Ad Protect Your Online Privacy with a VPN

Don't risk your personal information and online activities being exposed to hackers, government surveillance, and other online threats. A VPN encrypts your internet connection and hides your IP, giving you maximum security and privacy. Take control of your online safety, switch to a VPN now. Learn more:

Share:

People: Famous People born in 1978

People in chronological context: 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1978th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 978th year of the 2nd millennium, the 78th year of the 20th century, and the 9th year of the 1970s decade. ()

People in decade: 1800s | 1810s | 1820s | 1830s | 1840s | 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s


Sort by:
4,936 people found (page 1/165):

Zoe Saldaña(47)

Actress | Passaic, New Jersey (US)
turns 47 today

Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego ( sahl-DAN-yə, Latin American Spanish: [ˈso.e salˈdaɲa]; née Saldaña Nazario; born June 19, 1978) is an American actress. Known primarily for her work in science fiction film franchises, she has starred in four of the seven highest-grossing films of all time, including the top three (Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Endgame). Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide and, as of 2024, she is the second highest-grossing lead actress and the highest-grossing actress overall. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023. A trained dancer, Saldaña began her on-screen acting career in 1999 with a guest role in Law & Order. Her first film role was in Center Stage (2000) in which she played a ballet dancer. She received early recognition for her work opposite Britney Spears in the road film Crossroads (2002). Beginning in 2009, Saldaña achieved a career breakthrough with her roles as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek reboot film series and Neytiri in James Cameron's Avatar film series. She portrayed Gamora in five films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). In addition to franchise work, Saldaña has starred in the science fiction film The Adam Project and the romantic drama miniseries From Scratch, both for Netflix in 2022. In 2023, she began playing the lead role of a CIA officer in the Paramount+ spy series Lioness. In 2024, Saldaña starred in the musical crime film Emilia Pérez, for which she received several accolades, including the Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a SAG Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Critics Choice Award, for Best Supporting Actress.

* 06/19/1978

Ian Somerhalder(46)

Actor | Covington, Louisiana (US)

Ian Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American model, actor and producer and founder of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation. He is best known for playing Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries and Boone Carlyle in Lost.

* 12/08/1978

Andy Samberg(46)

Actor | Mill Valley, California (US)

Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American comedian, actor, musician, writer and producer. He is a member of the comedy music group the Lonely Island, along with childhood friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. Samberg was also a cast member and writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2012, where he and his fellow group members are credited with popularizing the SNL Digital Shorts. Samberg's starring film roles include Hot Rod (2007), the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs film series (2009–2013), That's My Boy (2012), Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012), the Hotel Transylvania film series (2012–2022), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), and Palm Springs (2020). From 2013 to 2021, he starred as Jake Peralta in the Fox, and later NBC, police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which he also produced. For his work on the show, he was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2013.

* 08/18/1978

Jodi Lyn O'Keefe(46)

Actress | Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey (US)

Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (born October 10, 1978) is an American actress and model, who portrayed Cassidy Bridges on Nash Bridges. She is also known for her role on Prison Break.

* 10/10/1978

Bill Hader(47)

Actor | Tulsa, Oklahoma (US)

William Thomas Hader Jr. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the creator, producer, writer, director, and star of the HBO dark comedy series Barry (2018–present), for which he has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards, winning two.Hader's initial success was for his eight-year stint (2005–2013) as a cast member on the long-running NBC variety series Saturday Night Live, for which he received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Peabody Award. He became known for his impressions and especially for his work on the Weekend Update segments, in which he played Stefon Meyers, a flamboyant New York tour guide who recommends unusual nightclubs and parties with bizarre characters with unusual tastes. He is also the star and producer of the IFC mockumentary comedy series Documentary Now! (2015–present) which he co-created along with Fred Armisen and Seth Meyers.Hader has had supporting roles in the films You, Me and Dupree (2006), Hot Rod (2007), Superbad (2007), Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, (2009), Paul (2011), This Is 40 (2012), and 22 Jump Street (2014), as well as leading roles in The Skeleton Twins (2014), Trainwreck (2015), and as an adult Richie Tozier in It Chapter Two (2019).He also is known for his extensive work in voice-over, portraying both leading and supporting characters in films such as the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs franchise (2009–2013), Turbo (2013), Inside Out (2015), The BFG (2016), Power Rangers (2017), Toy Story 4 (2019) and Lightyear (2022).

