This is a list of notable Polish Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained citizenship and their American descendants.
Academics
Arts and entertainment
Actors and personalities – TV, radio and film
Nick Adams (1931–1968), film actor; mother was of Polish descent[1]
Grant Aleksander (born 1960), film and daytime actor, Guiding Light
Pico Alexander (born 1991), actor; parents are Polish immigrants
Stanley Andrews (1891–1969), TV/radio actor
Anna Anka (born 1971), actress, model, and author
David Arquette (born 1971), actor, director, screenwriter; mother (née Nowak) was of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Rosanna Arquette (born 1959), actress, director, producer; mother (née Nowak) was of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Jacob Artist (born 1992), actor, singer, and dancer; mother is of Polish descent
Joe Augustyn (born 1952), screenwriter, movie producer
Jake T. Austin (born 1994), actor; father is of part Polish descent
Pat Benatar (born 1953), singer and composer
Carroll Baker (born 1931), film actress and author; father of Polish ancestry[2][verification needed]
Christine Baranski (born 1952), actress
Kristen Bell (born 1980), film/television actress (Veronica Mars), mother is of Polish descent[3]
Maria Bello (born 1967), actress (A History of Violence, Thank You for Smoking, The Cooler); mother is of Polish descent
Brian Benben (born 1956), television actor; father was of Polish descent
Jack Benny (1894–1974), comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film; of Polish Jewish descent
Carlos Bernard (né Carlos Bernard Papierski; born 1962), actor (24)[4]
Craig Bierko (born 1964), actor and singer; father has Polish ancestry
Rebecca Black (born 1997), singer, father of partial Polish descent
Marc Blucas (born 1972), actor; paternal grandfather of Polish descent
Alex Borstein (born 1971), actress, voice actress, writer, and comedian; of Polish Jewish descent
Lisa Boyle (born 1968), actress and model; of part Polish descent[5]
Andrew Bryniarski (born 1969), actor and bodybuilder; father of Polish descent
Carolina Bartczak (born 1985), actress; born in Germany, both parents are Polish
Adrien Brody (born 1973), actor; father has Polish ancestry
Amanda Bynes (born 1986), actress and comedian; paternal grandmother was of Polish descent
Liz Cackowski (born 1975), comedy writer and actress; of part Polish descent
Nicolas Cage (born 1964), actor; maternal grandmother was of Polish descent (surname Siputa)
Bobby Campo (born 1983), actor; paternal grandmother of Polish descent
Steve Carell (born 1962), actor; mother of Polish descent
Jessica Cauffiel (born 1976), actress and singer; paternal grandmother of Polish ancestry
Jennifer Connelly (born 1970), Academy Award-winning actress; her mother was of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent[6]
Robert Conrad (1935–2020; né Conrad Robert Falk), film and television actor; Polish on father (Leonard Falkowski)'s side
D.J. Cotrona (born 1980), actor; mother of half Polish descent
Elżbieta Czyżewska (1938–2010), Polish-born award-winning theater, film and TV actress[7]
Larry David (born 1947), comedian, writer, actor, director, and television producer; mother was of Polish descent.
Jenna Dewan-Tatum (born 1980), actress, model, and dancer; paternal grandmother of Polish descent
Janice Dickinson (born 1955), model/reality television star; mother was of Polish descent
James Charles Dickinson (born 1999), YouTuber, model, make-up artist, Internet personality; father is of Polish descent
Dagmara Dominczyk (born 1976), Polish-born American actress;[8] sister of Marika Dominczyk
Marika Dominczyk (born 1980), Polish-born American actress; sister of Dagmara Dominczyk
David Duchovny (born 1960), actor; paternal grandmother of Polish ancestry
John Duda (born 1977), actor; father of Polish descent
Anne Dudek (born 1975), television actress (Mad Men, House M.D.)
