Famous People from Bristol

Find out about some of the most well-known people with links to Bristol.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 - 1859)

Brunel was not born in Bristol, but many of his most famous projects were completed in the city, from the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge and SS Great Britain through to the Old Passenger Shed at Bristol Temple Meads station, the Tubular Swivel Bridge in Cumberland Basin, and the sluice gates at Underfall Yard.

Cary Grant (1904 - 1986)

Born Archibald Leach in Horfield, Bristol, Grant's first role in theatre was working at the Bristol Hippodrome. He made over 70 films and became one of the best-loved actors of all time. He remained a regular visitor to Bristol, usually staying in the Royal Hotel, now known as the Bristol Marriott Royal. In 2001, to mark the 70th anniversary of Grant's arrival in Hollywood, Bristol unveiled a new Cary Grant statue in Millennium Square by the harbourside.

Banksy (?)

Controversial and anonymous local grafitti artist who is famed throughout the world for his street art. Some of his pieces have sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds, with Hollywood A-listers and celebrities being some of the top collectors of his work. Find out more about where you can see Banksy’s work in Bristol currently.

Famous Bristol residents throughout history..

John Cabot (1450 - 1498)

Italian-born explorer who sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland on the Matthew in 1497. Local historians believe he lived in St Nicholas Street in Bristol's Old City. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of his voyage, the Cabot Tower was erected on Brandon Hill in 1897 and still stands today.

Blackbeard the Pirate aka Edward Teach (c. 1680 – 1718)

A notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies.

John Wesley (1703 - 1791)

Founder of the Methodist Church, Wesley worked and preached in Bristol. His statue can be seen outside the New Room in Broadmead - the first Methodist Chapel ever to have been built. The New Room Museum tells the fascinating story of Charles and John Wesley's lives.

Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788)

An English leader of the Methodist movement, most widely known for writing about 6,500 hymns and carols, including 'Hark the Herald Angels sing.' He lived at 4 Charles Street, along with his wife and three children from 1749 to 1771. You can visit Charles Wesley's House, which is arranged exactly as it was when the family lived there.

Hannah More (1745 -1833)

Educator, writer and social reformer, Hannah More was born and raised in Bristol. She was also known for her writings on abolition and for encouraging women to join the anti-slavery movement.

John Loudon McAdam (1746 - 1836)

Scottish engineer John McAdam moved to Berkeley Square, Bristol in 1801 to help build and develop a new road system for the city. During his time with the Bristol Turnpike Trust, he developed a new process of road construction, which involved layering different types of crushed stone and gravel on top of one another, followed by a final layer of tar to make the road surface more durable. This method soon became known as tarmacadam (tar + McAdam), and was eventually shortened to Tarmac, which is still used on roads throughout the world today.

Sir Humphrey Davy (1778 -  1829)

Famous for discovering laughing gas (NOS) whilst in Bristol and inventing the miners' safety lamp, Sir Humphrey Davy had a laboratory in Dowry Square, Hotwells.

Princess Caraboo (1791 - 1864)

Princess Caraboo appeared in Almondsbury, near Bristol in 1817, speaking a strange and foreign language. The quest to identify her became a local sensation. A mystery visitor claimed she had identified herself as Princess Caraboo of Javasu, and had escaped from a ship to whose captain she had been sold by pirates. She was later exposed as being Mary Willcocks of Devon, a cobbler's daughter, and her life story was made into a major feature film, not surprisingly titled 'Princess Caraboo'.

George Muller (1805 - 1898)

Founder of the huge Orphan Homes on Ashley Down (now home to The George Müller Museum and City of Bristol College), he housed, fed and educated more than 10,000 orphans in Victorian Bristol. He was pioneering in his Christian faith (he never fundraised but prayed for provision) and in his approach to education, raising the social status of thousands by equipping and sending them on into paid work. 

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821 - 1910)

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in Bristol and was the first female to receive a medical degree in the United States. In 1859 she became the first woman to have her name entered in the British General Medical Council's medical register and she campaigned for the admission of women to medical degrees. In the US National Women Physicians Day marks her birthday on 3rd February.

