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Famous people · Tulsa

40 famous people from Tulsa, many of them performers

At the top of the list is the American actress Jennifer Jones, covered in 66 languages. Close behind are Blake Edwards and Martin Gardner. 29 of them were born between 1920 and 1969, more than in any other period. Fewer than a quarter of the 296 towns in Oklahoma with famous people list more.

#1 best knownJennifer JonesFilm, TV & Stage · 1919–2009
+36more
Born here
40
notable people
Best known
Jennifer Jones
in 66 Wikipedia languages
First
1914
Martin Gardner
Youngest
1996
AleXa
Most common field
Film, TV & Stage
18 people
Also called it home
6
notable residents

What stands out about Tulsa’s famous people

★ What stands out · Known for

What Tulsa is known for

Performers stand out most, at 4.8 times the usual share.

The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.

The best known

Born in Tulsa

Performers take two of the three places.

Jennifer Jones#1
Film, TV & Stage

Jennifer Jones

1919–2009

American actress

66 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Blake Edwards#2
Film, TV & Stage

Blake Edwards

1922–2010

American film director, screenwriter and producer

56 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Martin Gardner#3
Writing & Arts

Martin Gardner

1914–2010

American mathematics and science writer

52 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years

When Tulsa’s famous people were born

No decade has more births than the 1920s, at 9.

Mills & railroadsThe American centuryToday190019502000Blake EdwardsBill HaderGarth BrooksJennifer Jones
Film, TV & StageSportsScience & MedicineWriting & ArtsMusicPolitics & LawBusinessNotable

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Tulsa

Here are 37 more, born from 1920 to 1996.

Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks

born 1962

American country music singer and songwriter

AW

Alfre Woodard

born 1952

American actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Bill Hader

Bill Hader

born 1978

American comedian and actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
JT

Jeanne Tripplehorn

born 1963

American actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Ryan Tedder

Ryan Tedder

born 1979

American singer, songwriter and record producer

Bill Goldberg

Bill Goldberg

born 1966

American professional wrestler and football player

Tim Blake Nelson

Tim Blake Nelson

born 1964

American actor, director and writer

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Wade Williams

Wade Williams

born 1961

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
TR

Tony Randall

1920–2004

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

1927–2003

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
GS

Gailard Sartain

1943–2025

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Heather Langenkamp

Heather Langenkamp

born 1964

American actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Cornel West

Cornel West

born 1953

American philosopher, political activist and writer

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Malese Jow

Malese Jow

born 1991

American actress, singer, songwriter and model

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Markwayne Mullin

Markwayne Mullin

born 1977

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
MP

Mary Kay Place

born 1947

American actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
TL

Tracy Letts

born 1965

American actor and screenwriter

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Larry Drake

Larry Drake

1950–2016

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
JH

Joy Harjo

born 1951

American Poet Laureate

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
LC

Larry Clark

born 1943

American photographer and filmmaker (b. 1943)

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
JM

Joe-Max Moore

born 1971

American soccer player

ML

Marsha M. Linehan

born 1943

American psychologist

Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
NF

Naomi Parker Fraley

1921–2018

American factory worker, likely the inspiration for the "We Can Do It!" poster

A chosen home

Also called Tulsa home

Notable people Wikidata lists as living in Tulsa, though born elsewhere.

Anita Bryant

Anita Bryant

1940–2024

American singer and activist

RF

Richard Freed

1928–2022

Music critic, editor, and broadcaster

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
BG

Blake Garrett

1992–2026

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
BJ

Brandon Jenkins

1969–2018

American singer-songwriter from Oklahoma

DO

Darcy O'Brien

1939–1998

American writer

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
PR

Paul Ray Ramsey

born 1963

American political vlogger, YouTuber and public speaker

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick

Who’s the most famous person from Tulsa?

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Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

Of the towns around it, Sapulpa has the most on record: 12.

From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Tulsa and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.

Photo credits (19)