List of Jewish American entertainers
This is a list of notable Jewish American entertainers. For other Jewish Americans, see Lists of Jewish Americans.
Actors & artists (film and TV)
organized by birth decade2000s
- Asher Angel, actor and singer
- David Mazouz, actor
- Joshua Rush, actor
- Noah Schnapp, actor
- Evie Klein, Instagram entertainer and educator
- Finn Wolfhard, actor
1990s
- Mac Miller, American Rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer
- Sofia Black D'Elia, actress
- Jonah Bobo, film actor
- Cameron Boyce, actor
- Max Burkholder, actor
- Timothée Chalamet, actor
- Emory Cohen, actor
- Flora Cross, film actress
- Spencer Daniels, actor
- Abella Danger, pornographic actress
- Zoey Deutch, actress
- Ansel Elgort, actor
- Beanie Feldstein, actress
- Julia Garner, actress
- Zachary Gordon, film actor
- Alexander Gould, film/TV actor
- Teo Halm, actor
- Carter Jenkins, film/TV actor
- Hunter King, actress,
- Logan Lerman, film/TV actor
- Jonathan Lipnicki, film actor
- James Maslow, actor/singer
- Blake Michael, actor
- Ezra Miller, film actor
- Ian Nelson, actor
- Nicola Peltz, actress
- Ryan Potter, actor
- Charlie Puth, singer and songwriter
- Nathalia Ramos, Spanish-born American actress
- Sarah Ramos, TV actress
- Ben Rosenfield, actor
- Odeya Rush, Israeli-born American
- Daryl Sabara, actor
- Halston Sage, actress
- Max Schneider, actor and musician
- Eden Sher, actress, The Middle'' TV series
- Adiel Stein, film actor
- Hailee Steinfeld, actor ; singer of "Love Myself"
- Zoe Weizenbaum, film actress
- Nat Wolff, actor/musician
1980s
- Dianna Agron, actress and singer
- Jonathan Ahdout, actor
- Jack Antonoff,Singer/songwriter/record producer
- Skylar Astin, actor and singer
- Justin Baldoni, actor
- Alison Brie, actress
- Rachel Bloom, actress, singer and comedy writer
- Amanda Bynes, film actress and former show host on Nickelodeon
- Lizzy Caplan, film/TV actress
- Greg Cipes, actor, entertainer, singer songrwriter, and professional surfer
- Lauren Cohan, film/television actress
- Matt Cohen, film/TV actor
- Alexa Davalos, actress
- John Francis Daley, actor/director
- Kat Dennings, film/TV actress
- Lena Dunham,Actress/Writer/Director
- Zac Efron, film/TV actor
- Alden Ehrenreich, actor
- Jesse Eisenberg, film actor
- Ben Foster, actor
- Jon Foster, film/TV actor
- Shayna Fox, voice actress
- Dave Franco, actor
- Seth Gabel, American actor
- Andrew Garfield, British and American actor
- Rafi Gavron, British and American actor
- Gideon Glick, actor
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, film/TV actor
- Max Greenfield, film/TV actor
- Jake Gyllenhaal, film actor
- Armie Hammer, actor
- Erin Heatherton, model and actress
- Simon Helberg, TV actor and comedian
- Jonah Hill, film actor
- Scarlett Johansson, film actress
- Jeremy Jordan, stage/musical film/television actor
- Ariana Jollee, pornographic actress and pornographic film director
- Avriel Kaplan, musician/songwriter
- Jonathan Keltz, Canadian and American actor
- Ethan Klein, internet personality
- Mila Kunis, TV actress
- Adam Lamberg, actor
- Adam Lambert, singer and runner-up on American Idol
- Shia LaBeouf, TV/film actor
- Samm Levine, film/TV actor
- Margarita Levieva, actress and professional gymnast
- Alex D. Linz, actor
- Jessica Manley, actress
- Eli Marienthal, film actor
- Scott Mechlowicz, film actor
- Sara Paxton, actress
- Josh Peck, actor
- Ashley Peldon, film/TV actress
- Courtney Peldon, film/TV actress
- Alisan Porter, film and stage actress and singer
- Natalie Portman, Israeli-born film actor
- Laura Prepon, film/TV actress
- Nikki Reed, film actress/screenwriter
- Emmy Rossum, actress, singer, and songwriter
- Daniela Ruah, Portuguese-American actress
- Jason Schwartzman, actor and member of the band Phantom Planet
- Jason Segel, film/TV actor
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler, film/TV actress and singer
- Jenny Slate, actress/comedian
- Marla Sokoloff, film/TV actress
- Shoshannah Stern, TV actress
- Lauren Storm, TV actress
- Khleo Thomas, film actor
- Ashley Tisdale, actress and singer
- Michelle Trachtenberg, film/TV actress
- Joseph Trohman, musician