Alexis Dziena (born 1984), film and television actress (When in Rome), of part Polish descent
George Dzundza (born 1945), actor, of part Polish descent
Zac Efron (born 1987), actor, paternal grandfather was the son of Polish Jewish parents
Jesse Eisenberg (born 1983), actor, of Polish Jewish and Ukrainian Jewish descent
Linda Emond (born 1959), actress; paternal grandmother was of Polish descent
Briana Evigan (born 1986), actress; of part Polish descent
Peter Falk (1927–2011), actor; of Polish Jewish descent
Jason David Frank (1973–2022), actor and mixed martial artist; mother of half Polish descent
Johnny Galecki (born 1975), actor; father of Polish descent
Arlene Golonka (1936–2021), actress
Katerina Graham (born 1989), actress (Vampire Diaries), mother of Polish and Russian Jewish descent
Gilda Gray (1901–1959), actress and dancer[9]
Ari Graynor (born 1983), actress; father of Polish descent
Alice Greczyn (born 1986), actress
Kim Greist (born 1958), actress; Polish maternal grandmother
Zach Grenier (born 1954), actor; mother of Polish descent
Sasha Grey (born 1988), actress; maternal great-grandfather of Polish descent
Khrystyne Haje (born 1968), actress
Chelsea Handler (born 1975), actress and comedian; maternal great-grandmother of Polish origin
Elisabeth Hasselbeck (born 1977), co-host of The View and contestant on Survivor[10]
Izabella Scorupco (born 1970), actress
Marilu Henner (born 1952), television actress (Taxi) and health book author; father was of Polish descent[11]
John Hodiak (1914–1955), film actor
Bonnie Hunt (born 1961), Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-nominated actress, comedian, writer, director, television producer, and daytime television host, maternal grandparents were Polish
Ryan Hurst (born 1976), actor; mother of Polish descent
Scarlett Johansson (born 1984), actress (Lost in Translation); mother is of Polish descent
Jake Johnson (born 1978), actor; maternal grandmother, Lucille/Lucy Kopacz, was of Polish descent
Angelina Jolie (born 1975), Academy Award-winning film actress; mother was approximately 1 quarter Polish[citation needed]
Jenny Jones (born 1946), talk show host who hosted The Jenny Jones Show from 1991 to 2002[12]
Jane Kaczmarek (born 1955), Emmy-nominated actress Malcolm in the Middle and Raising the Bar[13]
Nina Kaczorowski (born 1975), actress, stunt woman, model and dancer
Brittney Karbowski (born 1986), voice actress
John Karlen (1933–2020), Emmy Award-winning stage, film, and television actor (Dark Shadows, Cagney & Lacey)
Vincent Kartheiser (born 1979), actor; maternal great-grandmother was Polish, from Błonie
Harvey Keitel (born 1939), Academy Award-nominated actor, of Polish Jewish and Romanian Jewish descent
Ted Knight (1923–1986), Emmy Award-winning film and television actor (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Too Close for Comfort)[14]
Victoria Konefal (born 1996), TV actor (Days of Our Lives)
Kristof Konrad (born 1962), TV and film actor (Red Sparrow, House of Cards)
Camille Kostek (born 1992), actress and model
Mitchell Kowal (1915–1971), film actor
Linda Kozlowski (born 1958), film actress (Crocodile Dundee)[15]
Jane Krakowski (born 1968), film, stage and television actress (Ally McBeal, 30 Rock); winner of the 2003 Tony Award; of three quarters Polish descent
John Krasinski (born 1979), TV and film actor (The Office);[16] of half Polish and half Irish descent
Cheslie Kryst (1991–2022), Miss USA 2019, father is of Polish descent
Lisa Kudrow (born 1963), actress, of Polish Jewish and Belarusian Jewish descent
Shia LaBeouf (born 1986), actor, voice actor, and comedian, mother is of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Lisa Lampanelli (born 1961), comedian and actress; maternal grandfather, Stanley Velgot, of Polish descent
Carole Landis (1919–1948), film actress; mother was of Polish descent and father of Norwegian descent[17]
Joe Lando (born 1961), TV and film actor (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)[18]
Matt Lanter (born 1983), actor and model; of part Polish descent
Téa Leoni (born 1966), film and TV actress; paternal grandmother was of Polish descent[19]
Logan Lerman (born 1992), actor; his maternal grandfather was a Polish Jewish immigrant, and the rest of Logan's ancestry is Russian Jewish, Lithuanian Jewish, and other Polish Jewish
Justin Long (born 1978), film and television actor; his mother, former Broadway actress Wendy Lesniak, is of half Polish descent
Brittney Karbowski (born 1986), voice actress
Josh Lucas (born 1971), actor
Eric Mabius (born 1971), TV and film actor (Ugly Betty, The Crow), mother is of Polish descent[20]
Richard "Mach" Machowicz, host of Discovery Channel's Future Weapons, former Navy SEAL
Rose Marie (1923–2017), TV and film actress (The Dick Van Dyke Show); mother of Polish heritage and father of Italian descent[21]
Ross Martin (1920–1981), Polish Jewish immigrant, TV and film actor (The Wild Wild West)[22]
Ignacyo Matynia (born 1992), actor; born in Poland and moved to the United States as a child
Joseph Mazzello (born 1983), actor; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Jenny McCarthy (born 1972), actress and comedian; mother of part Polish descent
Piotr Michael (born 1988), actor, comedian and voice actor; parents of Polish ancestry
Izabella Miko (born 1981), Polish-American actress and dancer
Patrycja Mikula (born 1983), also known as Patricia Mikula, model and Playboy Cybergirl
Wentworth Miller (born 1972), actor, model, screenwriter, and producer; maternal great-grandmother, Florence Busczniewicz, of Polish descent
Christopher Mintz-Plasse (born 1989), actor; paternal grandmother, Joan Stolarczyk, was of Polish descent
Helena Modjeska (1840–1909), Polish-born actress who specialized in Shakespearean roles[23]
Cameron Monaghan (born 1993), actor and model; mother of part Polish descent
Kyle Mooney (born 1984), actor and comedian; maternal great-grandfather of Polish descent
Zero Mostel (1915–1977), actor of stage and screen, of Polish Jewish descent
Pola Negri (1897–1987), Polish film actress who achieved notoriety as a femme fatale in silent films between the 1910s and 1930s
Paul Newman (1925–2008), actor; of Polish Jewish/Hungarian Jewish (paternal) and Slovak Catholic (maternal) descent.