* 06/07/1978

Rachel McAdams(46)

Actress | London, Ontario (CA)

Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film Perfect Pie (2002), for which she received a Genie Award nomination, the comedy film My Name Is Tanino (2002), and the comedy series Slings and Arrows (2003–2005), for which she won a Gemini Award.In 2002, she made her Hollywood film debut in the comedy The Hot Chick. She rose to fame in 2004 with the comedy Mean Girls and the romantic drama The Notebook. In 2005, she starred in the romantic comedy Wedding Crashers, the psychological thriller Red Eye, and the comedy-drama The Family Stone. She was hailed by the media as Hollywood's new "it girl", and received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Rising Star.After a brief sabbatical, she returned to prominence in 2009, by appearing in the political thriller State of Play, the romance The Time Traveler's Wife, and the 2009 mystery film Sherlock Holmes. In 2010, McAdams appeared in the star vehicle comedy film Morning Glory, and went on to star in the films Midnight in Paris (2011), The Vow (2012), and About Time (2013). In 2015, she starred in the second season of the HBO anthology crime drama series True Detective, and portrayed the journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in the drama Spotlight. For the latter, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was followed by roles in the superhero film Doctor Strange (2016), the romantic drama Disobedience (2017), and the comedies Game Night (2018) and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020).

* 11/17/1978

Lauren German(46)

Actress | Huntington Beach, California (US)

Lauren Christine German is an American actress. She had her first major role in the 2002 romantic drama film A Walk to Remember, followed by roles in the horror films The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hostel: Part II. Wikipedia.

* 11/29/1978

James Franco(47)

Actor | Palo Alto, California (US)

James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in 127 Hours (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), Milk (2008), Eat, Pray, Love (2010), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). He is known for his collaborations with fellow actor Seth Rogen, having appeared in eight films and one television series with him, examples being Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.Franco is also known for his work on television where his first prominent acting role was the character Daniel Desario on the short-lived ensemble comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), which developed a cult following. He portrayed the title character in the television biographical film James Dean (2001), for which he won a Golden Globe Award, and received nominations for Screen Actors Guild Award and Primetime Emmy Award. Franco had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital (2009–2012) and starred in the limited series 11.22.63 (2016). He starred in the David Simon-created HBO drama The Deuce (2017–2019).

* 04/19/1978

Zeng Li(46)

Actress | Jingzhou,Hubei Province,China

Zeng Li, an actress from mainland China, graduated from the Central Academy of Drama with a 96 class with undergraduate degree. He is also known as the "Eight Golden Hairpins" of Chinese Opera.

* 09/17/1978

Katherine Heigl(46)

Actress | Washington, D.C. (US)

Katherine Marie Heigl (born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on the ABC television medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, a role that brought her recognition and accolades, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007.She started her career as a child model with Wilhelmina Models before turning her attention to acting, making her film debut in That Night (1992) and later appearing in My Father the Hero (1994) as well as Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995). Heigl then landed the role of Isabel Evans on The WB television series Roswell (1999–2002), for which she received nominations for Saturn and Teen Choice Awards.She then starred in commercially successful romantic comedy films such as Knocked Up (2007), 27 Dresses (2008), The Ugly Truth (2009), Killers (2010), Life As We Know It (2010) and New Year's Eve (2011). She also appeared in Zyzzyx Road (2006), The Big Wedding (2013), and Unforgettable (2017). Heigl has also starred in several films that have seen limited releases, including Jackie & Ryan (2014), Home Sweet Hell (2015), and Jenny's Wedding (2015).She is also executive producer on her leading television roles, which include the short-lived NBC television series State of Affairs from 2014 to 2015, the Netflix series Firefly Lane (2021–present) and the upcoming limited series Woodhull. She has also lent her voice to the animated film The Nut Job (2014) and its 2017 sequel. Heigl also had a main role in the final two seasons of the USA Network series Suits (2018–2019).

