Authors, journalists, and publishers •
Virginia Hamilton Adair (1913–2004), poet •
Jonathan Alter (born 1957),
Newsweek magazine journalist •
Wheeler Antabanez (born 1977), author who has written for
Weird NJ •
Mary Travis Arny (1909–1997), author, naturalist, historian, and educator •
Zain Asher (born 1983), news anchor at
CNN International, who anchors the network's primetime, global news show
One World with Zain Asher •
Jim Axelrod (born 1963), national correspondent for
CBS News; reporter for the
CBS Evening News •
Eric Boehlert (1965–2022), journalist, author, frequent contributor to
The Huffington Post, and contributing editor to
Rolling Stone •
David Carr (1956–2015), media and culture columnist for
The New York Times •
Wendy Coakley-Thompson (born 1966), author of the novel
Back to Life •
Fleur Cowles (1908–2009), painter, journalist, hostess, socialite, and founder of
Flair magazine; claimed to have been born in Montclair but records from the United States Census Bureau indicate that she was born in
New York City •
Oliver Crane (1822–1896), Presbyterian clergy, Oriental scholar, and writer •
Anthony DePalma (born 1952), author, journalist, and educator who was a foreign correspondent and reporter for
The New York Times •
Louise DeSalvo (1942–2018), author •
Christopher Durang (born 1949), contemporary playwright •
Edward S. Ellis (1840–1916), teacher, school administrator, journalist; author of hundreds of publications under his name and many pseudonyms •
Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882–1961), novelist, poet, literary critic for
The Crisis; later teacher •
Philip L. Fradkin (1935–2012),
environmentalist, historian, journalist, and author who wrote about topics including
water conservation,
earthquakes, and
nuclear weapons •
Dorothea Benton Frank (1951–2019), novelist •
Ian Frazier (born 1951), writer, humorist, and essayist •
Frank Bunker Gilbreth Sr. (1868–1924) and
Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878–1972), and their twelve children, featured in the autobiography
Cheaper by the Dozen and
Belles on Their Toes by
Ernestine Gilbreth Carey and
Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. •
Susan Glasser (born 1969), journalist who is a staff writer for
The New Yorker •
Alfred Starr Hamilton (1914–2005), poet •
Bob Herbert (born 1945), syndicated op-ed columnist for
The New York Times •
Coleman Hughes (born 1996), author, political commentator and jazz musician •
Ken Johnson (born 1953), art critic for
The New York Times •
Jon Katz (born 1947), author •
Peter King (born 1957), journalist and
Sports Illustrated senior writer •
Christina Baker Kline (born 1964),
novelist who is the author of seven novels, including
Orphan Train •
Michael Laser (born 1954), author •
Donna Leon (born 1942), novelist •
Arthur Levine (born 1962), editor, author and publisher of children's books, including the American editions of the
Harry Potter series •
Lisa Lucas, executive director of the
National Book Foundation and senior vice president at
Knopf Doubleday •
Anne McCaffrey (1926–2011), prolific writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for her
Dragonriders of Pern series •
Susan Meddaugh, author of the
Martha Speaks series of children's books, whose first home in Montclair was 33 Fairfield Street, where Martha the talking dog "lives" now •
Gil Noble (1932–2012), American television reporter and interviewer •
Isabel Paterson (1886–1961), journalist, novelist, political philosopher, author of
The God of the Machine •
Stacey Patton, journalist, writer, speaker, commentator and college professor •
Julia Phillips (born 1989), author whose book
Disappearing Earth was a finalist for the 2019
National Book Award for Fiction •
Jodi Rudoren (born 1970), journalist and editor of
The Forward •
Pamela Redmond Satran (born 1953), author •
Andrew Rosenthal (born 1956), editorial page editor of
The New York Times and son of the paper's former executive editor
A.M. Rosenthal •
Roger Sedarat, poet, scholar and literary translator •
Florence Guy Woolston Seabury (1881–1951), feminist essayist •
Lee Siegel (born 1957), writer and cultural critic •
Richard Wesley (born 1945), screenwriter and playwright •
Valerie Wilson Wesley (born 1947), mystery writer •
Jana Winter,
Fox News Channel reporter
Fashion •
Bobbi Brown (born 1957), makeup artist •
Lisa Lindahl (born 1948), writer, artist, activist and inventor •
Polly Smith (born 1949), designer, inventor and creator of the
sports bra, who was a costume designer for