- Raviv Ullman, Israeli-born actor, teen idol
- Anneliese van der Pol, Dutch/American actress
- Mara Wilson, film actress
- James Wolk, actor
- Aubrey "Drake" Graham, actor, singer, and rapper
- Evan Rachel Wood, film actress
- Mario Yedidia, former child actor
- Anton Yelchin, Russian-born film/TV actor
- Joey Zimmerman, film/TV actor
1970s
- Dave Annable, actor
- Shiri Appleby, Israeli/American film/TV actress
- David Arquette, film actor
- Eric Balfour, actor
- Elizabeth Banks, film actress
- Justin Bartha, film actor
- Amber Benson, actress
- Elizabeth Berkley, TV, film, and stage actress
- Jon Bernthal, actor
- Mayim Bialik, actress
- Michael Ian Black, actor, comedian and comedy writer
- Selma Blair, film actress, raised w/ Jewish day school
- Alex Borstein, actress, writer, and comedian
- Caprice Bourret, fashion model and actress, often known by her first name
- Zach Braff, film/TV actor, director, screenwriter, and producer
- Tamara Braun, soap opera actress
- Adam Brody, actor
- Adrien Brody, film actor
- Sarah Brown, actress
- Brooke Burke, TV personality and model
- Scott Caan, film actor, son of James Caan
- Josh Charles, stage, film, and TV actor
- Emmanuelle Chriqui, film/TV actress
- Jennifer Connelly, film and TV actress
- Eric Dane, actor
- Erin Daniels, actress
- Dustin Diamond, actor
- Oded Fehr, Israeli/American actor
- Corey Feldman, film actor, 1980s teen idol
- James Franco, film actor
- Soleil Moon Frye, actress and director
- Sarah Michelle Gellar, actress, writer, director, film maker, comedian, singer
- Elon Gold, comedian, TV actor, writer, and producer
- Ginnifer Goodwin, film/TV actress
- Seth Green, actor, writer, and TV producer
- Bryan Greenberg, film/TV actor
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, Golden Globe-nominated actress
- Corey Haim, Canadian-born film actor
- Chelsea Handler, actress/comedian
- Alyson Hannigan, actress
- Danielle Harris, actress
- Samantha Harris, actress and TV presenter
- Cole Hauser, film actor
- Jason Hervey, actor
- Kate Hudson, film actress
- Oliver Hudson, film/TV actor
- Rashida Jones, actress, writer, model, and musician
- Chris Kattan, comedian
- Joel Kinnaman, Swedish and American actor
- Nick Kroll, Comedian/Actor
- Alla Korot, Ukrainian-born actress
- Lisa Kushell, comedic actress
- David Krumholtz, actor
- Adam Levine, musician
- Jenny Lewis, musician and former child actress
- Michael Lucas, Russian-born porn star
- Jamie Luner, actress
- Natasha Lyonne, film/TV actress
- Gabriel Macht, film actor
- Matisyahu, singer and rapper
- Idina Menzel, actress, singer and songwriter
- Gwyneth Paltrow, actress and singer
- Adam Pascal, actor
- Amanda Peet, film actress
- Joaquin Phoenix, film actor
- Rain Phoenix, actress/musician
- River Phoenix, film actor
- Summer Phoenix, actress and model
- Pink, singer and actress
- Dave Portnoy, founder of
- Josh Radnor, actor
- Leah Remini, actress
- Simon Rex, actor and model
- Michael Rosenbaum, film/TV actor
- Tracee Ellis Ross, actress, daughter of singer Diana Ross
- Eli Roth, film actor, director, producer and writer
- Maya Rudolph, actress/comedian
- Winona Ryder, film actress
- Antonio Sabato Jr., actor and model
- Sarah Saltzberg, Broadway theater actress
- Andy Samberg, comedian; part of group The Lonely Island; Saturday Night Live
- Fred Savage, actor and TV director
- Miriam Shor, film/TV actress
- Sarah Silverman, stand-up comedian, actress, and writer
- Alicia Silverstone, actress and former fashion model
- Ione Skye, English-born actress
- Lindsay Sloane, actress
- Bahar Soomekh, Iranian-born actress
- Tori Spelling, actress
- Jordana Spiro, TV actress
- Corey Stoll, actor
- Matt Stone, animator, film director, screenwriter, actor, voice actor, and co-creator of South Park
- Danny Strong, film/TV actor
- Jonathan Togo, actor
- Mageina Tovah, actress
- Kevin Weisman, film/TV actor
- Jennifer Westfeldt, actress and writer
- Marissa Jaret Winokur, film, TV, and stage actress
- Noah Wyle, film/TV actor
- Nikki Ziering, model and actress
- Jason Zimbler, actor
- Ethan Zohn, winner and actor
- Arianne Zuker, soap opera actress
1960s