Samuel Plimsoll (1824 - 1898)

Plimsoll was born in Colston Parade, Bristol. He campaigned against overloading ships with cargo, resulting in the introduction of the Plimsoll line on every ship to show its maximum load capacity.

Billy Butlin (1899 - 1980)

Butlin funded British holiday camps Butlin's in 1936 which sought to provide affordable holidays and entertainment for ordinary British families. He lived in Bristol as a small boy and attended St Mary Redcliffe school. Butlin returned to Bristol as an adult and had his first taste of entertainment for the masses when he opened a hoop-la stall in Lock's Yard, Bedminster.

The city is where many more first cut their teeth in the industry and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Here are just some of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s most notable alumni.

Brian Blessed (1936 - )

Brian Blessed trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and is known for his hearty, king-sized portrayals on theatre, film and television. His roles in movies like “Flash Gordon,” “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” and his portrayal of King Lear on stage, along with many, many other acting credits.

Samantha Bond (1961 - )

Samantha Bond is well-known for playing Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan era, and for her role on Downton Abbey. She is also known for originating the role of "Miz Liz" Probert in the Rumpole of the Bailey series. Bond is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Stephanie Cole OBE (1941 - )

Stephanie Cole is a star of stage, television, known for high-profile roles. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 1958 to 1960 and was awarded an honorary Masters of Arts degree from the University of Bristol.

Olivia Colman (1974 - )

Sarah Caroline Sinclair CBE, known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress and graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She is known for her comedic and dramatic roles in film and television, including; Peep Show, Fleabag, Broadchurch, The Night Manager and The Crown. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Emmy Awards, three British Academy Television Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

Charlie Cox (1982 - )

Charlie Cox, another alumni of Bristol Old Voc Theatre School is best known for portraying Matt Murdock / Daredevil in several projects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. He has also appeared in Stardust (2007), Boardwalk Empire (2011–2012), The Theory of Everything (2014), Kin (2021) and Treason (2022). He has performed on stage in West End and on Broadway.

Sir Daniel Day-Lewis (1957– )

One of the most respected actors of his generation, he has also been hailed as one of the greatest actors in cinematic history. Day-Lewis attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School for three years, eventually performing at the Bristol Old Vic itself.

Erin Doherty (1992 - )

Erin Doherty trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, She played the young Princess Anne in the third and fourth seasons of the Netflix drama The Crown, and Becky in the BBC/Amazon Prime drama Chloe.

Phil Dunster (1992 - )

Phil Dunster is known for his roles in the Sky One drama Strike Back, the Channel 4 science fiction series Humans (2018), the ITV comedy-drama The Trouble with Maggie Cole (2020), the Apple TV+ sports series Ted Lasso (2020–2023), and the Amazon Prime thriller The Devil's Hour (2022). For his role in Ted Lasso, Dunster has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2023.

Billy Harris (1994 - )

Harris was a student of theatre at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 2014 and 2017. After graduation, he appeared in a wide number of stage roles.  He appears as Colin Hughes in all seasons of the Apple TV+ television show Ted Lasso.

Naomie Harris OBE (1976 - )

A well respected film and TV actor, best known for her roles in 28 Days Later, (2002), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), Moonlight (2016), Collateral Beauty (2016) and No Time To Die (2020). Harris trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Billy Howle

Billy Howle was trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His films include On Chesil Beach, The Seagull, and Outlaw King. On television, he is known for his roles in the E4 drama Glue, the BBC miniseries The Serpent, MotherFatherSon, and the BritBox thriller series The Beast Must Die.

Jeremy Irons (1948 - )

Jeremy Irons is an English theatre, tv and film actor. He received classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and once busked on the streets of Bristol. He has starred in many West End and Broadway productions and films including Dead Ringers, The Lion King, Lolita and TV series Brideshead Revisted. 

Theo James (1984 - )

Theo James trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and gained recognition for playing Tobias Eaton in The Divergent Series film trilogy (2014–2016). He has also starred films; Underworld: Awakening (2012), Underworld: Blood Wars (2016) and Archive (2020). In television, he has appeared in Golden Boy (2012), the first series of Sanditon (2019), The Time Traveler's Wife (2022), The White Lotus (2022), which earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Alex Jennings (1957 - )

Alex Jennings is an English actor of the stage and screen, who worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. For his work on the London stage, Jennings received three Olivier Awards. In Film and TV he is known for The Queen (2006) and The Crown among many others.

Ian Lavender (1946 - 2024)

Ian Lavender was a stage, film and television actor who trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC comedy series Dad's Army.

Josh O’Connor (1990 -)

Josh O’Connor trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He is best known for playing the lead role in God's Own Country (2017) for which he won a British Independent Film Award and for portraying a young Charles III in the Netflix drama series The Crown (2019–2020). He also has had supporting roles in Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders. O'Connor has won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Pete Postlethwaite OBE (1946 – 2011)

Postlethwaite was an actor, known for films including In the Name of the Father, Dragonheart, Romeo + Juliet, Brassed Off, Sharpe, The Constant Gardener, Clash of the Titans, Inception and The Town. He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Miranda Richardson (1958 - )

Richardson is a BAFTA winning and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated actor who trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She is best known for her roles in Damage, Tom & Viv, Blackadder , The Crying Game, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Made in Dagenham 

Patrick Stewart (1940 - )

is an English actor, director and producer whose work has included roles on stage, television and film, in a career spanning six decades. He has been nominated for Olivier, Golden Globe, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Saturn Awards. He is best known for his roles within the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series. He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Mark Strong (1963 - )

Strong is an actor. was trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He is best known for his film roles in Stardust, Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Zero Dark Thirty, The Imitation Game, Kingsman: The Secret Service and Shazam!

Gene Wilder (1933 - 2016)

Gene Wilder, was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, singer-songwriter and author. Best known for playing Willy Wonka in in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

As well as those who trained in Bristol at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School above, Bristol has produced many famous faces and celebrities from the world of film and TV (past and present).

Johnny Ball (1938 - )

Johnny Ball is an English television personality. Ball was born in Bristol and attended Kingswood Primary School.

Nick Brimble  (1944 - )

Nick Brimble was born in Bristol and attended Bristol Grammar School. His parents gave him a season ticket to the Bristol Old Vic where he saw every play from the age of 11 until he went to university at 18. Perhaps best known for playing Little John in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Nick has worked on British television consistently and has also appeared in many theatre productions and films.

Derren Brown (1971 - )

Brown is an English mentalist, illusionist, and author. He studied Law and German at the University of Bristol and while studying there, he began his career in illusion and hypnosis.

John Challisn (1942 - )

Challisn, born in Bristol, is an actor best known for portraying Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in the long-running BBC television comedy series Only Fools and Horses, which was also filmed in Bristol. You can take an Only Fools and Horses filming location tour and find out more.

Gamba Cole (1992 - )

Gamba Cole is a British actor. He is known for his appearance in the British television series The Outlaws. Born in Bristol, he lived in the St Paul’s area of Bristol before moving to London.

Andy Day (1981 - )

Andy Day is a children's television presenter on the BBC's CBeebies and CBBC channels. A Bristol resident, he also films his popular CBeebies television shows such as Andy’s Prehistoric Adventures and Andy’s Aquatic Adventures at Bristol's Bottleyard Studios in South Bristol. 

Noel Edmonds (1948 - )

Edmonds is a television presenter and executive producer best known for television shows including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, Telly Addicts, Noel's House Party and Deal or No Deal (which was filmed in the Paintworks, Bristol). He lives just outside Bristol.

Alice Evans (1971 - )

Evans was born in Bristol and is an actor best known for playing Esther Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries. 