The Muppet Show and
Sesame Street •
Louise Vyent, Dutch-born fashion model and portrait photographer
Fictional characters •
Paul Kinsey, on
Mad Men • Millicent Kent, in David Foster Wallace's novel
Infinite Jest • Office of
Jennifer Melfi, on
The Sopranos • Marnie Michaels, on
Girls Fine arts •
Thomas Ball (1819–1911), sculptor •
Bill Binzen (1918–2010), photographer •
Nanette Carter (born 1954), artist and college educator, best known for her collages with paper, canvas and Mylar •
Jane White Cooke (1913–2011), portrait painter •
William Couper (1853–1942), sculptor •
Edna Eicke (1919–1979), illustrator •
Harry Fenn (1845–1911),
English-born
illustrator, primarily of
landscapes •
Lola Flash (born 1959), photographer known for her genderqueer visual political work •
Russ Heath (1926–2018), cartoonist best known for his comic book work with
DC Comics •
John Langley Howard (1902–1999), muralist, printmaker and illustrator, known for his
social realism •
George Inness (1825–1894), landscape painter •
Elizabeth Jones (born 1935),
Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, holding this position from 1981 until her resignation in 1991 •
Max Kolomatsky, street artist •
Joe McNally (born 1952), photographer •
Dorothy Canning Miller (1904–2003), art curator •
Tom Nussbaum (born 1953), sculptor and visual artist •
Michael Yamashita (born 1949), photographer known for his work in
National Geographic and his multiple books of photographs
Movies, stage, and television •
Charles S. Belden (1904–1954), screenwriter and journalist, known for writing screenplays to several
Charlie Chan films in the 1930s •
Richard E. Besser (born 1959), former acting director of Centers for Disease Control; former Senior Health and Medical Editor at
ABC News •
John Block (born 1951), documentary filmmaker •
Elaine Bromka (born 1950), actress who co-wrote the play
Lady Bird, Pat & Betty: Tea for Three •
Jacqueline Brookes (1930–2013), film, television, and stage actress, best known for her work both
off-Broadway and on
Broadway •
Richard Burgi (born 1958), actor •
John Callahan (1953–2020), actor,
Falcon Crest,
Santa Barbara,
All My Children,
Days of Our Lives •
Stephen Colbert (born 1964), television personality, host of
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert •
Margaret Colin (born 1957), actress,
Gossip Girl,
The Edge of Night,
Something Wild,
Independence Day •
Michael Colleary (born 1960), screenwriter and producer of
Face/Off,
Lara Croft Tomb Raider and
Firehouse Dog •
R.J. Colleary (born 1957), television writer, producer and playwright, known for
Touched By An Angel and
Harry and the Hendersons •
Robert M. Colleary (1929–2012),
Peabody and
Emmy Award-winning comedy writer best known for his more than two decades as head writer on
Captain Kangaroo •
Kristen Connolly (born 1980), actress •
Kahane Cooperman, documentary filmmaker and television director and producer, whose 2016 documentary ''
Joe's Violin'' was nominated for an
Academy Award for
Best Documentary Short Subject •
Justin Deas (born 1948), actor •
Olympia Dukakis (1931–2021), Academy Award-winning actress,
Moonstruck,
Steel Magnolias, ''
Mr. Holland's Opus'' •
Allen B. DuMont (1901–1965), television pioneer •
Beth Ehlers (born 1968), actress on
Guiding Light and
All My Children •
Frankie Faison (born 1949), actor,
The Silence of the Lambs •
Frank Field (1923–2023), meteorologist, former resident •
Savion Glover (born 1974), tap dancer and choreographer •
Peter Greene (born 1965), actor,
Pulp Fiction,
The Mask •
Sterling Hayden (1916–1986), actor,
Dr. Strangelove,
The Godfather,
The Asphalt Jungle,
9 to 5 •
Anthony Heald (born 1944), actor,
The Silence of the Lambs,
Boston Public •
Shuler Hensley (born 1967), actor; won a Tony Award for
Oklahoma! •
Steve Hofstetter (born 1979), comedian and radio personality •
Janet Hubert-Whitten (born 1956), television and Broadway actress •
Whip Hubley, actor who appeared in
Top Gun •
Vincent Irizarry (born 1959), Emmy Award-winning actor who appeared on
All My Children •
The Amazing Kreskin (1935–2024), paranormalist and TV personality •
Eva La Rue (born 1966), actress, model, singer •
Delroy Lindo (born 1952), actor nominated for Tony and SAG awards;
Get Shorty,
The Cider House Rules,
Crooklyn,
Gone in 60 Seconds,
Malcolm X,
More American Graffiti •
Warren Littlefield (born 1952), President of NBC in the 1990s •
Priscilla Lopez (born 1948), actress, singer, dancer,
Maid in Manhattan •
Tyler Mathisen (born 1957), writer, editor, co-host of