- Paula Abdul, singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, and choreographer
- Steven Adler, musician, songwriter, drummer
- Patricia Arquette, Golden Globe-nominated actress
- Hank Azaria, film/TV actor, director, comedian, and voice artist
- David Alan Basche, actor
- Randall Batinkoff, film/TV actor
- Mary Kay Bergman, voice actress
- Troy Beyer, film director, screenwriter, and actress
- Craig Bierko, film/TV actor
- Jack Black, film actor and musician
- Lisa Bonet, film/TV actress
- Matthew Broderick, film and stage actor
- Gabrielle Carteris, actress
- Max Casella, actor
- Scott Cohen, film/TV actor
- Mindy Cohn, TV actress
- David Cross, actor/comedian
- Dean Devlin, former actor, now producer and screenwriter
- Don Diamont, soap opera actor
- Robert Downey Jr., actor and musician
- David Duchovny, film/TV actor
- Lisa Edelstein, actress
- Jon Favreau, actor/director
- Dan Futterman, actor and screenwriter
- Jeff Garlin, comic actor
- Brad Garrett, actor and comedian
- Gina Gershon, film actress
- Jami Gertz, film/TV actress
- Melissa Gilbert, former child actress, two terms as president of Screen Actors Guild
- Judy Gold, stand-up comedian and actress
- Bill Goldberg, former wrestler; wrestled for both World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment, film/TV actor
- Jennifer Grey, actress and dancer
- Arye Gross, film/TV actor
- Greg Grunberg, film/TV actor
- Annabelle Gurwitch, comedic actress, hostess of TBS's Dinner and a Movie
- Jessica Hecht, film/stage actress
- Monica Horan, TV actress
- Helen Hunt, actress
- Sean Kanan, soap opera actor
- Lesli Kay, actress ; had first individual girl's bat mitzvah in West Virginia
- Heather Paige Kent, TV actress
- Marc Kudisch, stage actor
- Lisa Kudrow, actress
- Juliet Landau, actress, daughter of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain
- John Lehr, actor/comedian
- Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hollywood film actress
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actress
- Joshua Malina, film and stage actor
- Camryn Manheim, actress
- Cindy Margolis, actress/model; in 2000 Guinness Book of World Records as the "most downloaded" person in 1999
- Julianna Margulies, film/TV actress
- Marc Maron, comedian, film/TV actor
- Brett Marx, actor ; great nephew of the Marx Brothers
- Marlee Matlin, actress
- Debra Messing, actress
- Dina Meyer, film/TV actress
- Ari Meyers, actress
- Rob Morrow, actor
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Golden Globe, Emmy-winning actress
- Sean Penn, film actor
- Jeremy Piven, actor
- Rain Pryor, actress and comedian, daughter of Richard Pryor
- Ted Raimi, actor, brother of Spider-Man director Sam Raimi
- Adam Rich, child actor
- Paul Rudd, actor and screenwriter
- Adam Sandler, actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, producer, and musician
- Rob Schneider, actor, comedian, and screenwriter
- Bitty Schram, Golden Globe-nominated actress
- Liev Schreiber, Tony Award-winning actor
- Scott Schwartz, child actor
- David Schwimmer, Emmy-nominated actor and director
- Sam Seder, actor, comedian, writer, producer, director
- Kyra Sedgwick, Emmy-nominated actress
- Ally Sheedy, screen and stage actress
- Jonathan Silverman, film/TV actor
- Helen Slater, film actress and singer-songwriter
- Rena Sofer, actress
- Jon Stewart, stand-up comedian, actor, author; host, head writer, and producer of The Daily Show
- Ben Stiller, Emmy Award-winning comedian, actor, and film director
- Michael Vartan, French-born film/TV actor
- Steven Weber, film/TV actor
- Scott Wolf, actor
- Ian Ziering, actor
1950s
- Caroline Aaron, actress and producer
- Jason Alexander, actor, comedian, writer, director
- Adam Arkin, film, TV, and stage actor
- Rosanna Arquette, actress, film director, and film producer
- Ellen Barkin, actress
- Roseanne Barr, actress, comedian, writer and television producer
- Robby Benson, actor, former teen idol
- Mike Binder, screenwriter, film director, and actor
- Kate Capshaw, actress
- Jamie Lee Curtis, Golden Globe-winning film actress, writer of books for children
- Fran Drescher, actor, producer, writer, comedian
- Danny Elfman, musician, composer
