List of people from Leeds

This is a list of notable people born in Leeds:

Academics

* Alfred Austin - poet laureate
* Tony Harrison - poet
* John Smeaton (1724-82) - the 'Father of Civil Engineering'; accomplished mechanical engineer and physicist
* Richard Vickerman Taylor - clergyman and local historian
* Barry Tebb - poet, novelist, editor, publisher and mental health campaigner (born 1942)

Entertainers

* Alan Brent Actor, Chairman of Yorkshire Ridings Equity Branch
* Kathryn Apanowicz partner of the late Richard Whiteley and former EastEnders actress.
* Corinne Bailey Rae - singer
* Julian Barratt - actor and musician best known for his character Howard Moon in the cult comedy series The Mighty Boosh
* Alan Bennett - performer in "Beyond the Fringe" and writer of works such as "The Madness of King George"
* Melanie Brown ("Mel B." from the Spice Girls)
* John Craven - presenter of "John Craven's Newsround" (now known as "Newsround")
* Barry Cryer - comedian
* Jeremy Dyson - writer and member of the sketch comedy team "The League of Gentlemen"
* Gaynor Faye - known for her character in "Coronation Street" and later "Fat Friends"
* Leigh Francis aka Avid Merrion, creator of the TV show Bo' Selecta!
* Angela Griffin - Actress in "Coronation Street" and "Emmerdale".
* Frazer Hines - Actor in "Emmerdale Farm" and "Doctor Who".
* Alfie Jackson - Lead singer/guitarist in the indie band The Holloways
* Matthew Lewis - known for his role as Neville Longbottom in the "Harry Potter" films
* Anthony Lewis- played Marc Reynolds on Emmerdale, brother of Matthew Lewis
* Gabby Logan - TV Sports presenter, daughter of Terry Yorath, former Leeds Utd footballer and Wales Manager
* Duncan Mackay - Keyboard player for rock group Cockney Rebel.
* Malcolm McDowell - played the wizard in "Just Visiting", starred in "A Clockwork Orange" and "Caligula" and has appeared in "Star Trek" films
* Kay Mellor - writer of TV drama including "Band of Gold"
* Bryan Mosley - actor, 'Alf Roberts' in "Coronation Street"
* Chris Moyles - BBC Radio 1 DJ
* Peter O'Toole - actor famous for his role in "Lawrence of Arabia"
* Caryl Phillips - a leading Black British author/playwright
* Jeremy Paxman - TV presenter
* Vic Reeves - (Real name "Jim Moir") Comedian, Comedy Partner of Bob Mortimer
* Lou Rhodes - singer, formerly of Lamb, now solo
* Sam Riley - actor/singer in movie Control - excellent biopic about Ian Curtis of Joy Division.
* Paul & Barry Ryan - Pop signing duo. Barry had a Solo career after Paul withdrew to songwriting
* Sir Jimmy Savile - Best known for presenting "Jim'll Fix It" and "Top of the Pops". Now living in Roundhay
* Jack Shepherd - actor, starred as TV cop "Wycliffe"
* John Simm - Life on Mars and Doctor Who
* Philip Stone - actor who has appeared in such films as "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", "The Shining" and "A Clockwork Orange"
* Adelaide Neilson - {real name Elizabeth Ann Brown} victorian actress
* Vesta Victoria - music hall star
* Keith Waterhouse - Author of "Billy Liar"
* Ernie Wise - (real name Ernest Wiseman) of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise
* Ricky Wilson - Lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs
* Tom Wilkinson - actor who has appeared in such films as "Batman Begins", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Full Monty"

* Patrick Stewart Star of Stage Screen and Television from Mirfield, West Yorkshire. Best known as 'Jean Luc Picard' in Star Trek
* Mark Pillow - (actor) played Nuclear Man in
* Alex Zane - TV presenter and DJ

Politicians

* Herbert Asquith - 1st Earl of Oxford & Asquith, KG, PC (12 Sep 1852 – 15 Feb 1928), Liberal Prime Minister of the UK from 1908 to 1916.
* Mark Ballard - Green Politician
* Richard Oastler - 19th century reformer
* Gerald Kaufman - Labour Politician
* Henry Rowland Marsden - Liberal Mayor of Leeds 1873-1875