Mario Nugara, ballet artist, director, instructor, born Pittsburgh, PA, of Italian and Polish descent, mother is Polish
Charlie O'Connell (born 1975), reality and TV actor (The Bachelor)
Jerry O'Connell (born 1974), TV and film actor; maternal grandfather was of Polish descent[24][25]
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (born 1978), actress and model; of part Polish descent
Jerry Orbach (1935–2004), Tony Award-winning stage, film, musical theatre and television actor and singer; mother was of Polish-Lithuanian Roman Catholic background; father was a German Jewish immigrant[26]
Frank Oz (born 1944), British-born American film director, actor and puppeteer, father was a Polish Jew
Joanna Pacuła (born 1957), Polish-born actress[27]
Jared Padalecki (born 1982), actor (Gilmore Girls, Supernatural);[28] father is of Polish descent
Adrianne Palicki (born 1983), actress; paternal grandfather of Polish descent
Gwyneth Paltrow (born 1972), actress; paternal family were Jewish immigrants from Belarus and Poland; grandfather's surname was "Paltrowicz"
Annie Parisse (born 1975), actress; father of part Polish descent
James Penzi (born 1952), playwright, screenwriter, poet; mother is Polish
Kinga Philipps (born 1976), actress/producer
Janelle Pierzina (born 1980), contestant on the sixth and All-Star seasons of the American version of the CBS reality show Big Brother[citation needed]
Mary Kay Place (born 1947), actress and singer; Polish maternal great-grandmother
Natalie Portman (born 1981), actress, part-Polish Jewish descent
Stefanie Powers (born 1942), actress and singer; mother was of Polish descent[29][30]
Beata Pozniak (born 1960), Polish-born actress, film director, painter, fashion model, and activist who is now based out of the United States (Babylon 5, JFK)[31]
Robert Prosky (1930–2008), TV and film actor (Hill Street Blues)[32]
Danny Pudi (born 1979), TV actor; mother is of Polish descent[33][34][35]
Maggie Q (born 1979), model and actress (Nikita, Mission: Impossible III, Die Hard 4.0); father is of Irish and Polish descent
Jack Quaid (born 1992), actor; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
John Ratzenberger (born 1947), TV actor (Cheers), mother was of Polish descent[36]
Dana Reeve (1961–2006), actress, singer, and activist for disability causes; paternal grandmother of Polish descent
Scott Rogowsky (born 1984), comedian and the primary host of HQ Trivia.
Eli Roth (born 1972), film director, producer, writer and actor, of Polish Jewish, Russian Jewish, and Austrian Jewish descent
Cynthia Rothrock (born 1957) actress; Polish descent
Ronda Rousey (born 1987), MMA fighter and actress; of part Polish descent
Paul Rudd (born 1969), actor, of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Amy Ryan (born 1969), actress, born Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski; of part Polish descent
Meg Ryan (born 1961), née Hyra, actress, Polish ancestry on her father's side
Thomas Sadoski (born 1976), actor; paternal grandfather is of Polish descent
Jonathan Sadowski (born 1979), actor of Polish and Italian descent
Pat Sajak (born 1946, née Patrick Sajdak), host of the popular and long-running television game show Wheel of Fortune[37]
Richie Sambora (born 1959), singer
Fred Savage (born 1976), actor (The Wonder Years), of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Rob Schneider (born 1963), actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director; father was of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent
Liev Schreiber (born 1967), film and stage actor, mother is of Polish Jewish descent
Chloë Sevigny (born 1974), film actress and model;[38] mother is of Polish descent
Jane Seymour (born 1951), actress, father is of partial Polish descent
Atticus Shaffer (born 1998), actor; maternal grandmother, Wanda Mary Jankowski, of Polish descent
Casey Siemaszko (born 1961), film/television actor, Polish father[39][40]
Nina Siemaszko (born 1970), film/television actress, Polish father[41]
Joseph Sikora (born 1976), Polish-American actor (Boardwalk Empire, The Heart, She Holler, Power)
Edyta Śliwińska (born 1982), television personality; ballroom dancer (Dancing with the Stars)
Bill Smitrovich (born 1947), actor
Leelee Sobieski (born 1982), actress, father is of partial Polish descent
Olga Sosnovska (born 1972), Polish-born TV and soap opera actress (All My Children)[42]
Tori Spelling (born 1973), actress, father is of partial Polish descent
Martin Starr (born 1982), actor; maternal great-grandmother, Mary H. Krzyzanowski, of Polish descent
Howard Stern, radio and TV personality
Jon Stewart (born 1962), host[43]
Ben Stiller (born 1965), actor, father is of Polish Jewish descent
Gloria Swanson (1899–1983), actress (best known for Sunset Boulevard);[44] mother, Adelaide Klainowksi, was of part Polish descent
Loretta Swit (born 1937), musical theatre and television actress (M*A*S*H)[45]
Keith Szarabajka (born 1952), TV and film actor
Eric Szmanda (born 1975), TV actor (CSI), of part Polish descent[46]
Christine Taylor (born 1971), actress; of part Polish descent
Miles Teller (born 1987), actor; paternal great-grandmother, Catherine Stancavage, was of Polish descent
Uma Thurman (born 1970), actress; of part Polish descent