- Wayne Federman, comedian, actor, author
- Tovah Feldshuh, actress, singer, and playwright
- Harvey Fierstein, actor, author, and singer
- Deb Filler, actress, comic, singer and writer
- Carrie Fisher, film actress, novelist
- Al Franken, comedian, actor, author, radio host, and U.S. Senator
- Jeff Goldblum, film actor
- Steve Guttenberg, actor
- Mary Hart, actress and TV personality
- Amy Irving, actress
- Toni Kalem, film/TV actress, screenwriter, and director
- Carol Kane, actress
- Julie Kavner, film/TV actress
- Richard Kind, actor
- John Landis, actor, director, writer, and producer
- Carol Leifer, comedian and actress
- Joan Lunden, broadcaster
- Melanie Mayron, actress and director
- Larry Miller, stand-up comedian, actor
- Don Most, actor
- Judd Nelson, actor and screenwriter
- Bebe Neuwirth, theater, TV, and film actress
- Laraine Newman, comedian and actress
- Ken Olin, actor, director and producer
- Mandy Patinkin, actor of stage and screen, and singer/interpreter of Yiddish songs
- Lorna Patterson, film, stage and TV actress
- Scott Patterson, actor
- David Paymer, character actor
- Ron Perlman, film/TV actor
- Kevin Pollak, actor, impressionist, and comedian
- Paul Reiser, actor, author, and stand-up comedian
- Paul Reubens, aka Peewee Herman
- Alan Rosenberg, actor, 24th president of the Screen Actors Guild
- Katey Sagal, actress, singer, and writer
- Bob Saget, actor, stand-up comedian, and game show host
- Richard Schiff, actor
- Jerry Seinfeld, comedian, actor, and writer
- Jane Seymour, English-born film/TV actress
- Wendie Jo Sperber, TV/movie actress
- Howard Stern, radio/TV personality, media mogul, humorist, actor, and author
- Stephen Tobolowsky, actor
- Robert Trebor, actor
- Debra Winger, actress
- Leslie Hoffman, actress-stuntwoman
- Mare Winningham, film/TV actress
1940s
- Bob Balaban, actor and director
- Richard Belzer, stand-up comedian, writer, and actor
- Lewis Black, stand-up comedian and actor
- Albert Brooks, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, actor
- James Caan, film, stage, and TV actor
- Nell Carter, singer and film, stage, and TV actress
- Peter Coyote, actor and author
- Billy Crystal, actor, writer, producer, comedian, and film director
- Larry David, Emmy-winning writer, director, comedian, actor, producer, co-creator of Seinfeld, and creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Richard Dreyfuss, actor
- Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter, author, musician, and poet, also appeared in several films
- Bob Einstein, writer and comedian known as Super Dave
- Richard Elfman, film director, writer, and actor
- Donald Fagen, musician, singer-songwriter, cultural critic, author, columnist, writer, and co-founder of the famous jazz-rock duo Steely Dan
- Harrison Ford, actor
- Bonnie Franklin, actress
- Art Garfunkel, singer and songwriter
- Paul Michael Glaser, actor
- Scott Glenn, actor
- Christopher Guest, comedian, screenwriter, composer, musician, film director, actor, and Spinal Tap member
- Goldie Hawn, film actress, director, and producer
- Dan Hedaya, character actor
- Sandy Helberg, actor
- Barbara Hershey, actress
- Ricky Jay, professional sleight-of-hand artist, actor, and author
- Madeline Kahn, actress of film, TV, and theater
- Gabe Kaplan, actor, comedian, and professional poker player
- Andy Kaufman, comedian; devout Jewish parents
- Judy Kaye, singer and actress
- Lainie Kazan, actress and singer
- Robert Klein, stand-up comedian and occasional actor
- Kevin Kline, stage and film actor
- Richard Kline, actor and TV director
- Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Studios and actress
- Michael Lembeck, actor and director
- Richard Lewis, comedian and actor
- Judith Light, actress
- Peggy Lipton, TV actress and socialite
- Stephen Macht, actor
- Richard Masur, actor
- Bette Midler, singer, actress, and comedian
- Olivia Newton-John, singer, actor, author, environmental activist, cancer activist, four time Grammy winner. Mother Irene Born, Jewish. Maternal grandfather Max Born, Nobel Prize winning Physicist
- David Proval, actor
- Gilda Radner, comedian and actress
