List of Famous people born in California, United States of America
Tyga
Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson, known professionally by his stage name Tyga, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and television personality. After a number of independent releases, Tyga signed a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records in 2008. His major label debut Careless World: Rise of the Last King was released in 2011 and included the successful singles "Rack City", "Faded" featuring Lil Wayne, "Far Away" featuring Chris Richardson, "Still Got It" featuring Drake, and "Make It Nasty".
Nipsey Hussle
Ermias Joseph Asghedom, known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, activist, and entrepreneur. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle independently released his first mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to moderate local success, which led to him being signed to Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records.
Mark Harmon
Thomas Mark Harmon is an American actor and voice actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of Leroy Gibbs in NCIS. He also has appeared in a wide variety of roles since the early 1970s. Initially a college football player, his role on St. Elsewhere led to his being named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People in 1986. After spending the majority of the 1990s as a character actor, he played Secret Service special agent Simon Donovan in The West Wing, receiving a 2002 Emmy Award nomination for his acting in a four-episode story arc. Harmon's character of NCIS special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was first introduced in a guest starring role in two episodes of JAG. Since 2003, Harmon has starred in NCIS as the same character.
Ben Shapiro
Benjamin Aaron Shapiro is an American conservative political commentator and media host. At age 17, he became the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the United States. He writes columns for Creators Syndicate, Newsweek, and Ami Magazine, serves as editor emeritus for The Daily Wire, which he founded, and hosts The Ben Shapiro Show, a daily political podcast and live radio show. He was editor-at-large of Breitbart News between 2012 and 2016. Shapiro has written eleven books, the first being Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth (2004) and the latest being How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps (2020).
Kyle Richards
Kyle Egan Richards is an American actress, socialite, television personality, and philanthropist. She began her career as a child actress, appearing in a recurring role on Little House on the Prairie, and in several horror films, including The Car (1977), Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive (1977), and John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), and later Halloween Kills (2021). Since 2010, she has appeared as a main cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and as of 2020, is the last remaining original cast member on the show. She was a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice, playing for the charity Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci is an American actress. She is known for playing unconventional characters with a dark edge. Ricci is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Satellite Award for Best Actress, as well as Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Since his mainstream debut in 2012 with Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, Lamar has been regarded as one of the most influential artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers and lyricists of all time. Aside from his solo career, he is also known as a member of the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy alongside his Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) label-mates Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q.
Nick Diaz
Nickolas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. Since the beginning of his career in 2001, Diaz has competed in UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, EliteXC, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), DREAM, and Shooto. He is a former welterweight champion in Strikeforce, WEC, and IFC.
Nessa
Nessa Diab, known mononymously as Nessa, is an American radio and TV personality and television host.
Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author, whose career spanned over five decades. Raised in Stockton, California by working-class parents, Leigh was discovered at 18 by actress Norma Shearer, who helped her secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Leigh had her first formal foray into acting, appearing in radio programs before making her film debut in the drama The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947).