Meghan Trainor (born 1993), singer and actress; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Alan Tudyk (born 1971), TV, film and stage actor; father of Polish descent[47]
Liv Tyler (born 1977), actress and model; paternal great-grandfather was a Polish immigrant
Tom Tyler (1903–1954), film actor (Adventures of Captain Marvel)[48]
James Urbaniak (born 1963), film, television and theatre actor
Travis Van Winkle (born 1982), actor; maternal grandmother of Polish descent
Michael Vartan (born 1968), film and television actor; mother is a Jewish immigrant from Poland[49]
Jean Wallace (1923–1990), film actress
Eli Wallach (1915–2014), actor, of Polish Jewish descent
Devon Werkheiser (born 1991), actor; maternal great-grandmother was of Polish descent
Paul Wesley (born 1982), actor, born Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski to Polish parents (Fallen, The Vampire Diaries)
Steve Wilkos (born 1964), TV host
Paul Winchell (1922–2005), ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian; his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland and Austria-Hungary
Alicia Witt (born 1975), actress, singer-songwriter, and pianist (paternal great-grandfather of Polish ancestry)
Pia Zadora (born 1954), actress and singer; mother was of Polish descent[50]
Henry Zebrowski (born 1984), actor and comedian; grandfather was Polish immigrant
Rachel Zegler (born 2001), actress and singer; father is of Polish descent
Maddie Ziegler (born 2002), actress and dancer; of partial Polish descent
Madeline Zima (born 1985), actress; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
Vanessa Zima (born 1986), actress; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
Yvonne Zima (born 1989), actress; maternal grandfather of Polish ancestry
Sheri Moon Zombie (born 1970), actress; mother of Polish descent
Daphne Zuniga (born 1962), actress; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Chris Zylka (born 1985), actor; maternal grandfather of Polish descent
Architects
Artists
Richard Anuszkiewicz (1930–2020), painter, sculptor, and printmaker[55]
Joseph Bakos (aka Jozef Bakos; 1891–1977), Southwestern artist[56]
Władysław T. Benda (1873–1948), painter and illustrator[57]
Hedwig Gorski (born 1949), performance poet and avant-garde artist[58]
Frank Kozik, graphic artist who has worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Melvins, The Offspring and Butthole Surfers; runs Man's Ruin Records
Tamara de Lempicka (1898–1980), art deco artist[59]
Jan Lorenc (born 1954), photographer and designer[60]
Jozef Mazur (1897–1970), painter and stained glass artist
Rafał Olbiński (born 1945), artist[61]
Ed Paschke (1939–2004), artist[62]
Miroslaw Rogala (born 1954), video artist[63]
Theodore Roszak (1907–1981), sculptor[64]
Jan Sawka (1946–2012), painter, sculptor, printmaker, stage design, and set design
Kesha Sebert (born 1987), singer
David Seymour (1911–1956), Polish-born photographer and photojournalist
Julian Stanczak (1928–2017), painter[65]
Stanisław Szukalski (1893–1987), painter, sculptor and pseudoscientific historian
Arthur Szyk (1894–1951), political cartoonist[66]
Jack Tworkov (1900–1982), painter[67]
Piotr Uklański, artist and photographer
Jurek Wajdowicz (born 1951), photographer, artist and graphic designer
Max Weber (1881–1961), Polish-born Expressionist painter[68]
Krzysztof Wodiczko (born 1943), artist[69]
Korczak Ziolkowski (1908–1982), sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial[70]
Authors
George Adamski (1891–1965), author
Douglas Blazek (born 1941), poet and editor
Quinn Bradlee (born 1892), author
Charles Bukowski (1920–1994), writer
Virginia C. Bulat (1938–1986), author and historian
Mark Z. Danielewski (born 1966), author (House of Leaves)
Stuart Dybek (born 1942), poet, writer[71]
Marie Ferrarella (born 1948), author
Hedwig Gorski (born 1949), performance poet, avant-garde artist[58]
John Guzlowski (born 1948), poet/novelist/essayist, author (Echoes of Tattered Tongues, Suitcase Charlie)
Christopher Kasparek (born 1945), author, historian, translator, psychiatrist
Chuck Klosterman (born 1972), author with German and Polish ancestry
Lelord Kordel (1904–2001), author of books on nutrition and healthy living
Jerzy Kosinski (1933–1991), novelist
Chris Kuzneski (born 1969), best-selling author of multiple thrillers (Sign of the Cross, The Lost Throne)
Richard C. Lukas (born 1937), author, historian and freelance writer
Czesław Miłosz (1911–2004), Nobel Prize–winning poet, prose writer, essayist and translator[72]
Andrew Nagorski (born 1947), non-fiction/fiction author and award-winning senior editor of Newsweek magazine[73]
Michael Alfred Peszke (1932–2015), psychiatrist and historian of the Polish Armed Forces in World War II[74]
David Pietrusza (born 1949), non-fiction and historical author
Chez Raginiak (born 1960), author
James Rollins (born 1961; né Czajkowski), bestselling author of fantasy and action-adventure thrillers (Sandstorm, Map of Bones)
Leo Rosten (1908–1997), teacher and academic; best known as a humorist in the fields of scriptwriting, storywriting, journalism and Yiddish lexicography
Maurice Sendak (1928–2012), Polish Jewish-American writer and illustrator of children's books
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–1991), Polish-American writer in Yiddish, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.