- Harold Ramis, director, actor, writer, and producer
- Lou Reed, musician, singer, and songwriter
- Rob Reiner, actor, director, producer, writer
- Peter Riegert, film/TV actor
- Jill St. John, actress
- Garry Shandling, comedian and actor
- Wallace Shawn, actor and writer
- Harry Shearer, actor, comedian, writer, and radio host
- Paul Simon, singer, songwriter
- Brent Spiner, actor
- Sylvester Stallone, film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, maternally Jewish
- Barbra Streisand, two-time Academy Award-winning singer and actress
- Jeffrey Tambor, film/TV actor
- Jessica Walter, film/TV actress
- Zoë Wanamaker, American-born English actress
- Lesley Ann Warren, stage, film, and TV actress
- Anson Williams, actor
- Henry Winkler, actor, director, producer, and author
1930s
- Woody Allen, film director, writer, actor, and stand-up comedian
- Alan Arkin, film actor, director
- Barbara Barrie, actress and author of children's books
- Richard Benjamin, actor and film director
- Dyan Cannon, film/TV actress, editor, producer, and director
- Eddie Carmel, entertainer known as "The Jewish Giant"
- Jerry Douglas, TV actress
- Elliott Gould, film/TV actor
- Andre Gregory, actor-writer-director, known for My Dinner with Andre
- Charles Grodin, actor and former cable talk show host
- Judd Hirsch, actor
- Dustin Hoffman, two-time-Oscar-winning actor
- Tony Jay, English/American actor
- Harvey Keitel, actor
- Larry King, television host
- Walter Koenig, actor, writer, teacher, and director
- Yaphet Kotto, African-American actor; son of Cameroonian Crown Prince
- Michael Landon, actor, producer, and director
- Louise Lasser, stage/film/TV actress
- Piper Laurie, actress
- Linda Lavin, stage, film, and TV actress
- Steve Lawrence, singer and actor
- Shari Lewis, ventriloquist, puppeteer, and children's TV show host
- Hal Linden, actor and TV director
- Tina Louise, model, singer, and film/TV actress
- Jackie Mason, stand-up comedian/actor
- Paul Mazursky, film director and actor
- Barry Newman, actor
- Leonard Nimoy, film director, actor; played Spock on Star Trek
- Suzanne Pleshette, actress
- Ron Rifkin, actor, director
- Joan Rivers, comedian, actress, talk show host
- George Segal, film and stage actor
- William Shatner, actor and writer, portrayed James T. Kirk on Star Trek
- Susan Strasberg, actress
- Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Oscar-winning English/American film actress and sex symbol
- Gene Wilder, actor and comedian
1920s
- Marty Allen, stand-up comedian and actor
- Ed Ames, singer and actor
- Beatrice Arthur, actress
- Ed Asner, actor
- Lauren Bacall, film and stage actress
- Julian Beck, actor, director, poet, and painter
- Shelley Berman, comedian, writer, teacher, and actor
- Herschel Bernardi, film, Broadway, and TV actor
- Theodore Bikel, character actor, folk singer, and musician
- Larry Blyden, actor
- Tom Bosley, film/TV actor
- Mel Brooks, director, writer, actor, and stand-up comedian
- Lenny Bruce, stand-up comedian, writer, social critic, satirist
- Susan Cabot, actress
- Sid Caesar, comic actor and writer
- Robert Clary, French-born actor, published author, and lecturer
- Tony Curtis, film actor
- Rodney Dangerfield, comedian and actor
- Sammy Davis, Jr. , entertainer, member of the "Rat Pack"
- Peter Falk, actor
- Fyvush Finkel, actor
- Eddie Fisher, singer; father of Carrie Fisher
- Lee Grant, theater, film, and TV actress, and film director
- Buddy Hackett, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and producer
- Monty Hall, Canadian-born actor, singer, and sportscaster
- Estelle Harris, actress
- Laurence Harvey, Lithuanian-born actor; British and American films
- Steven Hill, film/TV actor
- Judy Holliday, actress, singer
- Werner Klemperer, comedic actor
- Jack Klugman, actor
- Harvey Korman, actor
- Martin Landau, film/TV actor
- Al Lewis, actor
- Jerry Lewis, comedian, actor, and charity fund-raising telethons
- Bill Macy, actor
- Ross Martin, Polish-born film/TV actor
- Walter Matthau, actor
- Anne Meara, comedian and actress, partner and wife of Jerry Stiller
- Marilyn Monroe, actress, singer, and model, converted to Judaism.
