Discover the most famous people born in 1956. The list includes people like Carrie Fisher, Tom Hanks, Eric Roberts, Ellen DeGeneres, Mel Gibson and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, composers, guitarists and journalists born in 1956. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, India & Canada and many more countries.
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1
Tom Hanks(One of the Most Popular Film Stars Worldwide, Known for Both His Comedic and Dramatic Roles)
Birthdate: 9th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Concord, California, United States
One of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, Tom Hanks is known for both his comedic and dramatic roles. Making his breakthrough with leading roles in the 1980s, he went on to further cement his place in Hollywood in the 1990s by taking up poignant and sensitive roles. He is also a director, producer, and screenwriter.
2
Carrie Fisher(Famous for Playing Princess Leia in the 'Star Wars' Films)
Birthdate: 21st October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Burbank, California, United States
Died: December 27, 2016
Carrie Fisher was an American actress best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. Some of her other films notable film wereShampoo, Soapdish, The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally and The Women. She had issues with bipolar disorder and drug addiction and spoke publicly about it. She died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest while on a transatlantic flight.
3
Larry Bird(One of the Greatest Basketball Players of All Time)
Birthdate: 7th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: West Baden Springs, Indiana, United States
Considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, Larry Bird was part of the Dream Team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Bird helped his team Boston Celtics win three NBA championships. In 2018, MSN Sports named him the greatest Boston Celtics playerever.
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Bryan Cranston(Best Known for His Roles in the TV Series: 'Breaking Bad' and ' Malcolm in the Middle')
Birthdate: 7th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
American actor Bryan Cranston became a household name when he starred in the hit television series Breaking Bad. He won four Primetime Emmy Awards for the role. Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle and Sneaky Pete are some of his other notable series. He has also worked in many films and has received critical acclaim for movies like Trumbo and The Upside.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 17th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: January 9, 2022
Bob Saget was an American actor, director, television host, and stand-up comedian. Renowned for his adult-oriented stand-up comedy routine, Saget hosted popular TV shows, such as America's Funniest Home Videos. Also known for his charity work, Bob Saget served as one of the members of the board of the non-profit organization, Scleroderma Research Foundation.
Birthdate: 3rd January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Peekskill, New York, United States
Actor and director, Mel Gibson is famous for action films like Lethal weapon. His directorial venture, Braveheart, in which he acted too, won him the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture. However, his alcoholism issues, drunken driving arrest and his anti-Jew statements landed him in trouble due to which he took a hiatus from Hollywood for a decade.
Recommended Lists:7
Christoph Waltz(Best Known for His Academy Award Winning Roles in the Films: ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and 'Django Unchained')
Birthdate: 4th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Christoph Waltz is best known for his Academy Award-winning performances as Colonel Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds and Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained, both by Quentin Tarantino. Waltz had begun as a stage and TV actor in Germany. Some of his other notable projects are Spectre and Big Eyes.
8
Joe Montana(One of the Greatest Quarterbacks in the History of the National Football League)
Birthdate: 11th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New Eagle, Pennsylvania, United States
Former NFL quarterback Joe Montana, nicknamed Joe Cool, mostly played for the San Francisco 49ers, winning four Super Bowls with them. ESPN’s 25th Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century, Montana was the first player to be Super Bowl MVP thrice and was part of the Pro Bowl eight times.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 25th June
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: June 8, 2018
Anthony Bourdain was an American celebrity chef. He was also a renowned author, media personality and travel documentarian. His shows about the exploration of international culture and cuisine were very popular. Apart from writing several books on food and cooking and travel explorations, Bourdain also wrote fiction and historical non-fiction. In June 8, 2018, he died by suicide in France.
Birthdate: 20th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States
As a 16-year-old girl who loved surfing and sunbathing more than attending school, Bo Derek did not think twice before starting a sexual relationship with John Derek, 30 years her senior. She eventually starred in the comedy film, 10, and established herself as an actress. An animal welfare spokesperson and horse lover, Bo Derek continues to serve as an activist.
