This is a list of famous or notable people from the Dominican Republic. The list also includes individuals of Dominican ancestry who reside overseas.
Authors
Julia Alvarez Arambilet Frank Báez Josefina Baez Celsa Albert Batista Fernando Cabrera Rei Berroa Manuel del Cabral Aída Cartagena Portalatín Roberto Cassá Raquel Cepeda Tulio Manuel Cestero Hilma Contreras Angie Cruz Junot Díaz Leonor de Ovando Judith Dupré Virginia Elena Ortea León Félix Batista Arturo Féliz-Camilo Fabio Fiallo Freddy Ginebra Cristino Gómez Chico Gonzalez Camila Henríquez Ureña Pedro Henríquez Ureña Federico Henríquez y Carvajal Angela Hernández Nuñez Juan Isidro Jiménez Grullón Rita Indiana Mariano Lebrón Saviñón Marcio Veloz Maggiolo José Mármol Andrés L. Mateo Félix Evaristo Mejía Miguel D. Mena Jeannette Miller Leopoldo Minaya Pedro Mir Domingo Moreno Jimenes Mateo Morrison Trina de Moya Flérida de Nolasco José Núñez de Cáceres Josefa Antonia Perdomo y Heredia Martha Rivera-Garrido Arturo Rodríguez Fernández Mu-Kien Adriana Sang/ Alfredo Fernández Simó Salomé Ureña Jael Uribe Bernardo Vega Julio Vega Batlle Alanna Lockward Abelardo Vicioso Chiqui Vicioso Delia Weber
Business
Marcos Bisonó – businessman José Blanco – cigar industrialist Ligia Bonetti – businesswoman Manuel Díez Cabral – businessman Juan Cohen – businessman José Luis Corripio – businessman The Franjul Family – business family Bartolomé Gamundi – businessman and government official in Puerto Rico Manuel Alejandro Grullón – businessman, president of Banco Popular José León Asensio – businessman Victor Miguel Pacheco Mendez – businessman Victor Oscar Pacheco Mendez – businessman Leo Perez Minaya – businessman Celso Marranzini – economist Porfirio Pina – music executive Frank Rainieri – businessman, chairman and founder of Grupo Punta Cana
Fashion and beauty pageant personalities
Mariasela Álvarez – Miss World 1982 Eva Arias – beauty queen and fashion model Sully Bonnelly – fashion designer Susie Castillo – Miss USA 2003 Ana Contreras – Miss World Beach beauty semifinalist Claudia Cruz – Miss World 2004 first runner-up Marianne Cruz – Miss Universe 2008 second runner-up Yadira Cury – Miss International 2005 first runner-up Ada de la Cruz – Miss Universe 2009 first runner-up Magali Febles – owner of the Miss Dominican Republic pageant franchise Kimberly Jiménez – Miss Universe 2020 fifth runner-up Gilda Jovine – fashion model Francisca Lachapel – Nuestra Belleza Latina 2015 Hernan Lander – fashion designer Dulcita Lieggi – beauty pageant contestant Denny Méndez – Miss Italy 1997 Clarissa Molina – Nuestra Belleza Latina 2016 V.I.P winner, Miss Dominican Republic 2015 Ruth Ocumárez – former beauty queen Oscar de la Renta – fashion designer Amell Santana – Miss Earth 2005 first runner-up Samantha Sepulveda – model and policewoman Renata Soñé – Miss Universe 2005 second runner–up Arlenis Sosa – fashion model Amelia Vega – Miss Universe 2003, actress and model
Motion picture and television personalities A–M
Irvin Alberti – actor Nancy Alvarez – psychologist, television talk show host Tina Aumont – film actress; daughter of Maria Montez Freddy Beras-Goico – television host, comedian Julissa Bermudez – television personality Jenny Blanco – TV presenter and actress Nashla Bogaert – actress Micky Bretón – director Francis Capra – actor Rafael Campos – actor Sergio Carlo – actor Aimee Carrero – actress Terry Carter – actor Hosea Chanchez – actor Charytín – actress, singer, television host José Guillermo Cortines – actor, musician Jackie Cruz – actress Tony Dandrades – TV presenter Juan Delancer – film director Yasmin Deliz – television personality/actress Arisleyda Dilone – actress Akari Endo – actress Hony Estrella – actress Iamdra Fermín – TV presenter Juan Fernández – actor Yubo Fernandez – actress René Fortunato – film director J. Teddy Garces – actor Andrés García – actor Laura García-Godoy – actress Jason Genao – actor from On My Block (TV series) Milagros Germán – actress Rick Gonzalez – actor Iván García Guerra – theater actor María Alejandra Guzmán – TV presenter Juliana Harkavy – actress (Dominican mother) Oscar Haza – television journalist Wilson Jermaine Heredia – actor Jharrel Jerome – actor Arthur Lithgow – actor John Lithgow - actor Jorge Lendeborg Jr. – actor Sarah Jorge León – actress Yelitza Lora – actress Bryan Lugo – actor Hemky Madera – actor Judy Marte – actress Luisito Martí – comedian Agliberto Meléndez – film director Mirtha Michelle – actress Maria Montez – actress Margarita Mora – actress Rafael Molina Morillo – journalist Carlos de la Mota – actor Patrícia Mota – actress