- Vic Morrow, actor
- Charlotte Rae, actress
- Tony Randall, comic actor
- Carl Reiner, actor, film director, producer, writer, and comedian
- Regina Resnik, opera singer and actress
- Don Rickles, stand-up comedian, actor; pioneer of insult comedy
- Fred Sadoff, actor in South Pacific
- Mort Sahl, stand-up comedian and actor
- Rod Serling, screenwriter and actor
- Simone Signoret, Academy Award-winning French actress
- Jerry Stiller, comedian and actor
- Mel Tormé, actor, musician, known as "The Velvet Fog", jazz singer and songwriter
- Marilyn Tyler, opera singer
- Abe Vigoda, film/TV actor
- Shelley Winters, two-time Academy Award-winning actress
1910s
- Mason Adams, character actor
- Martin Balsam, actor; won an Academy Award for A Thousand Clowns
- John Banner, Austrian/American actor
- Red Buttons, Academy Award-winning comedian and actor
- Lee J. Cobb, Academy Award-nominated film actor
- Kirk Douglas, actor
- John Garfield, actor
- Paulette Goddard, Oscar-nominated film and theatre actress
- Kitty Carlisle Hart, singer, actress, and spokeswoman for the arts
- Danny Kaye, film actor, singer and comedian
- Hedy Lamarr, actress, invented early form of spread spectrum communications technology, a key to modern wireless communication
- Marc Lawrence, character actor
- Zero Mostel, stage and film actor
- Jan Murray, stand-up comedian, actor
- Luise Rainer, German-born American two-time Academy Award-winning film actress
- Lillian Roth, singer and actress, performer on Broadway
- Dinah Shore, singer and actress
- Sylvia Sidney, film actress
- Phil Silvers, entertainer and comedy actor
- Harold J. Stone, film/TV character actor
- Mike Wallace, journalist, briefly acted during the 1940s
- Eli Wallach, film, TV and stage actor
- Sam Wanamaker, actor and director
- Keenan Wynn, character actor
1900s
- Stella Adler, actress and acting teacher
- Jack Albertson, actor
- Leon Askin, Austrian American actor
- Milton Berle, comedian and actor; pioneered vaudeville and stand-up comedy art forms
- Joe Besser, comedian
- Mel Blanc, voice actor and comedian, "The Man of a Thousand Voices", created voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Wile E. Coyote, Barney Rubble
- Ben Blue, Canadian American actor and comedian
- Howard Da Silva, film actor
- Melvyn Douglas, actor, won all three of the entertainment industry's highest awards
- Larry Fine, comedian and actor
- Joseph Green, Polish-American film actor and director
- John Houseman, actor; won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase
- Curly Howard, one of the Three Stooges
- Sam Levene, Russian/American stage and film actor
- Peter Lorre, Austria-Hungary-born American stage and screen actor
- Zeppo Marx, member of the Marx Brothers
- Sandy Meisner, actor and acting coach; developed acting methodology known as the "Meisner Technique"
- Ritz Brothers, Jewish comedy team
- Natalie Schafer, actress
- Lee Strasberg, actor, director, and acting teacher in theater and film, who according to author Mel Gussow "revolutionized the art of acting"
1890s
- Jack Benny, comedian, vaudeville performer, and radio, TV, and film actor
- Gertrude Berg, radio/TV actress
- Fanny Brice, comedian, singer, and entertainer
- George Burns, comedian and actor
- Eddie Cantor, comedian, singer, actor, songwriter
- Ricardo Cortez, Austrian-born American silent film star, known as a "Latin lover" type
- Anthony Frome,, singer, the "Poet Prince of the Air Waves".
- Hermione Gingold, British-born actress
- Moe Howard, "leader" of the Three Stooges
- Shemp Howard, member of the Three Stooges
- Sam Jaffe, Academy Award-nominated film and stage actor
- Irving Kaufman, singer, recording artist, and vaudeville performer
- Francis Lederer, Czech-born American actor
- Philip Loeb, stage, film, and TV actor
- Paul Lukas, Hungarian American film actor
- Groucho Marx, comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own
- Gummo Marx, one of the Marx Brothers
- Paul Muni, Austrian-born American Academy Award and Tony Award-winning actor
- Carmel Myers, silent film actress
- Molly Picon, actor of stage, screen, and TV
- Edward G. Robinson, stage and film actor
- Mae West, actress, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol
1880s
- Broncho Billy Anderson, actor, writer, director, and producer; first star of the Western film genre
- Theda Bara, silent film actress; the first screen "vamp"
- Douglas Fairbanks, actor, screenwriter, director, and producer known for his silent films
- Al Jolson, singer and actor
- Chico Marx, one of the Marx Brothers
- Harpo Marx, one of the Marx Brothers
- Sophie Tucker, actress, singer, and comedian
- Erich von Stroheim, Austrian-born American filmmaker and actor
- Louis Wolheim, character actor in silent films during the 1920s; also appeared on stage and in early sound films
- Ed Wynn, comedian and actor
Pre–1880s
- Alla Nazimova, theater and film actress, scriptwriter, and producer
- Boris Thomashefsky, Ukrainian-born American singer, actor, Yiddish theater icon
- Jacob Pavlovitch Adler, Russian-born American actor, Yiddish theater
- Adah Isaacs Menken, actress, dancer, painter, and poet; converted to Judaism upon marrying the first of her four husbands
Comedians
- Dan Ahdoot, finalist Last Comic Standing, 2004
- Dave Attell, stand-up comedian; host of Insomniac with Dave Attell
- Victor Borge, humorist and concert pianist
- Andrew Ginsburg, comedian, actor, and three-time champion bodybuilder
- Tom Lehrer, satirist, musician
- Ritz Brothers, see "Actors"
- Robert Schimmel, stand-up comedian; often X-rated and controversial
- Danny Sexbang, member of musical-comedy duo Ninja Sex Party
- Jon Stewart, stand-up comedian, actor, author; host, head writer, and producer of The Daily Show
- Eric Andre, actor, host on the Eric Andre Show, absurdist comedian
- Gabriel Iglesias comedian, actor.