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Andy Garcia(Actor and Director Best Known for His Films ‘Ocean's Eleven’ and ‘The Godfather Part III’)
Birthdate: 12th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
Andy García is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role of Vincent Mancini in The Godfather Part III and his Golden Globe-nominated role in the TV film For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story. He has also been part of the Ocean’s film franchise and the 2016 film Ghostbusters.
12
Geena Davis(Actress Known for Her Role in Films: 'The Accidental Tourist', 'Thelma & Louise' and 'The Fly')
Birthdate: 21st January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Wareham, Massachusetts, United States
An Academy Award-winning actress, Geena Davis is also known for her work to fight gender bias, for which she was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. An ardent archer, who vied for a semifinals spot in the U.S. Olympic archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics, Geena supports the Women's Sports Foundation among other initiatives that support women.
Recommended Lists:13
Kim Cattrall(British and Canadian Actress Known for Her Role as ‘Samantha Jones’ in the Series ‘Sex and the City’)
Birthdate: 21st August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Popular as Samantha Jones from the hit series Sex and the City, Golden Globe-winning actor Kim Cattrall found it difficult to recreate the same magic on screen, barring her performance in the 2014 comedy Sensitive Skin. Her comeback with the Fox series Filthy Rich in 2020 was commendable.
Birthdate: 17th May
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
Sugar Ray Leonard is a former boxer and motivational speaker. Having won world titles in five different weight divisions during his boxing career, Leonard is widely considered one of the greatest boxers ever. Leonard was part of a group of boxers dubbed The Fabulous Four, which is credited with popularizing the lower weight classes in the post-Muhammad Ali era.
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Linda Hamilton(American Actress Known for Her TV Series ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Terminator’ Film Series)
Birthdate: 26th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Salisbury, Maryland, United States
A popular American actress, Linda Hamilton is famous for being the first actress to portray the iconic Sarah Connor in the Terminator movie series. A brave woman, who has fought depression and bipolar disorder throughout her career, Hamilton suffered permanent hearing damage after firing a gun without using her ear plugs while filming Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Birthdate: 26th October
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Recommended Lists:17
Dana Delany(Actress)
Birthdate: 13th March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Birthdate: 23rd October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Pikeville, Kentucky, United States
Dwight Yoakam is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is credited with popularizing honky tonk music, which he pioneered. In 2014, his song Guitars, Cadillacs was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 greatest country songs list. Yoakam has also starred in several films, such as Sling Blade, Panic Room, and The Minus Man.
Recommended Lists:19
Maureen McCormick(Actress and Singer Known for Her Role as 'Marcia Brady' in the TV Sitcom ‘The Brady Bunch’)
Birthdate: 5th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Maureen McCormick is an American actress, author, and singer. She achieved popularity for playing Marcia Brady in the popular TV series The Brady Bunch. She then went on to reprise her role as Marcia Brady in several Brady Bunch spin-offs and films. McCormick's reputation as a bankable actress has suffered due to her own struggles with drug addiction and depression.
Birthdate: 27th November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Long Island, New York, United States
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 4th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Harlem, New York, United States
Three-time Emmy-winner Keith David is known for his voice roles in The War and Unforgivable Blackness. He has narrated several documentaries and audio books, apart from voicing iconic characters such as Arbiter in the Halo games. He played the title role in Greenleaf and supporting roles in many movies.
Birthdate: 27th January
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Coral Gables, Florida, United States
Mimi Rogers is an American actress and producer. She is credited with introducing Scientology to her ex-husband Tom Cruise, which later on to had a major impact on Tom's life. Also a former poker player, Mimi Rogers has competed in several poker tournaments and is currently on the board of directors of the World Poker Tour.
Recommended Lists:23
Mae Jemison(First African American Woman To Travel To Space)
Birthdate: 17th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Decatur, Alabama, United States
Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to fly into space, as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. A qualified physician, she has served as a Peace Corps doctor, too. She has written several books and established a non-profit and a tech research organization.