* 11/24/1978

Grace Lam(47)

Actress | British Hong Kong (GB)

Grace Lam graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and is an actress in Hong Kong , China.After participating in the Miss Hong Kong contest in 1997, she signed a contract with director Wong Jing ’s film company to devote herself to erotic films. In 1999, she starred in the ethics film "Big Wave Temptation". In 2001, she hosted the game show "Billionaire". In 2002, she starred in the horror film "The Wicked Ghost III: The Possession" and won the 2002 Most Attractive Actress in the same year. In 2003, she starred in the movie "The Devil Butcher". Grace faded out of the entertainment circle after getting married in 2005.

* 01/31/1978

Jensen Ackles(47)

Actor | Dallas, Texas (US)

Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American actor. He is most notable for his television role as Dean Winchester on the CW television series Supernatural. His other popular roles include Soldier Boy on the popular Amazon Prime original series The Boys, Eric Brady in Days of our Lives which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel, and Jason Teague in Smallville.

* 03/01/1978
Ad Protect Your Online Privacy with a VPN

Don't risk your personal information and online activities being exposed to hackers, government surveillance, and other online threats. A VPN encrypts your internet connection and hides your IP, giving you maximum security and privacy. Take control of your online safety, switch to a VPN now. Learn more:

Ashton Kutcher(47)

Actor | Cedar Rapids, Iowa (US)

Christopher Ashton Kutcher (born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer and entrepreneur. His accolades include a People's Choice Award and fifteen Teen Choice Awards, in addition to a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. Kutcher began his acting career portraying Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show (1998–2006). He made his film debut in the romantic comedy Coming Soon (1999), followed by the comedy film Dude, Where's My Car? (2000), which was a box office success. In 2003, Kutcher starred in the romantic comedies Just Married and My Boss's Daughter. That year, he created and produced the television series Punk'd, also serving as host for the first eight of its ten seasons. Kutcher starred in the science fiction film The Butterfly Effect (2004) and had a voice role in Open Season (2006). Kutcher appeared in more romantic comedies, including Guess Who (2005), A Lot Like Love (2005), What Happens in Vegas (2008), and No Strings Attached (2011). From 2011 to 2015, he starred as Walden Schmidt on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. In 2013, Kutcher portrayed Steve Jobs in the biographical film Jobs. He also led the Netflix sitcom The Ranch (2016–2020). He has since starred in the comedy thriller Vengeance (2022). Beyond entertainment, Kutcher is also a venture capitalist. He is a co-founder of the venture capital firm A-Grade Investments. At SXSW in March 2015, Kutcher announced Sound Ventures, the successor to A-Grade Investments, managing a fund backed by institutional funding. Kutcher has also invested in several high technology startups.

* 02/07/1978

Michelle Rodriguez(46)

Actress | Bexar County, Texas (US)

Mayte Michelle Rodríguez (born July 12, 1978), known professionally as Michelle Rodriguez, is an American actress, screenwriter, and DJ. She got her breakout role as a troubled boxer in the independent film Girlfight (2000), which was met with critical acclaim and earned her several awards, including the Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance. The following year, she starred as Letty Ortiz in the blockbuster film The Fast and the Furious (2001), reprising her role in its sequels Fast & Furious (2009), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015).During her career, Rodriguez has played tough, independent women in a number of successful action films, such as Blue Crush, S.W.A.T., Battle: Los Angeles, and Avatar. She is also known for her roles as Shé in the action comedy films Machete and Machete Kills, and Rain Ocampo in the science fiction films Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Retribution.Rodriguez also branched into television, playing Ana Lucia Cortez in the second season of the series Lost as part of the main cast, before making numerous guest appearances before the series ended. She has also done voice work in video games such as Call of Duty and Halo, and lent her voice for the 3D animated film Turbo and the television series IGPX.With her films grossing over $5 billion collectively, a 2013 Entertainment Weekly article described Rodriguez as "arguably the most iconic actress in the action genre, as well as one of the most visible Latinas in Hollywood".

* 07/12/1978

Tyrese Gibson(46)

Actor | Los Angeles, California (US)

Tyrese Darnell Gibson (born December 30, 1978), also known mononymously as Tyrese, is an American Grammy-nominated R&B singer, songwriter, actor, author, television producer, former fashion model and MTV VJ. He is best known for his role as Roman Pearce in the The Fast and the Furious series.

