Last Revision: October 4, 2002
The purpose of this Web page is to provide inspiration for those who have manic depression (bipolar disorder) or depression (unipolar disorder). The "Famous People List" originated in 1993, and was the first of its kind on the Web. I am indebted to contributors all over the planet who have made this list a success.
The list includes living celebrities who have publicly stated that they have experienced manic depression or depression in their lives. The Bibliography contains the sources for this information. [Note: Please do not re-post this list without my permission.]
Contents of this Web page:
How the Lists Are CompiledCelebrities Who Have Experienced Manic DepressionCelebrities Who Have Experienced Depression Bibliography
Go to Joy's famous people of the past list Go to Joy's bipolar disorder information pages
How the Lists Are Compiled:
These are lists-in-progress. When a name is suggested to me, I find documentation before adding the celebrity's name to the list. Hearsay (or speculation) is not enough evidence to include a name. Sources must be reliable, and may include biographies, autobiographies, printed articles, and radio and television interviews. In some cases, there has been personal interaction with the celebrity by the person who suggested the name. [Click here to go to the Bibliography for the following lists.]
Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)
These individuals have publicly stated that they have experienced manic depression in their lives.
- Buzz Aldrin, astronaut
- Shelley Beattie, athlete (bodybuilding, sailing), artist
- Ned Beatty, actor
- Maurice Benard, actor
- Danny Bonaduce, radio personality, actor, writer
- Robert Boorstin, writer, special assistant to Pres. Clinton, State Department
- Art Buchwald, writer, humorist
- Alohe Jean Burke (Ghafoor), musician, vocalist
- Tim Burton, artist, movie director
- Robert Campeau, financier (Canada)
- Lisa Nicole Carson, actor
- Dick Cavett, writer, media personality
- C.E. Chaffin, writer, poet
- Garnet Coleman, legislator (Texas)
- Francis Ford Coppola, director
- Patricia Cornwell, writer
- John Daly, athlete (golf)
- Ray Davies, musician
- Lenny Dee, musician
- Eric Douglas, actor
- Robert Downey, Jr., actor
- Kitty Dukakis, former First Lady of Massachusetts
- Patty Duke (Anna Duke Pearce), actor, writer
- Thomas Eagleton, lawyer, former U.S. Senator
- Margot Early, writer
- Robert Evans, film producer
- Carrie Fisher, writer, actor
- Larry Flynt, magazine publisher
- Connie Francis, actor, musician
- Stephen Fry, actor, author, comedian
- Kaye Gibbons, writer
- Kit Gingrich, Newt's Mom
- Stuart Goddard (Adam Ant), musician
- Shecky Greene, comedian, actor
- Linda Hamilton, actor
- Kristin Hersh, musician
- Jack Irons, musician
- Kay Redfield Jamison, psychologist, writer
- Daniel Johnston, musician
- Margot Kidder, actor
- Peter Nolan Lawrence, writer (England)
- Rika Lesser, writer, translator
- Bill Lichtenstein, producer (TV & radio)
- Sue Lyon, actress
- Jay Marvin, radio personality, writer
- Kevin McDonald, comedian, actor
- Kristy McNichol, actor
- Dimitri Mihalas, scientist
- Kate Millett, writer, artist
- John Mulheren, financier (U.S.)
- Robert Munsch, writer
- Ilie Nastase, athlete (tennis), politician
- Tony Orlando, musician
- Margo Orum, writer
- Nicola Pagett, actor
- Susan Panico (Susan Dime-Meenan), business executive
- Jimmie Piersall, athlete (baseball), sports announcer
- Charley Pride, musician
- Mac Rebennack (Dr. John), musician
- Jeannie C. Riley, musician
- Lynn Rivers, U.S. Congress
- Alys Robi, vocalist (Canada)
- Axl Rose, musician
- Francesco Scavullo, artist, photographer
- Lori Schiller, writer, educator
- Frances Sherwood, writer
- Scott Simmie, writer, journalist
- Earl Simmons (DMX), musician, actor
- Alonzo Spellman, athlete (football)
- Muffin Spencer-Devlin, athlete (pro golf)
- Darryl Strawberry, athlete (baseball)
- Ben Stiller, actor, comedian
- Gordon Sumner (Sting), musician, composer
- Lili Taylor, actor
- Dimitrius Underwood, athlete (football)
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, athlete (martial arts), actor
- Mark Vonnegut, doctor, writer
- Sol Wachtler, judge, writer
- Tom Waits, musician, composer
- Brian Wilson, musician, composer, arranger
- Jonathan Winters, comedian, actor, writer, artist
- Luther Wright, athlete (basketball)
Unipolar Disorder (Depression)
These individuals have publicly stated that they have experienced depression in their lives.