24
Tim Daly(Actor and Producer Known for His Role as ‘Joe Hackett’ in the TV Series ‘Wings’)
Birthdate: 1st March
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Tim Daly is best known for his Emmy-nominated performance as J.T. Dolan in The Sopranos. He also amazed audiences with his roles in Wings, Private Practice, and Madam Secretary. He voiced Clark Kent/Superman in Superman: The Animated Series. He is also the president of The Creative Coalition, a liberal non-profit.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 28th August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cayey, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán is best known for films such as Boogie Nights, The Limey, and Traffic. Audiences also loved him in the series Narcos. He has voiced Ricardo in two Grand Theft Auto video games and has delivered an award-winning performance in How to Make It in America.
26
Kenny G(Smooth Jazz Saxophonist and One of the Best-Selling Musicians of All Time)
Birthdate: 5th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, better known as Kenny G, is a best-selling jazz saxophonist who has sold over 75 million records and even owns a line of saxophones. He is also a certified pilot and a skilled golfer who has participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am seven times.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 18th April
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Biloxi, Mississippi, United States
The oldest of the popular Roberts siblings, Eric Roberts is an acclaimed American actor. In a career spanning more than four decades, Eric Roberts has gathered more than 596 credits, one of few actors to do so since the 1970s. Eric Roberts has been on the wrong side of the law on a couple of occasions for possession of drugs.
Birthdate: 20th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Park Ridge, Illinois, United States
Gary Cole initially gained fame as a stage actor, working with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago. He is also known for playing Nighthawk in Midnight Caller and for his Emmy-nominated role of Kent Davison in Veep. He voiced major characters in Harvey Birdman, Family Guy, and Kim Possible.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: 6th June
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Regarded as one of the best tennis players from Sweden, Björn Borg won 11 Grand Slam singles titles during his playing career. He started off as a teenage sensation and helped popularize tennis during the 1970s. The 2017 film Borg vs McEnroe was inspired by his rivalry against John McEnroe.
30
Joy Mangano(American Inventor and Entrepreneur Known for Inventions Such as the Self-Wringing Miracle Mop)
Birthdate: 1st February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: East Meadow, New York, United States
Before she turned her peculiar inventions into a billion-dollar business empire, Joy Mangano had worked as an airline assistant and a waitress. Her best-known invention has been the Miracle Mop, a self-wringing mop made of plastic. She has also penned a memoir and has inspired the 2015 film Joy.
31
David Copperfield(American Magician Known for Making the ‘Statue of Liberty’ Disappear and Walking Through the ‘Great Wall of China’)
Birthdate: 16th September
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Metuchen, New Jersey, United States
David Copperfield is a famous American magician. Such is his popularity that his TV specials have received 38 Emmy Award nominations, out of which they have won 21 awards. He also has 11 Guinness World Records under his belt. Also known for his charitable activities, Copperfield founded a rehabilitation program called Project Magic, which is used in over 1100 hospitals.
Birthdate: 18th October
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Prague, Czechia
Martina Navratilova is the world’s only tennis player to be no. 1 for more than 200 weeks in both singles and doubles. She is one of three women with a "Grand Slam Boxed Set.” She is openly lesbian and had earlier fled her country, Czechoslovakia, due to political issues.
33
Nathan Lane(Actor)
Birthdate: 3rd February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
34
Randy Rhoads(Guitarist, Musician, Classical guitarist)
Birthdate: 6th December
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Santa Monica
Died: March 19, 1982
Birthdate: 25th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Republican politician Larry Hogan has been the governor of Maryland since 2015. He has previously been the chair and vice-chair of the National Governors Association. In 2011, he established Change Maryland, an anti-tax advocacy organization. He opposed the American withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and Trump’s Mexican immigrant family-separation policy.
