The following is a list of notable people who were born, raised, or closely associated with the U.S. state of North Carolina.
Academia
Graham Allison (born 1940), political scientist and professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (Charlotte) Dorothy Hansine Andersen (1901–1963), pathologist and pediatrician, first physician to identify cystic fibrosis as a disease (Asheville) Joseph Penn Breedlove (1874–1955), Duke University librarian 1898–1946 (Durham) Fred Brooks (born 1931), computer architect, software engineer, and computer scientist (Durham) Carrie Lougee Broughton (1879–1957), librarian and first female State Librarian (Raleigh) John Chavis (1763–1838), African-American educator and theologian (Oxford) Anna J. Cooper (1858–1964), prominent African-American scholar, author, sociologist, and educator (Raleigh) Elson Floyd (1956–2015), 10th president of Washington State University, former president of University of Missouri System and of Western Michigan University (Henderson) Phillip Griffiths (born 1938), mathematician, known for work in the field of geometry (Raleigh) Jay U. Gunter (1911–1994), pathologist and amateur astronomer (Sanford) John Kuykendall (born 1938), served as 15th president of Davidson College (Charlotte) Daniel McFadden (born 1937), economist, winner of 2000 Nobel Prize in economics (Raleigh) Elizabeth A. McMahan (1924–2009), professor, entomologist, psychologist, cartoonist, writer, traveler (Pino) Kary Mullis (1944–2019), biochemist, inventor of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique (Lenoir) James E. Shepard (1875–1947), pharmacist, civil servant and educator, founder of what became North Carolina Central University (Raleigh) Thomas Sowell (born 1930), economist, social critic, political commentator, and author (Gastonia) Martin Wohl (1930–2009), transportation economist and professor (Greensboro) Anne D. Yoder, biologist, researcher, and professor in the Department of Biology at Duke University (Charlotte)
Artists
Charles Alston (1907–1977), painter, illustrator, muralist, and sculptor (Charlotte) Murphy Anderson (1926–2015), comics artist (Asheville) Ernie Barnes (1938–2009), Neo-Mannerist artist and former professional football player (Durham) James Barnhill (born 1955), sculptor (Asheville) Romare Bearden (1911–1988), artist (Charlotte) John T. Biggers (1924–2001), painter and muralist (Gastonia) Elizabeth Bradford (born 1950), painter (Huntersville) Selma Burke (1900–1995), sculptor and ceramicist (Mooresville) Amanda Crowe (1928–2004), woodcarver (Cherokee) Minnie Evans (1892–1987), folk artist (Pender County) Herb Jackson (born 1945), painter, given North Carolina Award by governor in 1999 (Raleigh) John Littleton (born 1957), glass artist with collaborative partner Kate Vogel, based in (Bakersville) Beverly McIver (born 1962), contemporary artist, mostly known for self-portraits (Greensboro) Kenneth Noland (1924–2010), painter (Asheville) Mabel Pugh (1891–1986), painter (Morrisville) Isaiah Rice (1917–1980), photographer (Asheville) Bob Timberlake (born 1937), realist artist, known for watercolor paintings and home furnishings (Lexington) Kate Vogel (born 1956), glass artist with collaborative partner John Littleton, based in (Bakersville)
Business
Louis Bacon (born 1956), hedge fund manager, trader and founder of Moore Capital Management (Raleigh) Maria Beasley (1836–1913), entrepreneur and inventor Caleb Bradham (1866–1934), inventor of Pepsi-Cola (New Bern) James Edgar Broyhill (1892–1988), industrialist, founder of Broyhill Furniture Industries, Inc. (Wilkes County) Charles Albert Cannon (1892–1971), textile executive, president of Cannon Mills (Concord) Benjamin Newton Duke (1855–1929), tobacco and electric power industrialist, co-founder of Duke Energy (Durham) James Buchanan Duke (1856–1925), tobacco and electric power industrialist, founder of American Tobacco Company, co-founder of Duke Energy (Durham) Richard Jordan Gatling (1818–1903), inventor of the Gatling gun (Hertford County) James