List of Emerson College people

This is a list of notable alumni, faculty, and administrators of Emerson College, a private university located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Notable alumni

Film and television production

Norman Lear

Paul Thomas Anderson

Stefani Robinson

The Daniels

• Patricia Alvarado Nuñez (MA, 1993), television producer and director for PBS
• Paul Thomas Anderson (did not graduate), Academy Award-winning director known for Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood
• Roberto Bentivegna, screenwriter known for House of Gucci
• Jay Bienstock (BFA, 1987), television producer
• Dave Blass, production designer known for The Boys
• Kevin S. Bright, television producer known for Friends
• Jim Cummings, filmmaker and actor known for Thunder Road
• The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), directors known for Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Vin Di Bona (1966), television producer known for MacGyver
• Paul Dini, screenwriter, known for Batman: The Animated Series
• Jim Finn, independent filmmaker
• John Frink, screenwriter known for The Simpsons
• Todd J. Greenwald, television producer known for Wizards of Waverly Place
• John Harrison, director and producer best known for Dune and Frank Herbert's Dune
• Doug Herzog, television producer and MTV Networks executive
• Shane Hurlbut (BA, 1987), cinematographer
• Laura Kightlinger, television writer and producer
• Marci Klein, television producer known for Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock
• Richard LaGravenese (did not graduate), director and screenwriter known for The Bridges of Madison County
• Norman Lear (did not graduate), television producer known for All in the Family and Sanford and Son
• Adele Lim, director known for Crazy Rich Asians
• Joe Mande, television producer and writer
• Terry Matalas, television producer known for 12 Monkeys and Star Trek: Picard
• Michael McCusker, editor known for Logan and Ford v Ferrari
• Erik Messerschmidt, cinematographer known for Mank
• Amir Mokri, cinematographer
• Max Mutchnick, television producer known for Will & Grace
• Anna Hamilton Phelan, screenwriter known for Girl, Interrupted
• Brittany Martin Porter, television producer known for The Voice
• Felicia Pride, writer and producer known for Grey's Anatomy
• Jacobo Rispa, Spanish television producer
• Stefani Robinson, screenwriter known for Atlanta and What We Do in the Shadows
• Bill Schulz, writer and television producer
• George Scribner, director and animator known for Oliver & Company
• Tyler Taormina, director and screenwriter known for Christmas Eve in Miller's Point
• Alex Tse, screenwriter known for Watchmen
• Lilly Wachowski (did not graduate), director and screenwriter known for The Matrix
• Harris Wittels, comedian and television writer known for Parks and Recreation

Acting and performing arts

Bill Burr

Iliza Schlesinger

Henry Winkler

Jennifer Coolidge

Elden Henson

• Mary Kay Adams, actress, known for work on Guiding Light and Babylon 5
• Pearl Aday, singer
• Landry Allbright, actress
• Michael Angelakos, singer-songwriter known for Passion Pit
• Anthony Atamanuik, actor, comedian, and Donald Trump impressionist
• Sarah Borges, singer-songwriter
• Glenn Branca, avant garde composer and guitarist
• Bill Burr, comedian and actor
• Kerem Bürsin, television actor
• Tim Burton, saxophonist for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• Mario Cantone, actor and comedian
• Anthony Clark (1986), television actor, known for Yes, Dear
• Bonnie Comley, Tony Award-winning theater producer
• Jennifer Coolidge, actress and comedian, known for American Pie and The White Lotus
• Billy Costa, radio personality
• David Cross (did not graduate), actor and comedian, known for Mr. Show and Arrested Development
• Gabe Dunn, podcaster and writer known for Just Between Us and Bad with Money
• Richard Dysart, actor, known for L.A. Law
• Joely Fisher (did not graduate), actress
• Gina Gershon, actress
• Natalie Gold, actress known for Succession
• Spalding Gray, actor and performance artist
• Adam Green, musician known for The Moldy Peaches
• Louise Closser Hale, actress and playwright
• Elden Henson, actor known for Daredevil
• Eric Hutchinson, singer-songwriter
• Abbi Jacobson (did not graduate), actress and comedian known for Broad City
• Kizzy, actress and television personality
• Zach Kornfeld, comedian and social media personality known for The Try Guys
• Paul Kreppel, actor and theatre producer
• Arasha Lalani, comedian and social media influencer known for Smosh
• Denis Leary, comedian and actor
• Brandon Lee, actor and martial artist known for The Crow
• Jay Leno (1973), comedian and talk show host
• Jack Lepiarz, circus performer and former WBUR anchor
• Dan Levy, comedian
• Andrea Martin, actress and comedian
• Matt McGorry, actor known for Orange Is the New Black
• Shelley Mitchell, actress and performance coach
• Lance Norris, actor and comedian
• Michael Nouri, actor known for Flashdance
• Morgan Page, music producer
• Eddie Palladino, announcer for the Boston Celtics
• Don Pardo, television personality
• Penny Peyser (1973), film and television actress
• Chrystee Pharris, actress known for Passions
• Eugene Roche, television actor
• Hartley Sawyer, actor known for CW's The Flash
• Iliza Shlesinger, comedian and actress
• Emily Skeggs, actress known for Fun Home
• Steve Sweeney, actor and comedian
• Michael Grant Terry, actor known for Bones
• Natasha Gregson Wagner (did not graduate), actress
• George Watsky, poet and rapper
• Justin Willman, television personality
• Henry Winkler, actor known for Happy Days and Barry
• Gene Wood, television personality and game show host
• Steven Wright, comedian
• Elisha Yaffe, television actor