Maja Trochimczyk (born 1957), music historian, poet, editor, translator and publisher,[75] founder of Moonrise Press[76]
Diane Wakoski (born 1937), poet and essayist in residence at Michigan State University[77]
Maia Wojciechowska (1927–2002), writer of children's books[78]
Leo Yankevich (1961–2018), critic, editor, poet and translator associated with the New Formalist movement[79]
Adam Zamoyski (born 1949), historian and a member of the Zamoyski ancient Polish nobility family[80]
George Zebrowski (born 1945), science fiction author[81]
Roger Zelazny (1937–1995), writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels
Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm (born 1949), academic and non-fiction and historical author
Filmmakers
Joe Augustyn (born 1952), screenwriter, producer (Night of the Demons)
Andrzej Bartkowiak (born 1950), cinematographer, director and actor[82]
Richard Boleslavsky (1889–1937), director (The Painted Veil)
Mark Cendrowski, television director
Shirley Clarke (1919–1997), experimental and independent filmmaker
Tad Danielewski (1921–1993), director/producer;[83] his first wife was Polish-American actress Sylvia Daneel, with whom he emigrated to the United States
Max Fleischer (1883–1972), Polish-American cartoonist, filmmaker and creator of Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman, of Jewish descent
Samuel Goldwyn (1879–1974), Polish-born U.S. Hollywood motion picture producer and founding contributor of several motion picture studios, of Jewish descent[84]
Gene Gutowski (1925–2016), Polish-born European and U.S. motion picture and theater producer, noted sculptor and author. Producer of several of Roman Polanski's early films. Co-producer of The Pianist.
Janusz Kamiński (born 1959), two-time-Oscar-winning cinematographer and film director who has photographed all of Steven Spielberg's movies since Schindler's List (1993)[85]
Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999), US/UK filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and photographer, of Jewish descent
Martin Kunert, writer/director (Campfire Tales, MTV's Fear, Voices of Iraq)
Rudolph Maté (1898–1964), cinematographer and film director[86]
Alan J. Pakula (1928–1998), producer, writer and director (Sophie's Choice), of Jewish descent
Roman Polanski (born 1933), filmmaker born in France; at age 3 moved to Poland; fled from the U.S. to France in 1978 due to allegations of statutory rape, of Jewish descent[87]
Anthony Stanislas Radziwill (1959–1999), television executive/filmmaker[88][better source needed]
Zbigniew Rybczyński (born 1949), director, filmmaker, cinematographer, Oscar winner 1983 Best Animated Short Film
Andrzej Sekuła (born 1954), cinematographer and film director[89]
Aaron Spelling (1923–2006), film and television producer, of Jewish descent
Sam Spiegel (1901–1985), Academy Award-winning film producer, of Jewish descent
Chad Stahelski (born 1968), stuntman and film director
J. Michael Straczynski (born 1954), writer/producer (Babylon 5 franchise)
Gore Verbinski (born 1964), director (Pirates of the Caribbean (all 3 films), The Mexican, The Ring)
Lana Wachowski (born 1965), filmmaker, director (The Matrix, V for Vendetta)[90]
Lilly Wachowski (born 1967), filmmaker, director (The Matrix, V for Vendetta)[90]
Albert Warner (1883–1967), co-founder of Warner Bros. Studios, of Jewish descent[91]
Harry Warner (1881–1958), one of the founders of Warner Bros. and a major contributor to the development of the film industry, of Jewish descent[91]
Jack L. Warner (1892–1978), president and driving force behind the highly successful development of Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, of Jewish descent[91]
Sam Warner (1887–1927), co-founder and chief executive officer of Warner Bros. film company, of Jewish descent[91]
Billy Wilder (1906–2002), journalist, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films, of Jewish descent[92]
Tommy Wiseau, writer, director, and star of The Room[93]
Dariusz Wolski, Polish-born cinematographer (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Crow, A Perfect Murder, Crimson Tide[94])
Journalists
Ben Bradlee, journalist, author, newspaper editor of the Washington Post
Ben Bradlee, Jr., journalist, author, a newspaper editor of the Boston Globe
Mika Brzezinski (born 1967), NBC and MSNBC News journalist and commentator
Wolf Blitzer (born 1948), CNN anchor, born in Augsburg, Allied-occupied Germany to Polish-Jewish survivors from Auschwitz
Rita Cosby (born 1964), MSNBC anchor; journalist[95]
Christopher Hitchens, literary critic and political activist[96][97]
Laura Ingraham (born 1964), conservative political TV commentator/radio show host/author
Wanda Jablonski (1920–1992), journalist
Larry King (1933–2021), Larry King Live, of Jewish descent
John Kobylt, radio personality and co-host of talk radio program John and Ken on KFI AM 640 (Los Angeles, California)
Max Kolonko, TV personality, news correspondent, author, producer[98]
Steve Kornacki, national political correspondent for NBC News
Michelle Kosinski (born 1974), NBC News correspondent