Goodnight (born 1943), software developer, CEO of SAS Institute (Wilmington) William B. Harrison Jr. (born 1943), former CEO of JPMorgan Chase (Rocky Mount) E. Lee Hennessee (1952–2016), pioneer hedge fund manager (Raleigh) Chris Hughes (born 1983), co-founder of Facebook (Hickory) Richard Jenrette (1929–2018), co-founder of investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (Raleigh) Ralph Ketner (1920–2016), founder of Food Lion (Salisbury) Kelly King (born 1948), chairman and CEO of BB&T (Raleigh) Herman Lay (1909–1982), businessman, founder of Lay's potato chips (Charlotte) Debra L. Lee (born 1954), CEO of BET (Greensboro) Leon Levine (born 1937), businessman and philanthropist, founder of Family Dollar (Wadesboro) Ann Livermore (born 1958), former executive vice president at Hewlett-Packard (Greensboro) Vince McMahon (born 1945), chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (Pinehurst) Dalton L. McMichael (1914–2001), textile executive (Wentworth) John Merrick (1859–1919), businessman, founder of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company (Clinton) Ricky Moore, chef and restaurant owner James Owens (born 1946), former chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc. (Elizabeth City) Ronald Perelman (born 1943), businessman, investor, CEO of MacAndrews & Forbes (Greensboro) John Henry Phelan (1877–1957), oil producer and philanthropist (Charlotte) R. J. Reynolds (1850–1918), founder of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Winston-Salem) Julian Robertson (born 1932), hedge fund manager (Salisbury) Charles Clinton Spaulding (1874–1952), served as president of NC Mutual Life Insurance Company (Columbus County) Stanley Tanger (1923–2010), founder of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (Greensboro) David S. Taylor (born 1958), chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble (Charlotte)
Entertainers A–L
Sidney Blackmer (1895–1973), actor (Salisbury) Randy Boone (born 1942), actor and singer (Fayetteville) Alicia Bridges (born 1953), singer-songwriter ("I Love the Nightlife") (Charlotte) Doug Brochu (born 1990), actor (Fayetteville) Ben Browder (born 1962), actor (Charlotte) Darby Camp (born 2007), actress (Charlotte) Cliff Cash (born 1981), stand-up comedian (Gastonia) Jim David, stand-up comedian, actor (Asheville) Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959), film director and producer (Washington) Tom DiCillo (born 1953), film director (Camp Le Jeune) Jimmy Donaldson (born 1998), better known online as MrBeast; YouTuber, entrepreneur, and philanthropist (Greenville) Jennifer Ehle (born 1969), actress (Winston-Salem) Mike Evans (1949–2006), actor (Salisbury) Fortune Feimster (born 1980), comedian, actor (Charlotte) Ian Flynn (born 1982), comic book writer (Charlotte) Penny Fuller (born 1940), actress (Durham) Mark Freiburger (born 1983), filmmaker (Charlotte) Zach Galifianakis (born 1969), comedian, actor, writer (Wilkesboro) Gallagher (1947–2022), comedian (Fort Bragg) Ava Gardner (1922–1990), actress (Smithfield) Cindy Garner (1926–2002), actress and model (High Point) Kathryn Grayson (1922–2010), actress and singer (Winston-Salem) Paul Green (1894–1981), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, author of The Lost Colony (Lillington) Hayes Grier (born 2000), internet personality (Davidson) Nash Grier (born 1997), internet personality (Davidson) Pam Grier (born 1949), actress (Winston-Salem) Rhoda Griffis (born 1945), actress (Raleigh) Andy Griffith (1926–2012), actor, singer, director (Mount Airy) George Grizzard (1928–2007), Emmy- and Tony-winning actor (Roanoke Rapids) Julianna Guill (born 1987), actress (Winston-Salem) Jester Hairston (1901–2000), actor (Belews Creek) Michael C. Hall (born 1971), actor (Raleigh) Murray Hamilton (1923–1986), actor (Washington) Shirley Hemphill (1947–1999), stand-up comedian, actress (Asheville) Jackee Harry (born 1956), actress (Winston-Salem) Molly Haskell (born 1939), film critic (Charlotte) Brady Hepner (born 2005), actor (Wallburg) Ed Hinton (1927–1958), actor (Wilmington) Aldis Hodge (born 1986), actor (Jacksonville) Edwin Hodge (born 1985), actor (Jacksonville) Gill Holland (born 1964), film producer (Davidson) Skip Hollandsworth (born 1957), screenwriter (Kannapolis) Laurel Holloman (born 1971), actress (Chapel Hill) Brian Huskey (born 1968), actor, comedian (Charlotte) Earle Hyman (1926–2017), actor (Rocky Mount) Anne Jeffreys (1923–2017), actress (Goldsboro) Burgess Jenkins (born 1973), actor (Winston-Salem) Ken Jeong (born 1969), comedian, actor (Greensboro) Star Jones (born 1962), television personality (Badin) Darwin Joston (1937–1998), actor (Winston-Salem) Allyn King (1899–1930), actress Tim Kirkman (born 1966), film director (Monroe) Sharon Lawrence (born 1961), actress (Charlotte / Raleigh) Beth Leavel (born 1955), actress (Raleigh) Chyler Leigh (born 1982), actress (Charlotte) Barbara Loden (1932–1980), actor and film director (Marion)
M–Z
James McEachin (born 1930), actor (Rennert) Rhett McLaughlin (born 1977), entertainer, best known for YouTube show Good Mythical Morning, raised in North Carolina (Buies Creek) Jane McNeill, actress (Whiteville) Robert Duncan McNeill (born 1964), actor, director (Raleigh) Eddie Mills (born 1972), actor (Kannapolis) Rogelio Mills, television personality, author, and recording artist (Charlotte) Julianne Moore (born 1960), actress (Fort Bragg) Anita Morris (1943–1994), actress (Durham) Anna Mercedes Morris (born 1977), stuntwoman (Charlotte) Laura Moss (born 1973), actress (Kings Mountain) Frankie Muniz (born 1985), actor, best known as the star of the popular television series Malcolm in the Middle, spent childhood in North Carolina (Knightdale) Mike Muscat (born 1952), actor (Fort Bragg) Link Neal (born 1978), entertainer, best known for YouTube show Good Mythical Morning (Buies Creek) John Haymes Newton (born 1965), actor (Chapel Hill) Lee Norris (born 1981), actor (Greenville) J.T. Petty (born 1977), video game maker (Raleigh) Jaime Pressly (born 1977), actress, model (Kinston) Emily Proctor (born 1968), actress (Raleigh) Reneé Rapp (born 2000), singer-songwriter and actress (Huntersville) Jim Rash (born 1970), actor, comedian (Charlotte) Peyton Reed (born 1964), film and television director (Raleigh) Jon Reep (born 1972), stand-up comedian (Hickory) Nina Repeta (born 1967), actress (Shelby) Tequan Richmond (born 1992), actor (Burlington) Britt Robertson (born 1990), actress (Charlotte) Marcy Rylan (born 1980), actress (Providence Township) Soupy Sales (1926–2009), comedian (Franklinton) Christoph Sanders (born 1988), actor (Arden / Hendersonville) Hunter Schafer (born 1999), actress (Raleigh) Paul Schneider (born 1976), actor (Asheville) Judith Scott, actress (Fort Bragg) Nick Searcy (born 1959), actor (Cullowhee) Amy Sedaris (born 1961), actress and comedian, spent childhood in NC, best known as the star of the television series Strangers with Candy (Raleigh) David Sedaris (born 1956), author and essayist (brother to Amy), spent childhood in NC (Raleigh) Matthew Settle (born 1969), actor (Hickory) J. B. Smoove (born 1964), actor (Plymouth) Arthur Smith (1921–2014), musician, composer, radio and television producer (Charlotte) Josef Sommer (born 1934), character actor, appeared in movies such as X-Men: The Last Stand, The Sum of All Fears, and Patch Adams (raised in North Carolina) Drew Starkey (born 1993), actor (Hickory Margo Stilley (born 1982), actress (Bear Creek) Jessica Stroup (born 1986), actress (Charlotte) Jeff Tremaine (born 1966), film and television director, producer, and screenwriter (Durham) Berlinda Tolbert, film and television actress (Charlotte) Skeet Ulrich (born 1970), actor (Concord) Liz Vassey (born 1972), actress (Raleigh) Reginald VelJohnson (born 1952), actor (Raleigh) Ben Vereen (born 1946), actor, entertainer (Laurinburg) Jill Wagner (born 1979), actress, model (Winston-Salem) Gregory Walcott (1928–2015), actor (Wendell) James Harvey Ward (born 1978), actor (Greenville) Lachlan Watson (born 2001), actor (Raleigh)