N–Z
Amaury Nolasco – actor Miguel A. Núñez, Jr. – actor Robmariel Olea – actress Karen Olivo – Tony Award-winning actor Alex Paez – American actor of Dominican descent Manny Pérez – actor (films Party Monster and El Cantante) Frank Perozo – actor, producer Nuria Piera – television journalist Esmeralda Pimentel – telenovela actress (Dominican father) Jessica Pimentel – actress Dascha Polanco – actress (Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black) Rosario Prieto – actress and dancer Rafael José – Puerto Rican television personality (Dominican father) Dania Ramirez – actress (television series Heroes and Entourage) Silvestre Rasuk – actor Victor Rasuk – actor Monica Raymund – actress Judy Reyes – actress (television series Scrubs and High Potential) Birmania Ríos – television personality (television show Despierta America) Diana-Maria Riva – actress Carolina Rivas – actress Alfonso Rodríguez – film director Michelle Rodriguez – actress Julio Sabala – actor, comedian Roberto Salcedo, Jr. – comedian Zoe Saldaña – actress Nuryn Sanlley – comedian Harmony Santana – actress Merlin Santana – actor Rafael Corporán de los Santos – TV host Enrique Segoviano – producer, director Sharlene Taulé – actress and singer (Dominican father, Puerto Rican mother) Rosanna Tavarez – singer, television personality Shannon Tavarez – Broadway actress and singer; Dominican father Samir Saba – journalist, TV presenter Marianly Tejada – actress, model and former beauty queen who is Miss Mundo Dominicana 2011 Jessy Terrero – director Leticia Tonos – director Celines Toribio – actress/model Emily Tosta – actress Isaac Saviñón – actor Julian Scott Urena – actor Vielka Valenzuela – talk show host Michelle Vargas – actress, model Denise Vasi – actress Jamila Velazquez – actress James Victor – actor Juan Vidal – actor Ludo Vika – actress, comedian Tristan Wilds – actor Carmen Wong Ulrich – journalist Sandra Zaiter – actress and television host
Painters and artists
Oscar Abreu Cándido Bidó Monina Cámpora – artist Tito Canepa Jaime Colson José García Cordero Luis Desangles Iliana Emilia Garcia Diego José Hilaris – painter Henri-Joseph de Forestier – painter Paul Giudicelli Aurelio Grisanty Gilberto Hernández Ortega Clara Ledesma Tania Marmolejo Yoryi Morel Elsa Núñez Raquel Paiewonsky Olivia Peguero Rigo Peralta Guillo Pérez Eligio Pichardo Kenny Rivero Abelardo Rodríguez Urdaneta Amaya Salazar Jorge Noceda Sanchez Julia Santos Solomon Darío Suro Rosa Tavarez Francisco Velásquez Miguel Vila Luna Celeste Woss y Gil
Political and military figures
Rafael Alburquerque – former vice president Pedro Franco Badía – former Secretary of the Interior and Police Buenaventura Báez Méndez – former president Joaquín Balaguer Ricardo – former president (1960–1962, 1966–1978, 1986–1996) Ramón Emeterio Betances – founder of Puerto Rican independence movement (Dominican father) Salvador Jorge Blanco – former president (1982–1986) Tomás Bobadilla – first ruler of the Dominican Republic Juan Bosch y Gaviño – former president Francisco Domínguez Brito – lawyer, politician Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó – former president Fernando Cabrera – New York City Councilman Ramón Cáceres – former president Margarita Cedeño de Fernández – vice-president and former First Lady of the Dominican Republic David Collado – former mayor of Santo Domingo Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez – 65th Secretary of State of New York Héctor Díaz-Polanco – former president of Congress of Mexico City Juan Pablo Duarte – one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic Adriano Espaillat – U.S. Congressman; first Dominican-American, and first formerly undocumented immigrant, to serve in the U.S. Congress, and formerly first Dominican-American to be elected to a State House in the U.S. Rafael Espinal – New York State Assemblyman Rafael Estrella Ureña – former president Carlos Felipe Morales – former president Ruy Fernández de Fuenmayor – Colonial governor of Venezuela Leonel Fernández Reyna – former president (1996–2000, 2004–2008, 2008–2012) Pedro Florentino – hero of the Battle of Jacuba, during the War of Independence from Haiti Maximiliano Gómez – revolutionary political leader Máximo Gómez – military commander of the Cuban War of Independence Petronila Angélica Gómez – feminist Antonio Guzmán Fernández – former president Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal – former president, as well as medical doctor, lawyer, writer, and educator Ulises Heureaux – former president Antonio Imbert Barrera – former president Gregorio Luperón – former president Miguel Martinez – former New York City Councilman Sabina Matos – lieutenant governor of Rhode Island Danilo Medina – former president (2012–2016) Lucia Medina – accountant and politician Hipólito Mejía – former president Ramón Matías Mella – one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic Fernando Arturo de Meriño – politician, theologian The Mirabal sisters – political dissidents Ilana Neumann – politician and lawyer Adolfo Alejandro Nouel – Santo Domingo archbishop and interim president José Nuñez-Melo – Canadian politician José Francisco Peña Gómez – mayor of Santo Domingo (1982–1986) Joseline Peña-Melnyk – member of the Maryland General Assembly Cesar A. Perales – 67th Secretary of State of New York Thomas Perez – civil rights lawyer Eusebio Puello – soldier and commander José Joaquín Puello – general and politician Donald Reid Cabral – former president Ydanis Rodríguez – New York City councilman José Antonio (Pepillo) Salcedo – first president after the Restoration of the Dominican Republic Roberto Salcedo, Sr. – mayor of Santo Domingo (2002–2016) Juan Sánchez Ramírez – military general Jean Alain Rodríguez Sánchez – lawyer Francisco del Rosario Sánchez – one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic Pedro Santana Familias – first president (1844) Luis Colón, 1st Duke of Veragua – nobleman, grandson of Christopher Columbus José Del Castillo Saviñón – politician Sergia Elena de Séliman – politician Juan Suero – soldier and commander Angel Taveras – mayor of Providence, Rhode Island Carlos Morales Troncoso – former vice president, diplomat Rafael Leónidas Trujillo – dictator (1930–1961) Ramfis Trujillo – general and son of dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Francisco Urena – Massachusetts government official Fernando Valerio – hero of the battles of Santiago (1844) and Sabana Larga (1856), during the War of Independence from Haiti Geovanny Vicente – political strategist and CNN columnist Elias Wessin y Wessin – former general For a complete list, please refer to List of presidents of the Dominican Republic
Scientists and scholars
Soraya Aracena – anthropologist Idelisa Bonnelly – marine biologist Víctor A. Carreño – NASA aerospace engineer Marcos Espinal – epidemiologist Luis Arístides Fiallo Cabral – astronomer Geovanny Vicente – political scientist, CNN columnist and Columbia University professor. Pedro Francisco Bonó – sociologist Zoilo H. Garcia – aviator, engineer Juan Isidro Jiménez Grullón – historian Jorge Abraham Hazoury – biologist Erich E. Kunhardt – physicist Jose Gabriel Garcia – historian Jorge Giordani – engineer, economist Miguel Canela Lázaro – anatomist Kathleen Martínez – archeologist Frank Moya Pons – historian Andrés Navarro – architect Feniosky Peña-Mora – engineer Margot Taule – architect