Literature

• Mary P. Burrill (1904), playwright of the Harlem Renaissance
• Gerry Duggan, comic book writer for Marvel Comics
• Denise Duhamel, poet
• Jack Gantos, children's book writer
• Seth Grahame-Smith, novelist
• Jody Houser, comic book writer
• Don Lee, novelist
• Thomas Lux, poet and academic
• Chris Lynch, YA novelist
• Carl Menninger, stage director and playwright
• Erik Mona, writer known for Dungeons & Dragons game magazines
• Jay Baron Nicorvo, poet and essayist
• Porsha Olayiwola, poet laureate of Boston
• Joe Randazzo, comedy writer known for The Onion
• Taylor Jenkins Reid, novelist known for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
• Kim Roberts, poet
• Olen Steinhauer, television producer and spy novelist
• Laurie Faria Stolarz, YA novelist
• Cecilia Tan, writer, publisher, and founder of Circlet Press
• Nicola Yoon, YA novelist known for Everything, Everything
• Laura van den Berg, award winning author

Journalism

Ben Collins

Maria Menounos

• Julie Banderas, television news correspondent and anchor for Fox News
• Veronica Belmont, technology journalist and media personality
• Steve Berthiaume, sportscaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Warren Bobrow, culinary writer and chef
• Jared Bowen, reporter and editor at WGBH-TV
• Ben Collins, reporter for NBC News and The Daily Beast
• Morton Dean (1957), television correspondent and anchor, known for CBS Evening News and Good Morning America
• Greg Dickerson, sideline reporter for the Boston Celtics
• Frank Fixaris, broadcast reporter and anchor at WGME-TV
• Al Jaffe (1968), broadcast producer and executive
• Mike Joy, sporstcaster for NASCAR
• Amir Korangy, newspaper and magazine publisher
• Wayne Larrivee, sports broadcaster for the Green Bay Packers
• Gene Lavanchy, reporter and anchor for WFXT Boston 25
• Dion Lim, television anchor for KGO-TV
• Leslie Marshall, journalist and talk radio host
• Maria Menounos, entertainment journalist and media personality
• Tim Neverett, sportscaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Josh Pahigian, baseball sportswriter
• Anaridis Rodriguez, television correspondent anchor for WBZ-TV
• Katya Soldak, journalist and editor for Forbes
• Lauren Sherman, fashion writer
• Matt Spiegel, sports broadcaster
• Kristin Tate, libertarian columnist and commentator
• Susan Wornick, television reporter and anchor

Business

Will Dawkins

• Benjamin Bronfman, environmentalist and entrepreneur
• Bobbi Brown, make-up artist and entrepreneur
• Will Dawkins, basketball executive and GM of the Washington Wizards
• Ada Crogman Franklin, newspaper publisher
• Marian Goodman, art dealer
• Rob Hennigan, basketball executive and former GM of the Orlando Magic
• Jayceeoh, music producer and DJ
• Sam Presti, basketball executive and GM of the Oklahoma City Thunder
• Sara Weeks Roberts, president of the National Library for the Blind

Academia

• Elma Lewis (1943), arts educator and founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
• Guy McElroy (1975), art historian
• Henry Lawrence Southwick, second president of Emerson College
• Jessie Eldridge Southwick, actress, author, and Emerson College professor

Politics

• Elspeth B. Cypher, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
• Susan Del Percio, political strategist
• Jaclyn Friedman, feminist activist
• Doris Haddock, campaign finance reform activist
• Chris Hurst, activist and member of the Virginia House of Delegates
• Hussein Ibish (1986), Arab-American activist and scholar
• Suzan Johnson Cook, political advisor and pastor
• Gaynelle Griffin Jones, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
• Katherine G. Langley, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky
• Julie Mayberry, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
• Peter Meade (1970), head of the Boston Redevelopment Authority under Mayor Thomas Menino
• Alice Moore Hubbard, feminist writer and suffragette
• Elaine Noble, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Jerry Parisella, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Michael Rulli (1991), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio

Sports

• Geoffrey Gray, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Skip Lockwood (1976), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Jessie Ward, professional wrestler and television producer

Visual arts

• Derek Paul Jack Boyle, visual artist
• Ken Fallin, illustrator and cartoonist
• Spencer Tunick, photographer

Miscellaneous

• Tamara Czartoryska, Polish aristocrat and model
• Princess Noor bint Asem (2004), member of the Jordanian royal family
• Princess Sarah bint Asem, member of the Jordanian royal family
• James Parry, internet personality and comedian

Faculty

• Jonathan Aaron (1988–present), poet
• David Akiba, photographer
• Melia Bensussen (2000–present), theater director
• Sven Birkerts, literary critic
• Benjamin Bolger, perpetual student
• Tony Cennamo, radio host and disc jockey and host
• Helen Chasin, poet
• Samuel James Cornish, poet
• Rashin Fahandej, artist
• Jim Finn, independent filmmaker
• Andy Fish, artist, writer, and graphic novelist
• Ted Gup, writer and journalist
• Alden Jones, writer
• Bavand Karim, screenwriter and filmmaker
• Michael W. King, filmmaker and music video producer
• Bill Knott, poet
• Kristin Linklater (1990-1996), vocal coach and author
• Tim Riley, music journalist and critic
• Beena Sarwar, journalist and activist
• Jeffrey L. Seglin (1999–2011), columnist
• David Foster Wallace, novelist and essayist

Presidents

• Charles Wesley Emerson, founder and first president
• Jacqueline Liebergott, president 1992–2011
• M. Lee Pelton, president 2011–2021
• Jay Bernhardt, president 2023–