portsmen & women

* Ryan Bailey - Rugby league player who plays for Leeds Rhinos and has represented Great Britain and England
* David Batty - former Leeds United Midfielder now living in Filey.
* Andy Bolton - power-lifter, current super-heavyweight deadlift and squat world record holder
* Beryl Burton - record-breaking cyclist
* Howard Clark - Walker Cup and Ryder Cup Golfer
* Brian Close - Famously tough Yorkshire cricketer, the youngest man ever to play Test cricket for England
* Brian Deane - former Leeds United centre forward now retired.
* Tom Elliott (footballer) - Footballer, currently playing for Leeds United
* Caleb Folan - Footballer once of Leeds United and Rushden and Diamonds now playing for Hull City
* Ellery Hanley - rugby league player
* David Harvey (footballer) - Football Goalkeeper played for Leeds United and Scotland. Scotland's most successful post-war goalkeeper.
* Kevin Hector - Footballer, former player for Derby County.
* Matthew Hoggard - Cricketer for Yorkshire & England
* Paul Hunter - snooker player
* Sir Leonard Hutton - Superlative batsman, appointed as England's first professional Cricket captain in 1952
* Ray Illingworth - England and Yorkshire Cricket Captain
* Mark Jackson - Former Leeds United player
* Carl Johanneson - Super-Featherweight Boxer and ranked number 2 in Europe in his weight class.
* Aaron Lennon - Footballer, started at Leeds United, now playing for Tottenham Hotspur and England
* Jonny Lund - Football Goalkeeper currently signed to Leeds United
* Paul Madeley - Footballer with 711 appearances for Leeds United 1964-80 in every position except goalkeeper.
* Ian McGeechan - Former Rugby Union player now coach
* Danny McGuire - Rugby League player for Leeds Rhinos
* Nigel Melville - Rugby Union player for Otley, Wakefield and Wasps. England Captain in 1980s, now retired
* James Milner - former Leeds United Striker now playing for Newcastle United.
* Jamie Peacock - rugby league player, current Great Britain captain
* Gordon Pirie - Middle Distance runner, Silver medal winner in 5,000 metres 1956 Olympics
* Micah Richards - England Footballer, currently signed to Manchester City
* Jason Robinson - Rugby League player for Hunslet, Wigan and Great Britain. Switched codes and played in 2003 World Cup for England. Has since captained England Rugby Union.
* Gary Schofield - rugby league player
* Alan Smith - former Leeds United striker now playing for Newcastle United.
* Jamie Thackray - Rugby League player fornerly of Leeds Rhinos.
* Mike Tindall MBE - England and Gloucester Rugby Union Outside Centre, from Otley.
* Hedley Verity - one of the greatest England cricketers of all time. Playing for Yorkshire he took all 10 Nottinghamshire wickets for 10 runs on 12 July 1932.
* Chev Walker - English Rugby Union player for Bath RFC, formally a Rugby League player for Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain
* Noel Whelan - Footballer who played for Leeds United, Coventry City and Middlesbrough F.C.
* Scott McNiven - Footballer who plays for Farsley Celtic

Other

* Barbara Taylor Bradford - novelist
* Mark Catley, accomplished actor, playwright, magazine journalist (Northern Exposure arts magazine), screenwriter, and team writer for the BBC's East Enders and Doctors, who began his career at the West Yorkshire Playhouse with plays Scuffer and Crap Dad.
* Thomas Chippendale - Possibly the greatest furniture maker of all time, from Farnley
* Terry George - Gay entrepreneur, nightclub tycoon, photographer and celebrity columnist
* Willis Hall - Playwright and radio and television writer (including "Billy Liar" and "Worzel Gummidge" with Leeds-born collaborator Keith Waterhouse)
* Kieron Harvey - Big Brother UK contestant ("Science")
* Phil May - famous cartoonist
* The Rev. Samuel Marsden - 1764-1838 The "Flogging Parson", magistrate of Paramatta, New South Wales. Also known as a Missionary to New Zealand
* Nell McAndrew - an internationally famous model; has appeared in Playboy Magazine and was a contestant on "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!"
* Samuel Ledgard - Bus pioneer
* Arthur Ransome - journalist and children's author (most notably "Swallows and Amazons")
* Francis Rattenbury - architect who designed several well-known Canadian buildings
* Sue Ryder - British peeress who worked with Special Operations Executive in the Second World War and afterwards led many charitable organizations, notably the Sue Ryder charity named after her
* Sir Titus Salt - Businessman and philanthropist - Founder of Saltaire
* Barry Tebb - Poet, Novelist and Mental Health campaigner
* Jane Tomlinson - Raised £1.75m for cancer charities through endurance sports events after diagnosis of terminal breast cancer. Died 3 September 2007.
* Keith Waterhouse - Novelist, Playwright and Newspaper columnist
* Marco Pierre White - Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur