Famous People

The following is a list of prominent Magyars (Hungarians), some of who were born outside present-day Hungary to Hungarian parents.

Artists

• Albert Schickedanz
• Andre François
• Arpad Feszty
• Beni Ferenczy
• Ede Kallos
• Ede Margo
• Emil Bisttram
• Ferenc Joachim
• Ferenc Medgyessy
• Gyula Agghazy
• Gyula Donath
• Imre Makovecz, architect
• Istvan Ferenczy
• Istvan Horkay
• Istvan Orosz
• Janos Fadrusz
• Janos Horvay
• Janos Pasztor
• Janos Tornyai
• Jozsef Rona
• Karoly Alexy
• Karoly Antal
• Lajos Vajda
• Laszlo Mednyanszky
• Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, painter
• Líviusz Gyulai
• Marcel Breuer, furniture designer
• Maurice Ascalon, sculptor and industrial designer
• Miklos Borsos
• Miklos Izso
• Miklos Ligeti
• Mor Than
• Noi Morei, urban artist
• Pal Szinyei Merse
• Sandor Bortnyik
• Sylvia Plachy, photographer
• Tamas Waliczky
• Tivadar Csontvary Kosztka
• Victor Vasarely
• Zoltan Kemeny
• Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl

Film

• Adolph Zukor, founder, Paramount Pictures
• Adrien Brody
• Alexander Korda
• Andrew G. Vajna, producer
• Attila Dargay
• Bela Lugosi
• Bela Tarr
• Bill Dana
• David Krumholtz
• Drew Barrymore
• Eva Gabor
• Frank Darabont, producer/director
• Gabor Csupo, animator of Rugrats and early Simpsons
• George Cukor, film director
• George Pal
• Goldie Hawn
• Ilona Massey (nee Harmassy)
• Istvan Szabo
• Jamie Lee Curtis
• Joe Eszterhas, screenwriter
• Joe Penner
• Karoly Makk
• Kate Hudson
• Lajos Koltai
• Laszlo Benedek, film director
• Laszlo Kovacs, cinematographer
• Laszlo Marton , theatre director
• Mariska Hargitay
• Michael Curtiz (ne Kertesz), director of Casablanca
• Miklos Jancso
• Nimrod Antal (1973- ) film director
• Paul Lukas
• Paul Newman
• Steven Spielberg, director
• Tony Curtis
• Vilma Banky
• Vilmos Zsigmond, cinematographer
• Zsa Zsa Gabor

Musicians and Composers

• Antal Dorati
• Balint Bakfark
• Bela Bartok, composer
• Erno Dohnanyi
• Ervin Nyiregyhazi
• Eugene Ormandy, conductor
• Ferenc Erkel
• Franz Lehar
• Franz Liszt
• Gene Simmons, Singer/bassist/ rock band KISS
• Joseph Joachim
• Laszlo Vidovszky
• Mark Knopfler and David Knopfler of Dire Straits
• Miklos Rozsa, film score composer
• Pal Kadosa
• Paul Simon, singer/songwriter, Hungarian parents
• Tommy Ramone, member of the Ramones
• Zoltan Kocsis, composer
• Zoltan Kodaly

Scientists

• Abraham Ganz
• Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, biologist and polymath
• Bela Barenyi
• Charles Simonyi, computer developer
• Cornelius Lanczos, physicist
• Dennis Gabor
• Donat Banki
• Edward Teller, father of the hydrogen bomb
• Erno Rubik
• Eugene Wigner, quantum physicist, Nobel Prize (1963)
• Farkas Bolyai
• Franz Nopcsa von Felso-Szilvas
• Gabor Szego, mathematician
• Georg von Bekesy, biophysicist
• George Andrew Olah, Chemist
• Gergely Berzeviczy
• Gyorgy Jendrassik
• Janos Bolyai
• Janos Irinyi
• Janos Kornai
• John George Kemeny
• John von Neumann, computer scientist
• Jozsef Szabo von Szentmiklos
• Kalman Kando
• Kalman Tihanyi
• Karoly Zipernowsky
• Laszlo Lovasz, mathematician
• Leo Szilard, physicist
• Lorand Eotvos
• Maria Telkes
• Michael Polanyi
• Miksa Deri
• Nicholas Kurti, physicist
• Otto Blathy
• Paul Halmos, mathematician
• Peter Carl Goldmark, engineer
• Peter Lax, Mathematician
• Richard Adolf Zsigmondy
• Stevan Harnad, scientist
• Theodore von Karman, scientist
• Thomas Sebeok
• Tivadar Puskas
• Victor Szebehely
• Zoltan Bay

Sportspeople

• Al Hrabosky, baseball player
• Arpad Elo, (1903-1992), Hungarian-born American creator of the chess Elo rating system
• Barcza Gedeon (1911- ), chess player
• Baumgartner Zsolt (1981- ), Formula One driver
• Benedek Tibor, waterpolo player
• Benko Pal (1928- ), chess player
• Bernie Kosar, football player
• Breyer Gyula (1894-1921), chess player
• Buzsaky Akos football Player
• Charles Nagy, baseball player
• Csak Ibolya, winner of the women's high jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics
• Czibor Zoltan (1929-1997), soccer player
• Darnyi Tamas, swimmer (four Olympic gold medals)
• Don Shula, football coach
• Egerszegi Krisztina, swimmer (five Olympic gold medals)
• Elek Ilona, fencer (Olympic gold before and after World War II)
• Erdei Zsolt, boxer, WBO light heavyweight world champion
• Gera Zoltan C, Ferencvaros and West Bromwich Albion footballer
• Gerevich Aladar, fencer (six Olympic gold medals)
• Gogolak Karoly, (1944- ), American footballer
• Gyula Grosics, goalkeeper
• Hajos Alfred (born Arnold Guttmann), swimmer (double Olympic champion)
• Hargitay Miklos, bodybuilder and actor
• Hidegkuti Nandor (1922-2002), soccer player
• Jack Lengyel, football coach
• Joe Namath, football player
• Joe Theismann, former football player turned broadcaster
• Karch Kiraly, volleyball player
• Karolyi Bela (1942- ), premier gymnastics coach (ethnic Hungarian born in Romania, now a United States citizen)
• Kocsis Sandor (1929-1979), soccer player
• Kovacs "Koko" Istvan, boxer, olympic and WBO world champion
• Kovacs Pal, fencer (six Olympic gold medals)
• Ladislas Farago, journalist
• Larry Csonka, football player
• Leko Peter (1979- ), chess player, currently ranked sixth of the world
• Lichtenfeld Imi, Boxer and Wrestler, developed the self-defence system Krav Maga
• Lilienthal Andor (1911- ), chess player
• Lily Kronberger four-time world figure skating champion
• Lou Groza
• Lowenthal Janos Jakab (1810-1876), chess player
• Magyar Zoltàn (1953 -), twice Olympic pommel horse gold medallist
• Maroczy Geza (1870-1951), chess player
• Mickey Hargitay, bodybuilder
• Monica Seles, tennis player
• Nick Fazekas, basketball player
• Onodi Henrietta, Olympic medal-winning gymnast
• Opika von Meray Horvath, three-time World figure skating champion
• Papp Laszlo, boxer (triple Olympic champion)
• Polgar Judit (1976- ), chess player
• Polgar Zsofia (1974- ), chess player
• Portisch Lajos (1937- ), chess player
• Puskas Ferenc (1927, 2006), football (soccer) player
• Sebes Gusztav (1906-1986), Hungarian national soccer coach
• Sipos Tamas, sports commentator and writer, former director of Hungarian television
• Szabo Laszlo (1917-1998), chess player
• Tim Howard, soccer player

Writers

• Albert Wass
• Árpad Toth
• Attila Jozsef
• Balint Balassa
• Csaba Csere
• Daniel Berzsenyi
• Elie Wiesel
• Endre Ady
• Ferenc Kazinczy
• Ferenc Kolcsey
• Ferenc Mora
• Gaspar Nagy
• Geza Gardonyi
• Imre Madach
• Istvan Gyongyosi
• Janos Arany
• Joseph Pulitzer
• Jozsef Karman
• Jozsef Katona
• Kalman Kalocsay
• Kati Marton
• Lajos Kassak
• Mihaly Babits
• Mihaly Csokonai Vitez
• Mihaly Fazekas
• Mihaly Vorosmarty
• Mor Jokai
• Nikola Zrinski
• Peter Esterhazy
• Sandor Kisfaludy
• Sandor Marai
• Sandor Petofi
• Sebestyen Tinodi Lantos
• Süto Andras
• Zsigmond Kemeny
• Zsigmond Moricz

Other Famous Hungarians

• Alex Koroknay-Palicz, executive director of National Youth Rights Association
• Calvin Klein, fashion designer
• Chris Jansing, newscaster
• Ernie Kovacs, entertainer
• Eugene Lang, philanthropist
• Ferenc A. Vali, lawyer, author, political analyst
• George Pal, animator
• George Soros, speculator, investor, philanthropist, political activist
• Harry Houdini, escape artist
• Hirsch Jacobs, racehorse owner and trainer
• Magda Gabor, entertainer
• Steven Brust, writer