* 12/30/1978

David Krumholtz(47)

Actor | Queens, New York City, New York (US)

David Krumholtz (born May 15, 1978) is an American actor. He played Charlie Eppes on the CBS drama series Numb3rs from 2005 to 2010, and starred in the Harold & Kumar and Santa Clause film franchises.

* 05/15/1978

Jun Fukuyama(46)

Actor | Fukuyama, Hiroshima (JP)

Jun Fukuyama is a Japanese voice actor and singer.

* 11/26/1978

Josh Hartnett(46)

Actor | Saint Paul, Minnesota (US)

Joshua Daniel Hartnett (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor. He began his career on ABC's drama series Cracker (1997–1998), after which he became known as a teen idol through starring parts in films such as Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, The Faculty (both 1998), The Virgin Suicides (1999), Pearl Harbor, O, Black Hawk Down (all 2001), and 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002). Hartnett continued to work steadily throughout the 2000s, with a mix of leading and supporting roles in Hollywood Homicide (2003), Wicker Park (2004), Sin City (2005), The Black Dahlia, Lucky Number Slevin (both 2006), 30 Days of Night (2007), August (2008), and I Come with the Rain (2009). He experienced a career resurgence with his roles as Ernest Lawrence in Oppenheimer (2023) and a serial killer in Trap (2024). On television, Hartnett portrayed Ethan Chandler on the Showtime fantasy series Penny Dreadful (2014–2016). He also appeared in an episode of Black Mirror in 2023 and The Bear in 2024.

* 07/21/1978

Stana Katic(47)

Actress | Hamilton, Ontario (CA)

Stana Katić (born (1978-04-26)26 April 1978) is a Canadian actress and producer. She played Kate Beckett on the ABC television romantic crime series Castle (2009–2016) and FBI Special Agent Emily Byrne in the psychological thriller series Absentia (2017–2020).

* 04/26/1978

Aimee Garcia(46)

Actress | Chicago, Illinois (US)

Aimee Sandimés Garcia López de Ordóñez (born November 28, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for her television roles as Veronica Palmero on the ABC sitcom George Lopez (2006–2007), Jamie Batista on the Showtime drama Dexter (2011–2013), Yvonne Sanchez on the CBS period drama Vegas (2012–2013), and Ella Lopez on the Fox/Netflix drama Lucifer (2016–2021).

Known for: RoboCop, Dexter, Trauma
* 11/28/1978

Kristofer Hivju(46)

Actor | Oslo (NO)

Kristofer Hivju (born 7 December 1978) is a Norwegian actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Tormund Giantsbane in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones and Connor Rhodes in The Fate of the Furious.

* 12/07/1978

Kristen Schaal(47)

Actress | Longmont, Colorado (US)

Kristen Joy Schaal (/ʃɑːl/;) is an American actress, voice actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on Bob's Burgers and Mabel Pines on Gravity Falls, as well as for playing Mel on Flight of the Conchords, Hurshe Heartshe on The Heart, She Holler and Carol Pilbasian on The Last Man on Earth. She provides several voices for BoJack Horseman, most notably for the character of Sarah Lynn, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Other roles include Amanda Simmons on The Hotwives of Orlando, Hazel Wassername on 30 Rock, Victoria Best on WordGirl, Trixie in the Toy Story franchise, and Anne on Wilfred. She was an occasional commentator on The Daily Show from 2008 to 2016. She voiced Sayrna in the 2019 EA video game, Anthem. Schaal was born in Longmont, Colorado, to a Lutheran family of Dutch ancestry. She was raised on her family's cattle ranch, in a rural area near Boulder, Colorado. Her father is a construction worker and her mother is a secretary.Schaal attended Skyline High School where she graduated in 1996. She has a brother, David, who is three years older. She graduated from Northwestern University and then moved to New York in 2000 to pursue a comedy career. In 2005, she had her first break when she was included in the New York article "The Ten Funniest New Yorkers You've Never Heard Of".This page is based on a Wikipedia article written by contributors. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.