Alan Krashesky, anchorman of Chicago's WLS-TV or ABC 7
Samuel Lubell (1911–1987), print journalist, pollster, and National Book Award finalist
Jim Miklaszewski, chief Pentagon correspondent for NBC News[99]
Carl Monday, investigative journalist in Cleveland[100]
Mike Royko (1932–1997), long-time Chicago newspaper columnist
S.L. Shneiderman (1906–1996), journalist, poet, and writer
Wilma Smith (née Pokorny), anchorwoman WJW-TV
Gloria Steinem (born 1934), American feminist icon, journalist, and social and political activist, of partial Jewish descent
Barbara Walters (1929–2022), broadcast journalist and television personality
Ivo Widlak (born 1978), Polish-born international press, radio and television journalist
Models
Alessandra Ambrosio (born 1981), model and actress
Anna Chudoba (born 1978), model/reality TV star[101]
Janice Dickinson (born 1955), self-proclaimed first supermodel, fashion photographer, actress, author and an agent[102]
Katarzyna Dolinska (born 1986), model and contestant of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10
Alice Greczyn (born 1986), model and actress
Jacquelyn Jablonski (born 1991), model
Anna Jagodzińska (born 1987), Polish model, born in Sierpc
Diane Klimaszewski (born 1971), model and one half of the Coors Light Twins with sister Elaine[103]
Elaine Klimaszewski (born 1971), model and one half of the Coors Light Twins with sister Diane[103]
Karlie Kloss (born 1992), model
Camille Kostek (born 1992), model, actress, and host; was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue[104][105]
Joanna Krupa (born 1981), model and actress, born in Warsaw[106]
Jordan Monroe (born 1986), Playboy model[107]
Beth Ostrosky Stern (born 1972), model and wife of Howard Stern[108]
Emily Ratajkowski (born 1991), Polish-American model who appeared on iCarly
Anja Rubik (born 1983), Polish model, born in Rzeszów
Mia Tyler (born 1978), plus-size model, actress, public speaker and advocate; great-grandfather emigrated from Poland
Musicians
Esther Allan (1914–1985), composer, pianist, and organist
Rosalie Allen (1924–2003), country singer-songwriter, and guitarist
Michael Anthony (born 1954), né Michael Anthony Sobolewski; bassist (Van Halen)
Jerry Augustyniak (born 1958), drummer (10,000 Maniacs)
Pat Benatar (born 1953), née Patricia Mae Andrzejewski, rock singer ("Heartbreaker", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Love Is A Battlefield")
Bhad Bhabie (born 2003), rapper, songwriter and internet personality. Has Jewish Polish ancestry on her father's side.
Eddie Blazonczyk (1941–2012), polka musician
Mike Bordin (born 1962), drummer for (Faith No More)
Dan Bryk, (born 1970), singer-songwriter
Porcelain Black (born 1985), singer-songwriter, rapper, and model; mother of Polish descent
Jordan Buckley, guitarist for Every Time I Die and Better Lovers
Keith Buckley, vocalist for Every Time I Die and Many Eyes
Clem Burke (born 1954), drummer (Blondie)
Peter Cetera (born 1944), singer-songwriter, bassist (Chicago)
Greyson Chance (born 1997), singer-songwriter, and pianist; maternal great-grandmother, Annie J. Kosinski, of Polish descent
Louis Cheslock (born 1898), violinist and composer. Both parents Polish.
Leonard Chess (né Lejzor Szmuel Czyż; 1917–1969), co-founder of Chess Records
Phil Chess (né Fiszel Czyż; 1921–2016), co-founder of Chess Records
"Metal" Mike Chlasciak (born 1971), guitarist of Halford, Cans and PainmuseuM
Florian Chmielewski (1927–2024), Minnesota musician; politician; former legislator; former President of the Minnesota Senate
John Curulewski (1950–1988), one of the original members of Styx
Dick Dale (1937–2019), pioneer of surf rock and one of the most influential guitarists of the early 1960s; experimented with reverb and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers
Neil Diamond (born 1941), singer-songwriter, born to a Jewish family descended from Russian and Polish immigrants
Sławomir Dobrzański (born 1968), classical pianist
Henry Doktorski (born 1956), accordionist, pianist, composer and conductor
Urszula Dudziak (born 1943), jazz singer
Adam Dutkiewicz (born 1977), guitarist (Killswitch Engage)
Eminem (born 1972), rapper, songwriter, and record producer
Rik Fox (born 1955; né Richard Suligowski), heavy metal bass/guitar player (Steeler, W.A.S.P); also actor and published writer
Piotr Gajewski (born 1959), conductor, music director (National Philharmonic)
Tamara Gee (born 1972), pop singer-songwriter
Paul Gilbert (born 1966), guitarist (Mr. Big, Racer X)
Leopold Godowsky (1870–1938), Polish-born pianist/composer
Benny Goodman (1909–1986), jazz musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as "King of Swing", "Patriarch of the Clarinet", "The Professor", and "Swing's Senior Statesman; of Polish Jewish descent
Lawrence Gwozdz (born 1953), saxophone player
Donnie Hamzik (born 1956), heavy metal drummer and original member of Manowar, of Polish descent, born Dominik Hamzik
Josef Hofmann (1876–1957), Polish-born pianist and composer
Mieczysław Horszowski (1892–1993), Polish-born pianist
Frank Iero (born 1981), guitarist for the band (My Chemical Romance)