Keith Floyd (1943 – 2009)

Celebrity cook and television personality. Keith had three restaurants in Bristol: Floyd's Bistro in Princess Victoria Street in Clifton, Floyd's Restaurant in Alma Vale Road and Keith Floyd's Restaurant in Chandos Road, Redland.

Josie Gibson (1985 - )

Josie Gibson is an Bristolian television personality. In 2010, she won the 11th series of the Channel 4 reality show Big Brother. Josie is currently a presenter for ITV's This Morning.

Tom Hollander (1967 - )

Hollander is a theatre, film and TV actor who was born in Bristol. He is known for his roles in About Time, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride & Prejudice, Gosford Park, and Hanna among many other productions and films.

Catherine Johnson (1957 - )

Johnson is a British playwright, producing works for stage and television. She is best known for her book for the ABBA-inspired musical Mamma Mia! and screenplay for the film of the same name. She lived in Bristol, where her play Rag Doll, won a local playwriting competition and was staged by the Bristol Old Vic.

Peter Lord CBE (1953 - )

Peter Lord is an animator, film producer, director and co-founder of the Academy Award-winning Aardman Animations with David Sproxton (see also Nick Park). Peter is the co-creator of Morph and wrote, produced and directed both Chicken Run and The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! He was given "the Freedom of the City of Bristol" in 2006.

James May (1963 - )

May is a television presenter and journalist was was born in Bristol. He is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programme Top Gear from 2003 until 2015

Paul McGann (1959 - )

Paul McGann lives in Bristol and is best known for portraying the 'Eight Doctor' in the 1996 Doctor Who television film. He is also know for roles in Withnail and I, Holby City and Hornblower among others.

Kevin McNally (1956 - )

McNally is an actor who has worked in theatre, radio, film and television. He is best known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. He was born in Bristol.

Hannah Murray (1989 - )

Hannah Murray iss an English actress best known for portraying Cassie Ainsworth in the Bristol-based teen drama series Skins and Gilly in the HBO series Game of Thrones. Hannah was born and raised in Bristol and attended North Bristol Post 16 Centre and was a member of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company.

Nick Park (1958 - )

Director, writer and animator. Nick Park joined Aardman Animation in 1985 and is best known as the creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. He was given "the Freedom of the City of Bristol" in 2006. (See also Peter Lord and David Sproxton).

Dave Prowse (1935 - 2020)

Dave Prowse was an actor and retired bodybuilder, best known for physically playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy and the Green Cross Code man, a character used in British road safety advertising aimed at children. Prowse was born in Bristol, lived in Southmead and attended Bristol Grammar School. He worked at Henleaze Swimming Pool and was a bouncer at a Bristol dance club.

Sir Tony Robinson (1946 - )

Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author and television presenter. He played Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder and has hosted several historical documentaries including the Channel 4 programmes Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. He has also written 16 children's books. Tony lived in Royal York Crescent in Clifton, Bristol for many years. 

Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (1908 - 1985)

Michael Redgrave was a stage and film actor, director, manager, and author. He was born and raised in Bristol and is best known for roles in Mourning Becomes Electra, The Night My Number Came Up and Time Without Pity. 

Sir Robert Graham Stephens (1931 - 1995)

Robert Stephens was a leading actor in the early years of Britain's Royal National Theatre. He was one of the most respected actors of his generation and was at one time regarded as the natural successor to Laurence Olivier. He was born and raised in Shirehampton, Bristol.

David Sproxton CBE (1954 - )

David Sproxton is one of the co-founders of Bristol-based Aardman Animations (See also Peter Lord).

Carol Vorderman MBE (1960 - )

Carol Vorderman lives in Bristol and is best known for co-hosting the popular UK game show Countdown for 26 years from 1982 until 2008.

Hugo Weaving (1960 - )

Hugo Weaving is an actor, best known for his roles in The Matrix trilogy, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, V for Vendetta and Captain America: The First Avenger. As a child and teenager, Weaving attended The Downs School, Wraxall, near Bristol, and QEH School in Clifton.