36
Sinbad(Stand-up comedian)
Birthdate: 10th November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States
37
Ian Curtis(English Singer, Songwriter and Musician)
Birthdate: 15th July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Stretford, Lancashire, England
Died: May 18, 1980
Birthdate: 21st November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Retired actress, singer, and dancer, Cynthia Rhodes, is best known for playing officer Karen Thompson in the film Runaway. She began her career as a singer and dancer while attending high school in the 1970s. She eventually started acting as well. She appeared in numerous music videos as a dancer. She quit acting and dancing after becoming a mother.
39
David Caruso(Actor)
Birthdate: 7th January
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Forest Hills Gardens, New York, United States
40
David Alan Grier(actor, screenwriter, stage actor, television actor)
Birthdate: 30th June
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Detroit
41
Delta Burke(Actress and Producer Known for Her Role as ‘Suzanne Sugarbaker’ in the TV Sitcom ‘Designing Women’)
Birthdate: 30th July
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida, United States
Delta Burke is an American actress, author, and producer. She is best known for playing Suzanne Sugarbaker in the popular TV series Designing Women. Despite struggling with issues, such as eating disorders, depression, and overweight, Delta Burke has managed to establish a successful acting career and serves as an inspiration to people suffering from similar problems.
Birthdate: 25th March
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Stepney, London, England
Died: June 13, 1977
Matthew Adam Garber was a British child actor who achieved popularity after playing Michael Banks in the 1964 musical fantasy film, Mary Poppins. Garber appeared in two other movies before retiring from acting. Regarded as a spirited and bright boy, Garber enjoyed playing sports and reading books. He died at the age of 21 due to pancreatitis.
Birthdate: 1st July
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
Alan Ruck is an American actor who started his career in Broadway. After being born into a working-class family, Alan Ruck worked hard to establish himself as an actor in the American film and TV industry. He has been an important actor since landing his breakthrough role as Cameron Frye in the 1986 teen comedy film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
44
Lisa Niemi(Writer, Director and Lead Actress of the Film 'One Last Dance')
Birthdate: 26th May
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
Lisa Niemi is known for her appearance in Steel Dawn and One Last Dance, with her former husband Patrick Swayze. She also released memoirs, both New York Times bestsellers and one of them co-written by Swayze. Swayze’s death due to pancreatic cancer led her to spread awareness about the ailment.
45
Jamie Hyneman(American Television Host and Special Effects Expert)
Birthdate: 25th September
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Marshall
Jamie Hyneman is an American television host and special effects expert. He achieved popularity as the co-host of the popular TV series MythBusters. He is also credited with inventing an unmanned firefighting robotic vehicle called Sentry. Jamie Hyneman also co-designed Wavecam, an aerial cable robotic camera system used in entertainment and sports events.
46
Arsenio Hall(Comedian)
Birthdate: 12th February
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Birthdate: 21st November
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, Tennessee, United States
A three-time Emmy Award and two-time Tony Award winner, Cherry Jones is a prominent theater actor. Not surprisingly, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2014. Cherry Jones is quite open about being a lesbian; she serves as an inspiration to millions of gays and lesbians around the world.
48
Richard Kind(Actor and Comedian Known for His Role as ‘Dr. Mark Devanow’ in the TV Series ‘Mad About You’)
Birthdate: 22nd November
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Trenton, New Jersey, United States
Richard Kind is an American actor who has played important roles in TV series like Mad About You, Spin City, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Also known for his voice acting skills, Kind has voiced prominent characters in popular animation films, such as A Bug's Life, Cars, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, and Inside Out.
49
Bruce Greenwood(Canadian Actor and Producer)
Birthdate: 12th August
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Rouyn-Noranda
Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor best known for playing John F. Kennedy in the historical political thriller film Thirteen Days. His performance in the film earned him the Satellite Award under the Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture category. Bruce Greenwood has also received several other awards like Gemini Award and Boston Society of Film Critics Award.
Birthdate: 31st August
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwanese politician and academic, Tsai Ing-wen, is currently serving as the seventh president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). She has been in office since 2016. She is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party and the first female president of Taiwan. As the president, she has taken steps to fund green energy initiatives and supports LGBTQA+ rights.