Walter Jagiello (1930–2006), polka musician; akas: "Mały Władziu", "Li'l Wally", "The Polka King"
Jill Janus (1975–2018), heavy metal singer and frontperson of Huntress, born Jill Janiszewska
Sarah Jarosz (born 1991), singer-songwriter
Bobby Jarzombek (born 1963), drummer (Halford)
Ron Jarzombek, guitarist (Watchtower)
JoJo (born 1990), pop and R&B singer-songwriter; actress
Jan A. P. Kaczmarek (born 1953), Academy Award-winning composer
Kesha (born 1987), pop singer, Polish by maternal great-grandfathers
Greg Kihn (born 1949), pop musician, frontman (The Greg Kihn Band)
Pee Wee King (1914–2000), country-western singer-songwriter ("Tennessee Waltz")
Jake Kiszka (born 1996), guitarist (Greta Van Fleet)
Josh Kiszka (born 1996), frontman (Greta Van Fleet)
Sam Kiszka (born 1999), bassist (Greta Van Fleet)
Frank Klepacki (born 1974), musician, video game music composer and sound director
Miliza Korjus (1909–1980), Polish-born opera singer and Academy Award-nominated actress
Adam Kowalczyk (born 1975), guitar player (Live)
Ed Kowalczyk (born 1971), vocalist (Live)
Gene Krupa (1909–1973), big band and jazz drummer
Jan Lewan (born 1941), polka band leader
Liberace (1919–1987), entertainer of Polish and Italian descent
Karl Logan (born 1965), heavy metal guitarist and member of Manowar, born Carl Mozelewski
Adam Makowicz (born 1940), jazz pianist and composer
Marilyn Manson (born 1969), rock musician
Ray Manzarek (né Manczarek; 1939–2013), The Doors keyboardist and co-founder
Marilyn Mazur (born 1955), percussionist/composer/singer/pianist/bandleader
Paul Mazurkiewicz (born 1968), drummer (Cannibal Corpse)
Robert Muczynski (1929–2010), composer
Karen O (born 1978), née Karen Lee Orzolek, singer (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
Krystian Ochman (born 1999), singer-songwriter
Benjamin Orr (né Benjamin Orzechowski, 1947–2000), lead singer and bassist (The Cars)
Ken Peplowski (born 1959), jazz clarinetist and saxophonist
Christina Perri (born 1986), singer-songwriter
Gene Pitney (1940–2006), singer-songwriter
Poe (born 1968), née Anne Decatur Danielewski, singer-songwriter
Bogdan Raczynski (born 1977), musician
Frederic Rzewski (1938–2021), composer and pianist
John Rzeznik (born 1965), guitarist and vocalist of Goo Goo Dolls
Richie Sambora (born 1959), Bon Jovi guitarist
Neil Sedaka (born 1939), singer-songwriter
Stevenson Sedgwick, composer, keyboard player (The Phantom Limbs), multi-instrumentalist, composer Black Ice
Jacques Singer (1910–1980), conductor
Matt Skiba (born 1976), singer and guitarist (Alkaline Trio, blink-182)
Ruth Slenczynska (born 1925), pianist
Hillel Slovak (1962–1988), Israeli-American musician; original guitarist and founding Igor Stravinsky of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Walt Solek (1910–2005), polka musician
Paul Stanley (born 1952; né Stanley Bert Eisen), Kiss singer and guitarist with Polish father[109]
Peter Steele (1962–2010; né Peter Thomas Ratajczyk), vocalist, bassist (Type O Negative)
Zygmunt Stojowski (1870–1946), pianist and composer
Leopold Stokowski (1882–1977), conductor and composer
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), Polish blooded composer, widely considered the top 20th century composer who immigrated from Russia
Roman Totenberg (1911–2012), Polish-born violinist
Thomas Tyra (1933–1995), college bandmaster, composer, arranger and music educator
Steven Tyler (born 1948), lead singer for the rock band Aerosmith
Michał Urbaniak (born 1943), Polish-born jazz musician
Bobby Vinton (born 1935), pop singer
Henryk Wars (1902–1977), composer
Cory Wells (1941–2015; né Emil Lewandowski), born in Buffalo, New York; one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night
Jack White (born 1975), singer/guitarist for The White Stripes
D'arcy Wretzky (born 1968), bassist (The Smashing Pumpkins)
Franciszek Zachara (1898–1966), composer, pianist
Theater and dance
Christine Baranski, stage, film and television actress (Tony, Emmy, Drama Desk award winner)
Walter Bobbie (né Wladysław Babij), Broadway director
Pesach Burstein (1896–1986), Polish-born Israeli-American actor, comedian, singer; director of Yiddish vaudeville/theatre (husband of Lillian Lux and father of Mike Burstyn)
Mike Burstyn (born 1945), musical theatre actor; entertainer (son of Pesach Burstein and Lillian Lux)
David Burtka (born 1975), stage actor
John Gromada, Broadway composer and sound designer
Jerry Jarrett (né Jerome Jaroslow), Broadway musical theatre actor
Staś Kmieć, theater and dance choreographer
Chloe Lukasiak (born 2001), dancer and reality television personality
Lillian Lux (1918–2005), singer-songwriter, author, and actress in Yiddish theater and Yiddish vaudeville; wife of Pesach Burstein; mother of Mike Burstyn
Ida Nowakowska, actress, singer and dancer
Mario Nugara, ballet dancer, director, instructor, born Pittsburgh, PA Italian/Polish descent, mother Irene Bober Nugara was Polish.
Eva Puck (1892−1979), vaudeville and Broadway star from the 1890s to the 1920s, mother was born in Poland.
Magda Romanska, Polish-born playwright, writer, and theatre scholar, author of the critically-acclaimed play Opheliamachine.