CNBC's
Power Lunch •
John Miller (born 1959), journalist, author, former FBI and ABC News journalist, current CBS News Senior Correspondent and investigative reporter •
Trevor Moore (1980–2021), comedian, actor, writer, director, and producer, ''
The Whitest Kids U' Know'' •
Joe Morton (born 1947), actor,
Scandal •
Raphaela Neihausen (born 1976), filmmaker and producer •
Roscoe Orman (born 1944), actor who portrayed Gordon Robinson on
Sesame Street •
Stacie Passon (born 1969), film director and screenwriter •
Kal Penn (born 1977), actor who appeared in
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and was also a government employee •
Todd Porter (born 1968), child/teen actor,
Starstuff, ''
Pinocchio's Christmas, Whiz Kids'' •
Christina Ricci (born 1980), actress whose films include
The Addams Family, ''
Buffalo '66, Monster, Sleepy Hollow'' •
Rosemary Rice (1925–2012), actress who played Katrin on
Mama, voice-over artist and children's musician •
Ben Rosenfield (born 1992), actor •
Bruce Sinofsky (1956–2015), screenwriter, editor, producer and filmmaker, who was a 2012 Academy Award nominee •
Elaine Stewart (1930–2011), model and Hollywood actress of the 1950s, promoted as a "dark-haired Marilyn Monroe" •
Sophia Takal, actress, writer and director •
Michelle Thomas (1968–1998), actress who played Myra on
Family Matters •
Dallas Townsend (1919–1995), anchor for
CBS World News Roundup •
Adam Wade (1935–2022), singer, musician and actor, whose stint as host of the
CBS game show Musical Chairs (1975) made him the first
Black game show host in the United States •
Jake Weary (born 1990), actor,
As the World Turns •
Mary Alice Williams (born 1949), television personality •
Wendy Williams (born 1964), TV and radio personality, host of
The Wendy Williams Show •
Patrick Wilson (born 1973), actor, who has appeared in
Watchmen,
The A-Team and
Little Children •
Alex Winter (born 1965), actor •
Kim Zimmer (born 1955), actress best known for appearing on
Guiding Light •
Louis Zorich (1924–2018), actor, who appeared on
Mad About You; husband of actress
Olympia Dukakis Music •
Geri Allen (1957–2017),
jazz pianist •
Al Anderson (born 1950), guitarist and songwriter; played with
Bob Marley & The Wailers •
Mark Andrews (1875−1939), British-born organist and composer •
David Bendeth (born 1954), musician, songwriter and producer •
Chuck Burgi (born 1952), drummer •
Ted Curson (1935–2012), jazz trumpeter •
Robert DeLeo (born 1966), bass player, songwriter, and harmony vocalist for the
Stone Temple Pilots •
Tommy DeVito (1928–2020), guitarist and vocalist for
The Four Seasons •
Michael Fabiano (born 1984), opera singer •
Hussein Fatal (1973–2015), rapper, former member of the
Outlawz •
Bob Gaudio (born 1942), singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and songwriting member of
The Four Seasons •
Evan Stephens Hall (born 1989), musician best known as frontman of indie rock band
Pinegrove •
Billy Hart (born 1940), jazz drummer •
Herman Hupfeld (1894–1951), lyricist who wrote "
As Time Goes By", the song featured in the 1943 Oscar winner
Casablanca •
Dorothy Kirsten (1910–1992),
lyric soprano •
Vincent La Selva (1929–2017), symphony and opera conductor •
Gene Lake (born 1966)
jazz drummer •
Oliver Lake (born 1944), alto saxophone player and composer •
Joseph Lamb (1887–1960), prominent composer of
ragtime music •
Reggie Lucas (1953–2018), musician, songwriter and record producer best known for having produced the majority of
Madonna's 1983
self-titled debut album •
Gregori Lukas (born 1990), recording artist, singer, dancer and actor •
Christian McBride (born 1972), three-time Grammy Award winner for jazz (bass) •
Jim McNeely (born 1949), Grammy-winning jazz pianist, composer and arranger •
Anwar Robinson (born 1979), singer, contestant on
American Idol •
Wallace Roney (1960–2020), trumpet player and jazz musician •
Ty Taylor (born 1967),
guitarist and
vocalist of
R&B group
Dakota Moon; contestant on the
reality TV show Rock Star: INXS •
Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas (1951–2021),
alto saxophone player,
flautist, and
percussionist, who was a founding member of
R&B/
soul/
funk Kool & the Gang •
Steve Turre (born 1948), jazz trombonist and member of
Saturday Night Live band since 1984 •
Joe Walsh (born 1947), musician/songwriter for the
James Gang and the
Eagles •
Carol Williams, disco musician •
Reggie Workman (born 1937), jazz musician •
Jenny Owen Youngs (born 1981), singer/songwriter ==Business==