- Marvin Lee Aday (Meat Loaf), musician, actor
- Louie Anderson, comedian, actor
- Fiona Apple, musician
- Oksana Baiul, athlete (skating)
- Rona Barrett, entertainment reporter, author
- Halle Berry, actor
- Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister, Norway
- Marlon Brando, actor
- Willie Burton, athlete (basketball)
- Delta Burke, actor
- Barbara Bush, former First Lady (U.S.)
- Helen Caldicott, activist, writer
- Drew Carey, actor, comedian
- Jim Carrey, actor, comedian
- Melanie Chisholm, singer
- Margaret Cho, actor, comedian
- Sandra Cisneros, writer
- Dick Clark, television personality (American Bandstand)
- John Cleese, comedian, actor, writer
- Leonard Cohen, musician, writer
- Paula Cole, actor
- Judy Collins, musician, writer
- Shawn Colvin, musician
- Jeff Conaway, actor
- Pat Conroy, writer
- Billy Corgan, musician
- Kathy Cronkite, writer
- Sheryl Crow, musician
- Bill Dana, comedian
- Rodney Dangerfield, comedian, actor
- Jonathan Davis, musician, composer
- Sandra Dee, actor
- Ellen DeGeneres, comedienne, actor
- Paolo DiCanio, athlete (soccer)
- Scott Donie, Olympic athlete (diving)
- Tony Dow, actor, producer, director
- Queen Elizabeth
- Jules Feiffer, playwright, screenwriter, cartoonist
- Tim Finn, musician, composer
- Eddie Fisher, singer
- Harrison Ford, actor
- Albert French, writer
- Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
- John Kenneth Galbraith, economist, educator, author
- James Garner, actor
- Paul Gascoigne, athlete (soccer)
- Kendall Gill, athlete (basketball)
- Dwight Gooden, athlete (baseball)
- Tipper Gore, activist
- Pete Harnisch, athlete (baseball)
- Mariette Hartley, actor
- Juliana Hatfield, musician
- Anthony Hopkins, actor
- Janet Jackson, musician
- Billy Joel, musician, composer
- Elton John, musician, composer
- Daniel Johns, musician
- Ashley Judd, actor
- Gelsey Kirkland, dancer
- Joey Kramer, musician
- Julie Krone, athlete (horse racing)
- Pat LaFontaine, athlete (hockey)
- Jessica Lange, actor
- Jacob Lawrence, artist
- Allie Light, director
- Rick London, cartoonist
- Greg Louganis, Olympic athlete (diving)
- Courtney Love, musician, actor
- Camryn Manheim, actor
- Martha Manning, psychologist, writer
- Dave Matthews, musician, composer
- Gary McDonald, actor (Australia)
- A.J. McLean, musician
- Robert McFarlane, former National Security Advisor (U.S.)
- Rod McKuen, writer, poet, producer
- Paul Merton, comedian (U.K.)
- Alanis Morissette, musician, composer
- S.P. Morrissey, musician
- Les Murray, poet (Australia)
- V.S. Naipaul, writer, Nobel Laureate
- Stevie Nicks, musician
- Deborah Norville, television journalist
- Sinead O'Connor, musician
- Rosie O'Donnell, actor, talk show host
- Ozzy Osbourne, musician
- Donny Osmond, musician
- Marie Osmond, musician
- Dolly Parton, musician, arranger, writer
- Charley Pell, former coach, Univ of Florida
- Teddy Pendergrass, musician
- Alma Powell, wife of Gen. Colin Powell
- Susan Powter, motivational speaker
- Freddie Prinze, Jr., actor
- Bonnie Raitt, musician
- Lou Reed, musician
- Trent Reznor, musician
- Joan Rivers, comedienne, talk show host
- Robbie Rist, actor
- Roseanne, actor, writer, comedienne
- Martin Rossiter, musician
- Winona Ryder, actor
- Yves Saint Laurent, fashion designer
- Monica Seles, athlete (tennis)
- Linda Sexton, writer
- Neil Simon, writer, playwright
- Paul Simon, composer, musician
- Lauren Slater, writer
- Jose Solano, actor
- Phil Spector, producer (music)
- Rick Springfield, musician, actor
- George Stephanopoulos, political advisor, educator
- Teresa Stratas, musician (opera)
- Darryl Strawberry, athlete (baseball)
- William Styron, writer
- James Taylor, musician
- Kate Taylor, musician
- Livingston Taylor, musician
- Tracy Thompson, writer, reporter
- Hunter Tylo, actor
- Kurt Vonnegut, writer
- Mike Wallace, journalist, TV news (CBS)
- Damon Wayans, comedian, actor, writer, director, producer
- Dar Williams, musician
- Tom Wolfe, writer
- Elizabeth Wurtzel, writer
- Boris Yeltsin, former President, Russia