Anna Sokolow, leading American modern-dance choreographer, Broadway choreographer
Zypora Spaisman, Lublin-born, U.S. stage actress (Yiddish Theatre); was midwife in Poland during World War II
Marta Wittkowska, contralto operatic singer
Karen Ziemba, Tony Award-winning actress, singer and dancer
Business and economics
Darius Adamczyk, Polish-born CEO of Honeywell
Drew Bartkiewicz, founder and CEO of lettrs
Andrzej Beck, in 1983, he established his own firm, Eastport Trading
Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder and CSO of Airbnb
Leonard Bosack, co-founder of Cisco Systems
Paul Bragiel, internet entrepreneur
Maciej Cegłowski, web developer, entrepreneur. He is the owner of the bookmarking service Pinboard
Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb
Jennifer Dulski, President and COO of Change.org
Olga Erteszek, undergarment designer and lingerie company owner
Max Factor, Sr., Polish-born cosmetics company founder
Tony Fadell, American engineer, inventor, designer, entrepreneur, and angel investor. Known as "one of the fathers of the iPod"
Andrew Filipowski, technology entrepreneur and founded Platinum Technology
David Geffen, American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist
Leo Gerstenzang, inventor of Q-Tips[110]
Alan Greenspan, economist; Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States, 1987-2006
Joseph Grendys, chairman, CEO, president and owner od Koch Foods
Ron Grzywinski, co-founder of ShoreBank
Nathan Handwerker, Polish-Jewish-American entrepreneur known for creating the Nathan's Famous brand of hot dogs
Erazm Jerzmanowski, industrialist, philanthropist and patron of art
Barbara Piasecka Johnson, humanitarian and art collector, who was one of the richest women in the world[111][112]
Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman/CEO of Gibson Guitar Corporation[113]
Tom Kalinske, former president and CEO of Sega of America
Chris Kempczinski, president and CEO of McDonald's Corporation.
Marcin Kleczynski, CEO and co-founder of American Internet security company, Malwarebytes
Adam Kolawa, CEO and co-founder of Parasoft
John Koza, computer scientist and co-founder of Scientific Games Corporation
Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco International, convicted in 2005 of fraud
Anthony Levandowski, American self-driving car engineer. He co-founded Otto and Pronto AI
Valeria Lipczynski, American businesswoman
Hank Magnuski, co-founder and CEO of GammaLink, an early pioneer in PC-to-fax technology
John Michael Małek, engineer, entrepreneur, real estate investor and developer and philanthropist
Reuben and Rose Mattus, founders of the Häagen-Dazs company
John Mojecki, businessman and community activist
Edward Mosberg (1926–2022), Polish-American Holocaust survivor, real estate developer, educator, and philanthropist
Luke Nosek, co-founder of PayPal
Edward P. Roski, real estate businessman; rated #163 on Forbes' 400 Richest Americans (2008), with a net worth of approximately $2.5 billion
Frank Piasecki, founder of Piasecki Helicopter Company, inventor of dual-rotor helicopters
Edward Piszek, co-founded the Mrs. Paul's frozen foods brand
Helena Rubinstein, Polish-born cosmetics company founder
Lydia Sarfati, founder of the Repechage cosmetics company
Martha Stewart (née Martha Kostyra; born 1941), business magnate, author, editor, former stockbroker, model, and homemaking advocate[114]
John J. Studzinski, investment banker and philanthropist
John Stumpf, former chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo
Bob Stupak, founded Vegas World casino and the Stratosphere tower
Peter Szulczewski, co-founder and CEO of Wish
Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore International; President and CEO of Atari Corporation[115]
Jan Waszkiewicz, co-founder of Randolph Engineering
Sanford I. Weill, banker, philanthropist, CEO/Chairman of Citigroup[116]
Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe, a personal genomics and biotechnology company
Susan Wojcicki, senior vice president in charge of product management and engineering at Google
Steve Wozniak, co-founder Apple Computer, Inc.
Michael J. Wytrwal, one of the successful businessmen and entrepreneurs of the early 1900s in Amsterdam, New York
Carl Yankowski, former CEO of Palm, Inc. and Ambient Devices
Christian Brevoort Zabriskie, vice president of Pacific Coast Borax Company
Felix Zandman, founder of Vishay Intertechnology
Wojciech Zaremba, co-founder of OpenAI
Sam Zell, U.S.-born billionaire and real estate entrepreneur
Ben S. Stefanski, founder of Third Federal S&L
Military
Sylvester Antolak (1916–1944), U.S. Army sergeant, posthumously received the Medal of Honor
Alexander Bielaski (1811–1861), Captain of the Union Army
Leo J. Dulacki (1918–2019), U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general whose last assignment was as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower[118]
Gabby Gabreski (1919–2002), Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski was a U.S. Army Air Corps and later U.S. Air Force officer who was a fighter ace in World War II, and again in Korea[119]
Stephen R. Gregg (1914–2005), U.S. Army T/Sgt, received the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II
Ralph Ignatowski (1926–1945), awarded the Purple Heart with Gold Star, Presidential Unit Citation with Star, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal
Appolonia Jagiello (1825–1866), Polish-Lithuainian revolutionary during the 1846 Kraków uprising and Hungarian Revolution, later immigrated to the United States.[120]
Jan Karski (1914–2000), Polish World War II resistance fighter and scholar[