salt Lake City, mother, wife, businesswoman, pillar of the community https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-two-ts-in-a-pod-with-tedd-49447273/episode/two-ts-getting-the-tea-with-105704123/ Elia Kazan – Director, born to Greek parents who immigrated from the Ottoman Empire to the United States Emir Kusturica – Serbian Orthodox. Raised in a Bosnian Muslim Family. His conversion gained some media attention. Ana Layevska – Ukrainian-born Mexican actress and violinist (of Russian origin) Karl Malden (Mladen Sekulovich) – said to have been Serbian Orthodox. Constantine Maroulis – Greek Orthodox, brother of Athan Maroulis Debbie Matenopoulos Maria Menounos – actress, presenter Telly Savalas – contributed to Greek Orthodox Cathedrals and his bald image began after playing Pontius Pilate Amy Sedaris – American actress, author and comedian Shawnee Smith – American actress, Smith is a convert to the Russian Orthodox Church John Stamos – American actor Nia Vardalos – actress Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church site Rita Wilson – actress Lana Wood (birth name: Svetlana Gurdin, family surname had been changed from Zacharenko four years earlier in 1942)"Starlet Natalie Wood Has New Baby Sister" . Hollywood Citizen-News. March 5, 1946. – Russian Orthodox actress; sister of Natalie. Natalie Wood (birth name: Natalie Zacharenko, later changed to Gurdin)"Births" . San Francisco Examiner. July 27, 1938. – Russian Orthodox actress. Mahesa Gibran – Indonesian actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa – On November 12, 2015, he was baptized as Panteleymon in the Russian Orthodox Joy of All Who Sorrow church in Moscow Alla Pugacheva – Russian singer and model
Musicians and composers Djuro Zivkovic - a contemporary Serbian-Swedish composer, born 1975 in Belgrade, since 2000 based in Sweden. Maksym Berezovsky - Known for religious music Dmytro Bortniansky - Religious music. John Craton - American classical composer George Enescu - Romanian composer Bill Evans Enca (Ruensa Haxhiaj) - Albanian pop singer Alexander Frey - Conductor, pianist, organist and composer, was baptized in the Greek Orthodox church, but is also a practicing Episcopalian. Dave Gahan - English lead singer for Depeche Mode, converted to Greek Orthodox Christianity to marry his current wife Jennifer. Chris Hillman - original member of The Byrds Lena Katina - Member of Russian music group t.A.T.u. Boris Ledkovsky - Russian-American composer of Church music George Michael - celebrity pop singer, a Greek-Cypriote. Dimitris Mitropoulos - Conductor, pianist and composer. Music Director of the New York Philharmonic and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac - one of the most famous Serbian composers and music educators of the nineteenth century. Ivan Moody - British composer, conductor and Orthodox priest. Katie Melua - singer Inva Mula - Albanian Orthodox, famous opera singer. Arvo Pärt – Estonian composer, known for religious music, convert from Lutheranism Georgs Pelēcis – Latvian composer and musicologist. Ciprian Porumbescu - Romanian composer Tose Proeski - Macedonian pop singer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Possibly atheist after some point, but did Russian Orthodox church music. Sergei Rachmaninoff Mstislav Rostropovich - Conductor, National Symphony, cellist Kurt Sander - American composer who converted to Russian Orthodoxy in 1993. Composer of the first complete English-language setting of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Thomas Simaku - Albanian Orthodox, famous composer Trey Spruance - Leader of the multi-genre outfit Secret Chiefs 3 Igor Stravinsky - Left the faith from 1900 to 1926, after rejoining he did Symphony of Psalms. John Tavener - Converted to Orthodoxy, and much of his music is influenced by that. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Russian composer of the Romantic era. His wide-ranging output includes symphonies, operas, ballets, instrumental and chamber music and songs Julia Volkova - Member of Russian music group t.A.T.u. Previously converted to Islam, but has since returned to Orthodox Christianity. Stephen M. Wolownik - Church music early on
Historians Florin Curta - professor of medieval history and archaeology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida Fr. Demetrios Constantelos - professor of history and religious studies, Richard Stockton College, Pomona, New Jersey George Pachymeres - Byzantine chief advocate of the church Avraamy Palitsyn - Russian historian who died at the Solovetsky Monastery Jaroslav Pelikan - professor of ecclesiastical history, Yale University, and a convert from Lutheranism Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos - Byzantine ecclesiastical historian John Xiphilinus - also a monk Joannes Zonaras - also a theologian Nikolay Yakovlevich Danilevsky Mircea Eliade - famous Romanian writer, philosopher and historian Evagrius Scholasticus - 6th century Byzantine historian. Sozomen - wrote a history that ended in the year 429 A.D. Socrates Scholasticus - wrote a church history that ended in the year 439 A.D, during Theodosius II (or Younger's) reign. Saint Theophanes the Confessor - Byzantine Saint, who championed the cause of the Iconodules, who venerate icons. He wrote a 9th-century Byzantine Chronicle.
Journalists Saša Petricic - award-winning Serbian Canadian journalist. Since 2011, he has been Middle East correspondent and videojournalist for CBC Television's The National and other CBC News programs. Ernie Anastos - New York television anchor Thalia Assuras - CBS News anchor Alexis Christoforous - CBS News anchor / correspondent Chris Clark - retired news anchor, WTVF, Nashville, Tennessee Rod Dreher - Dallas Morning News columnist, "Crunchy Con" blog Mike Emanuel - Fox News White House Correspondent Terry Mattingly - syndicated columnist Natalie Jacobson - born Natalie Salatich, television news anchor, WCVB - Boston - Serbian Orthodox Serge Schmemann - International Herald Tribune writer/editor George Stephanopoulos - ABC News chief Washington correspondent; a former altar boy, and son of a priest.
Linguists Nikita Yakovlevich Bichurin - Russian Orthodox Church monk and Sinologist Saint Innocent of Alaska - wrote books on Tlingit and worked on an alphabet for Aleut Pyotr Kafarov - student of Bichurin, also a Sinologist and ROC monk Mateja Matejić - priest in the Serbian Orthodox Church Alexander Nedoshivin - Russian Orthodox Church priest and Esperantist Epifany Slavinetsky - Polyglot, Russian Orthodox Church monk, and translator Roman Jakobson - Structuralist linguist and literary theorist; converted to Orthodoxy in 1975.
Modern politicians Note: Most political figures in the Byzantine Empire, or most other Medieval Eastern European Empires, would be at least nominally Eastern Orthodox. Therefore, this is limited to modern times, specifically after 1800. For United States entries Political Graveyard was used for this section, but additional sources are encouraged.
The list is not complete; the vast majority of politicians in countries such as Greece, Romania, Cyprus, Russia, Serbia and others are Eastern Orthodox.
United States / Canada Spencer Abraham - former Senator (R-MI) and Energy Secretary Justin Amash - former member of Congress (L-MI) (Antiochian Orthodox) Eleni Bakopanos - former Canadian Member of Parliament (Lib-PQ) Melissa Bean - former member of Congress (D-IL) Helen Delich Bentley - former US Congresswoman (R-MD) (Serbian Orthodox) Michael Bilirakis - former member of Congress (R-FL) (Greek Orthodox) Gus Bilirakis - member of Congress (R-FL) (Greek Orthodox) Rod Blagojevich - former Illinois Governor (D) (Serbian Orthodox) Tony Clement - former Ontario Minister of Health and federal MP (Cons-ON) (Greek Cypriot) Michael Dukakis - former Governor and Presidential candidate (D-MA) Nick Galifianakis - former Congressman (D-NC) George Gekas - former Congressman (R-PA) Ray Hnatyshyn - Governor-General of Canada (1990–1995) Michael Huffington - former Congressman and Senatorial candidate (R-CA) Johnny Joannou - member of Virginia House of Delegates (D-79) Nicole Malliotakis - member of Congress (R-NY), frm. New York State assemblywoman (Greek Orthodox) Eleni Kounalakis - lt. Governor of California (D-CA) (Greek Orthodox) Nicholas Mavroules - former Congressman (D-MA) John Sarbanes - member of Congress (D-MD) (Greek Orthodox) Paul Sarbanes - former U.S. Senator (D-MD) (Greek Orthodox) Chris Pappas - member of Congress (D-NH) (Greek Orthodox) Mary Peltola - member of Congress (D-AK) (Russian Orthodox) Andrew S. Shandro - Alberta MLA (Lib) Dean Skelos - New York State Senate Majority Leader (R) Olympia Snowe - U.S. Senator (R-ME); Attended St. Basil's Academy George Tenet - former CIA Director Paul Tsongas - late U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate (D-MA) John N. Wozniak - member of Pennsylvania Senate (D-35)
Europe / Middle East