Maisie Williams (1997 - )

is an English actress. Best know for portraying Arya Stark in the HBO television series Game of Thrones. Maisie was born in Bristol, and grew up in Clutton, Somerset. She adopted her dog Sonny from Bristol Dogs and Cats Home in 2015.

Find out which musicians, singers, bands, DJs and producers hail from Bristol...

Massive Attack

Massive Attack are trip-hop group formed in 1988 in Bristol, consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, and formerly Andy "Mushroom" Vowles ("Mush"). Their debut album Blue Lines was released in 1991. 1998's Mezzanine, containing "Teardrop", and 2003's 100th Window charted in the UK at number one. Both Blue Lines and Mezzanine feature in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Portishead

Portishead are a trip-hop band formed in 1991 in Bristol. The band is named after the nearby town of the same name. Portishead consists of Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley. Their debut album, Dummy, was met with critical acclaim in 1994. Two other studio albums have been issued: Portishead in 1997 and Third in 2008.

Kosheen

Kosheen were a British electronic music group based in Bristol. The group consisted of Sian Evans, Markee Ledge, Darren Decoder. They released 5 studio albums between 2001-2013, including their debut album Resist, which reached number eight in the UK album chart.

Idles

Idles are are a rock band formed in Bristol in 2009. The band consists of Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass) and Jon Beavis (drums). In 2019, the band were nominated for Best Breakthrough Act at the 2019 Brit Awards and later won the 2019 Kerrang! Award for Best British Breakthrough Act.

Dame Clara Butt (1872 – 1936)

Clara Butt was an English contralto and was the nearest thing to a superstar celebrity in the 1890s. She lived in the Totterdown area of Bristol before becoming a world-famous concert singer, celebrated by royalty and adored by millions.

Russ Conway (1925 – 2000)

Conway was an English popular music pianist with 20 piano instrumentals in the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1963, including two number one hits. He was born in Bristol and attended Bristol Cathedral Choir School.

Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward (Bananarama)

Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward were friends who both grew up in Bristol and went on to form pop group Bananarama with Siobhan Fahey. Bananarama came to prominence in the 1980s with high-charting hits such as; "It Ain't What You Do..." (1982), "Really Saying Something" (1982), ", "Cruel Summer" (1983) and Venus" (1986)

Elizabeth Frasier (Cocteau Twins)

Fraser (1963 - ) is a singer, songwriter and musician.She is best known as the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins and on Massive Attack's album Mezzanine. She lives in Bristol.

Sean Moore (Manic Street Preachers)

Sean Moore (1968 -) is a Welsh musician, who is the drummer and percussionist of the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. Sean lives in Bristol.

Tricky (1969 - )

Tricky is a record producer and rapper and a pioneer of trip hop music. Born and raised in Bristol, he began his career as an early collaborator of Massive Attack (see above) before embarking on a solo career with his debut album, Maxinquaye, in 1995. He has gone on to release 13 studio albums (most recent in 2017) and collaborated with a wide range of artists over the course of his career.

Roni Size (1969 - )

Roni Size, is an English DJ and record producer who was born and grew up in Bristol. He came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and frontman of Roni Size & Reprazent, a drum and bass collective. That year they won the Mercury Prize for their debut studio album New Forms.

Eats Everything (1980 - )

Daniel Pearce, better known as Eats Everything, is an English DJ and record producer known for house music. He was born in Bristol.

Beth Rowley (1981 - )

Beth is a singer-songwriter who grew up in Bristol and attended St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School. 

Raleigh Ritchie (1990 - )

Jacob Basil Anderson is a British actor, singer-songwriter, and record producer. (For acting credits see above) As a musician, he uses the alias Raleigh Ritchie his debut album, You're a Man Now, Boy, was a soul and trip hop album released in 2016 

For a musical taste of Bristol, you can listen to our 'Bristol Music Playlist'

Many top sportspeople hail from Bristol or have strong links to the city.

Tom Cribb (1781 – 1848)

Tom Cribb was an English bare-knuckle boxer of the 19th century. He was All England Champion from 1808 to 1822. He was born in Hanham, Bristol.