* 01/24/1978

Malin Åkerman(47)

Actress | Stockholm (SE)

Malin Maria Akerman (born 12 May 1978) is a Swedish-American raised in Canada, actress, producer and model. In the early 2000s, she had several small television and film parts in both Canadian and American productions, including The Utopian Society (2003) and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004). Following a supporting role on the HBO mockumentary sitcom The Comeback (2005), she gained her first co-starring roles in the romantic comedy films The Heartbreak Kid (2007) uncredited in The Invasion (2007) 27 Dresses (2008). She played the female lead in Watchmen (2009) as Silk Spectre II, a role for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.In 2009, Åkerman had supporting and starring roles in the romantic comedies The Proposal and Couples Retreat. From 2010 to 2016, she starred on the Adult Swim comedy series Childrens Hospital. In 2012, she co-starred in the comedy Wanderlust and the musical film Rock of Ages. She had her first lead television role with the short-lived ABC comedy series Trophy Wife (2013–2014). She later co-starred in the film I'll See You in My Dreams (2015) and the action film Rampage (2018). Since 2016, Åkerman has had a main role on the Showtime drama series Billions as Lara Axelrod.Apart from acting and modelling, Åkerman had a brief music career as the lead vocalist for alternative rock band The Petalstones in the early 2000s, but eventually left to focus on her acting career. She has been married twice, first from 2007 to 2014 to Petalstones drummer Roberto Zincone, with whom she has a son, and, since 2018, to English actor Jack Donnelly.

* 05/12/1978

Satoshi Hino(46)

Actor | San Francisco, California (US)

Satoshi Hino is an American-born Japanese voice actor. In January 2015 he and fellow voice talent Saki Nakajima announced their marriage.

* 08/04/1978

Camille Guaty(46)

Actress | California (US)

Camille Guaty-Kaye is an American film and television actress. She portrayed Daisy in Gotta Kick It Up! (2002), Maricruz Delgado, Sucre's girlfriend, in Prison Break (2005–2007), and Walter O'Brien's sister, Megan, on the CBS series Scorpion (2014–2015).

* 06/28/1978

Pablo Schreiber(47)

Actor | Regional District of Central Kootenay (CA)

Pablo Tell Schreiber (born April 26, 1978) is a Canadian actor known for his dramatic stage work and for his portrayal of Nick Sobotka on The Wire and for his Emmy nominated role of George Mendez on Orange Is the New Black. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Awake and Sing! on Broadway. He also narrated the American Psycho audiobook. He also starred in the HBO series The Brink as Lieutenant Commander Zeke “Z-Pak” Tilson, a Naval pilot who is also a drug dealer, and played a leading role in the Michael Bay film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016). He also played William Lewis on Law and Order Special Victims Unit.

* 04/26/1978

Amanda Schull(46)

Actress | Honolulu, Hawaii (US)

Amanda Schull was born on August 26, 1978 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She is an actress, known for 12 Monkeys (2015), Suits (2011) and Pretty Little Liars (2010). She has been married to George Wilson since May 28, 2011.

* 08/26/1978

Topher Grace(46)

Actor | New York City, New York (US)

Christopher John "Topher" Grace (born July 12, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the FOX sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators.He stars as Tom on the ABC comedy Home Economics.

* 07/12/1978

Devon Sawa(46)

Actor | Vancouver, British Columbia (CA)

Devon Edward Sawa (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian actor. He began acting when he was a teenager and appeared in several films in the 1990s including Little Giants, Casper, Now and Then, Wild America, SLC Punk!, Idle Hands, and Final Destination. Aside from film, Sawa portrayed the title character of the Eminem music video "Stan" and starred as Owen Elliot in the CW action spy drama series Nikita. He also played several roles in the USA Network and Syfy horror series Chucky.

* 09/07/1978

January Jones(47)

Actress | Sioux Falls, South Dakota (US)

January Kristen Jones (born January 5, 1978) is an American actress and model who played Betty Draper in Mad Men (2007–2015), for which she was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She also portrayed Melissa Chartres in The Last Man on Earth (2015–2018) and has starred in films such as American Wedding (2003), We Are Marshall (2006), The Boat That Rocked (2009), Unknown (2011), Seeking Justice (2011), and X-Men: First Class (2011).

* 01/05/1978
previous page
next page