Film/television directors
- J. J. Abrams, screenwriter, director, film/TV producer
- Woody Allen, Oscar-winning screenwriter, director and actor
- Eleanor Antin, photographer, author, and artist working with video, film, performance, and drawing
- Judd Apatow, screenwriter, director, film/TV producer
- Alan Arkin, Academy Award-nominated film actor, director
- Danny Arnold, actor/director
- Darren Aronofsky, film director, screenwriter and producer
- Ralph Bakshi, film director and animator
- Noah Baumbach, film screenwriter and director
- Henry Bean
- Richard Benjamin, actor/film director
- Curtis Bernhardt
- Mike Binder, director, writer and actor in film and TV
- Peter Bogdanovich, film actor, writer and director
- Zach Braff, film/TV actor, director, screenwriter, and producer
- John Brahm
- Albert Brooks, film actor, writer and director
- James L. Brooks, TV and film writer, producer and director
- Mel Brooks, writer, director and actor of film, TV and stage
- Richard Brooks, film director and producer
- William Castle, film director and producer
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Academy Award-winning film writers, directors, producers and editors
- David Cronenberg, film writer and director
- George Cukor, Academy Award-winning film director and producer
- Michael Curtiz, Academy Award-winning film director
- Jules Dassin, once blacklisted writer and director of film
- Maya Deren, Film writer, director and actress
- Cecil B. DeMille, Academy Award-winning film director and producer
- Stanley Donen, film producer and director
- Richard Donner, film director, producer and sometimes actor
- Robert Downey Sr, film writer and director
- Samuel Fuller, film writer, director and actor
- Keith Gordon, film actor, director and writer
- Lee Grant, theater, film, and TV actress, and film director
- James Gray, film writer and director
- Joseph Green, Polish-American film director and actor
- Bud Greenspan, director of documentaries on sports
- Christopher Guest, see "Actors" above
- Todd Haynes, film writer and director
- Amy Heckerling, film director
- Marshall Herskovitz, film producer and director
- Arthur Hiller, film director and producer
- Agnieszka Holland
- Nicole Holofcener, writer and director in film
- Henry Jaglom, writer, director and actor in Independent film
- Andrew Jarecki, film director and producer, musician, and entrepreneur; brother of Eugene Jarecki and half-brother of Nicholas Jarecki
- Eugene Jarecki, film director, writer, and producer, and author; brother of Andrew Jarecki and half-brother of Nicholas Jarecki
- Miranda July, Jewish father
- Jeremy Paul Kagan, film writer and director
- Jake Kasdan, film writer and director
- Lawrence Kasdan, film writer and director
- Jeffrey Katzenberg, film producer, director and co-founder of DreamWorks SKG
- Philip Kaufman, film director and screenwriter
- Henry Koster, film director
- Stanley Kramer, director
- Stanley Kubrick
- John Landis, movie actor, director, writer, and producer
- Fritz Lang
- Andy Lassner, Colombian-American television producer
- Norman Lear, film and television director
- Mervyn LeRoy, film director
- Barry Levinson, producer, writer and director of film and TV
- Shawn Levy, film producer and director
- Albert Lewin, film writer, producer and director
- Jerry Lewis, film actor, writer and director
- Doug Liman, film and TV producer and director
- Lynne Littman, film and television director and producer
- Ernst Lubitsch, film director originally from Germany
- Michael Lucas
- Sidney Lumet, film writer, producer and director
- David Mamet, writer and director of stage and screen
- Michael Mann, film director, screenwriter, producer
- Elaine May, film, TV and stage writer, director and actress
- Paul Mazursky, see "Actors" above
- Lewis Milestone, film director and producer
- John Milius
- Meredith Monk, composer, performer, theater director, vocalist, filmmaker, and choreographer
- Errol Morris, documentary filmmaker
- Mike Nichols, Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award-winning film and stage director
- Leonard Nimoy, film director, actor, writer, singer, songwriter, poet, and photographer
- Ken Olin, see "Actors" above
- Marcel Ophüls, documentary filmmaker, son of Max Ophüls
- Max Ophüls, father of Marcel Ophüls
- Frank Oz, writer, actor and director of film and TV
- Alan J. Pakula, film director and producer
- Larry Peerce, film writer and director
- Arthur Penn, film director and producer
- Sydney Pollack, film producer, director, actor and writer
- Abraham Polonsky, film writer and director
- Otto Preminger, film producer, director and actor
- Bob Rafelson, film writer-director
- Irving Rapper, British-born film director
- Brett Ratner
- Ron Rifkin, actor, director
- Jay Roach, film director, producer and screenwriter, converted to Judaism
- Eli Roth, film actor, director, producer and writer
- Julian Schnabel
- Steve Sekely, Hungarian-born film director
- George Sidney, film director, known for MGM films
- Joan Micklin Silver
