List of Famous people who born in 1940

Leonard Barrie Corbin is an American actor. His most well-known role came in the television series Northern Exposure (1990–1995), for which he was consecutively nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Sir Patrick Stewart is an English actor, director and producer, whose work has included roles on stage, television, and film, in a career spanning six decades. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Saturn Awards.

John Robert Lewis was an American politician, statesman, and civil rights activist and leader who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. He was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966.

Georgie Dann, is a French singer based in Spain. He studied for eight years at the Conservatoire de Paris and developed his artistic career in Spain starting in the 1970s, focusing on summer hits, in addition to getting his Master's degree.

James Orsen Bakker is an American televangelist, entrepreneur, and convicted fraudster. He hosted the television program The PTL Club with his then-wife, Tammy Faye, from 1974 to 1989. He also developed Heritage USA, a now-defunct Christian theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez, known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films The Subject Was Roses (1968) and Badlands (1973), and later achieved wide recognition for his leading role in Apocalypse Now (1979), as United States President Josiah Bartlet in the television series The West Wing (1999–2006), and as Robert Hanson in the Netflix television series Grace and Frankie (2015–present).

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist, actor, film producer, and screenwriter. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline Chun Kuk Do. Norris is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. Shortly after, in Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on to appear in a minor role in the spy film The Wrecking Crew (1969). Friend and fellow actor Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in Way of the Dragon (1972). While Norris continued acting, friend and student Steve McQueen suggested to him that he take it seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which turned a profit. His second lead Good Guys Wear Black (1978) became a hit, and Norris became a popular action film star.

Vicente "Chente" Fernández Gómez is a Mexican retired singer, actor, and film producer. Nicknamed "El Rey de la Música Ranchera", Fernández started his career as a busker, and has since become a cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to more than 30 films. His repertoire consists of rancheras and other Mexican classics. He is accompanied live by a mariachi group, but he is not technically a mariachi musician, as he only sings live. Vicente's fame rose after the death of Javier Solís.

Patrick Joseph Leahy is an American politician serving as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, and as the senior United States Senator from Vermont. Leahy was first elected to the Senate in 1975, and previously served as President pro tempore from 2012 to 2015.

Michael Jack Whitehall is an English television producer, talent agent, television personality and author. He is a former theatrical agent who went on to form two production companies, Havahall Pictures in 1988, and Whitehall Films in 1998. He has represented Colin Firth and Dame Judi Dench. He is the father of comedian Jack Whitehall.