- Bryan Singer
- Curt Siodmak
- Robert Siodmak
- Barry Sonnenfeld, director
- Steven Spielberg
- Edgar Ulmer
- Josef von Sternberg
- Erich von Stroheim
- Robin Washington
- Claudia Weill, film and theater director, educator, cinematographer
- Billy Wilder
- William Wyler
- Fred Zinnemann
- David Zucker & Jerry Zucker, parody directors, producers
Models
- Brooke Burke, TV personality and model
- Yael Markovich, Israeli/American model/beauty queen
- Antonio Sabato Jr., model and actor
- Lindsey Vuolo, model and Playboy Playmate
TV and radio presenters
- Don Francisco, network TV host of Sabado Gigante, filmed in Miami
- Monty Hall, network TV host of Let's Make a Deal game show
- Mary Hart, see "Actors" above
- Daryn Kagan, host of CNN Live Today
- Larry King, network TV interviewer
- Matt Lauer, co-host, the Today Show
- Bernard Meltzer, network radio psychologist advising call-in listeners on variety of problems
- Al Michaels
- Amy Wynn Pastor, carpenter on Trading Spaces
- Maury Povich, network TV host analyzing relationship problems
- Sally Jessie Raphael network radio psychologist
- Joan Rivers, talk show host, stage actress/writer, comedian, and celebrity
- Daniel Schorr, journalist who covered the world for more than 60 years, last as a senior news analyst for National Public Radio
- Jerry Springer, host of The Jerry Springer Show
- Mike Wallace, journalist, 60 Minutes correspondent
- Barbara Walters, media personality, regular fixture on morning TV shows, evening news magazines, and on The ABC Evening News, as the first female evening news anchor
- Dr. Ruth Westheimer, network radio psychologist of sexual relationships
Producers and directors (theater)
- Herb Alpert, producer, and composer, songwriter, lead singer, and horn player with Tijuana Brass
- Boris Aronson, set designer, costume designer and lighting designer
- George Axelrod, producer and director
- Julian Beck and Judith Malina, founders of Living Theatre
- David Belasco, producer and director
- Michael Bennett, director & producer, choreographer, dancer **
- Rudolf Bing, opera impresario, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York from 1950 to 1972
- Robert Brustein, producer, writer, director, critic, educator
- Abe Burrows, director ***
- Joseph Chaikin & Peter Feldman, founders of Open Theatre
- Paddy Chayefsky, director
- Heinrich Conried, theatre owner/operator and producer
- Norman Corwin, director
- Clive Davis, producer
- Cy Feuer, producer, director and theatre owner/operator **
- Ron Field, director ***
- David Geffen, producer **
- Leonard Goldberg, producer
- Arthur Hammerstein, producer and director
- Oscar Hammerstein I, producer and theater director/operator
- Oscar Hammerstein II, producer and director
- Ben Hecht, idiosyncratic screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist; known as "the Shakespeare of Hollywood"
- Sidney Howard, producer and director
- George Jessel, see "Actors " above
- Robert Kalfin, producer, director, writer **
- Mickey Katz, see "Actors " above
- George S. Kaufman, producer, director, and theater owner/operator
- Michael Kidd, director and producer
- Alan King, see "Actors " above
- James Lapine, director and librettist
- Norman Lear, creator, head screenwriter, and producer of taboo breaking sitcom All in the Family; also created Maude and The Jeffersons
- Ernest Lehman, producer
- Sam Levene, see "Actors " above
- Lucille Lortel, Off-Broadway producer, Lucille Lortel Theatre named after her
- Sanford Meisner, founder of Neighbourhood Playhouse
- David Merrick, producer and director **
- Lorne Michaels, comedian, writer, director, producer, the sole creator, writer, director and producer of Saturday Night Live; also produced film and TV projects that spun off from it
- Arthur Miller, playwright
- Mitch Miller, producer
- Isaac Mizrahi, fashion designer
- Mike Nichols, Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award-winning film and stage director
- Toby Orenstein, producer and founder of Toby's Dinner Theatre, Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, and the Young Columbians
- Joseph Papp a.k.a. Joe Papp, founded the non-profit NYC Public Theater **
- Marc Platt, producer
- Harold Prince, director **, ***
- Elmer Rice, director and producer
- Jerome Robbins, producer and director ***
- Billy Rose, director, producer, and theater operator
- Morrie Ryskind, director
- Rebecca Schull, actress
- Shubert family, producers and theater owners **
- Anna Sokolow, director
- Steven Spielberg, film director, producer
- Lee Strasberg and Harold Clurman, co-founders of the Group Theatre
- Julie Taymor, director ***
- Bob Weinstein, producer, screenwriter
- Harvey Weinstein, producer
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr., see "Actors " above
- David Zippel, director
Circus
- Paul Binder, co-founder, ringmaster and artistic director of the Big Apple Circus
- Abe Goldstein, regarded as "the Greatest Irish Cop Clown" in the business and worked for Ringling Bros. and other circuses