W. G. Grace (1848 – 1915)

W.G. Grace was an English cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest-ever players. He was born in Downend, Bristol and founded Mangotsfield Cricket Club in 1845.

John Atyeo (1932 – 1993)

Peter John Walter Atyeo was an English footballer who played the majority of his career at Bristol City. He won six England caps between 1955 and 1957, scoring five goals. Atyeo made 645 appearances for Bristol City and scored a record 351 goals for them.

Tony Bullimore (1939 – 2018)

Tony Bullimore nicknamed The British Bulldog, was a British businessman and international yachtsman. He is known especially for being rescued on 10 January 1997 during a sailing race after he had been presumed dead. He moved to Bristol in the early 1960s and together with his wife Lalel, opened the Afro-Caribbean-inspired Bamboo Club which hosted many famous reggae and American soul artists including Bob Marley and The Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Ben E. King and Tina Turner.

Chris Sanigar (1955 - )

Chris Sanigar is a boxing manager, promoter, and trainer, and former boxer. In his career as a boxer he won the BBBofC Southern Area light welterweight title, and in his managerial career he has worked with several British and World champions. Sanigar grew up in Bristol, After returning here he moved into training and management at Bristol Boxing Gym, home of his former club, Empire ABC.

Robin Cousins (1957 - )

Robin Cousins is a former competitive figure skater. He is the 1980 Olympic champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist (1978–1980) and four-time British national champion (1977–1980). He was born and lives in Bristol.

Gary Mabbutt (1961 - )

Gary Mabbutt is an English former footballer born in Bristol, who made more than 750 professional appearances, first playing for Bristol Rovers and going on to play 619 games for Tottenham Hotspur. During his career he also won 16 caps for the England national team.

Ian Holloway (1963 - )

Ian Holloway is an English professional football manager, former player, media personality and television pundit who has managed Bristol Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City, Blackpool, Crystal Palace, Millwall and Grimsby Town. Holloway was born in Bristol and grew up in Cadbury Heath.

Syd Lawrence (1964 - )

David Valentine Lawrence (nickname Syd) is a former English cricketer, who mainly played for Gloucestershire and briefly featured for England. He picked up 625 wickets in 280 matches for Gloucestershire, he is the first black president of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in Bristol.

Marcus Trescothick MBE (1975 - )

Trescothick is a former English cricketer, who represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. He was born in Bristol and grew up in Keynsham. 

Jenny Jones (1980 - )

Jenny Jones is a British professional snowboarder who became the first British person to win an Olympic medal in a snow event after winning bronze in slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Jones was born in Downend, Bristol. She learnt to ski on the dry ski slope in Churchill, Somerset, now Mendip Activity Centre.

Judd Trump (1989 - )

Judd Trump was born in Bristol and grew up in Whitchurch. He is a professional snooker player who became the World Champion in 2019 as well as the world number one. 

Ellis Genge (1995 - )

Ellis Genge is an English rugby union player who made his international debut for England in 2016. Genge was born is Bristol and grew up in the Knowle West area of Bristol.

Claudia Fragapane (1997 - )

Claudia Fragapane is a British artistic gymnast who was born and grew up in Bristol. She competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and has won two World Championship Medals, three European Championship Medals, 5 Commonwealth Games Medals and is an eight-time English champion, and two-time British champion.

Lando Norris (1999 - )

Lando Norris is a racing driver who was born in Bristol. Who competes in Formula One, for McLaren.

Sir Bob Hope (1903 – 2003)

Bob Hope was a British-American stand-up comedian, actor, singer, dancer, athlete, and author. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films. Hope lived in Whitehall, Bristol, and then St George, Bristol before emigrating to the United States in 1908.

John Cleese (1939 - )

John Cleese is an actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. He was born in Weston-super-Mare near Bristol and attended Clifton College.

John Fortune (1939 – 2013)

John Fortune was a satirist, comedian, writer, and actor, best known for his work with John Bird and Rory Bremner on the TV series Bremner, Bird and Fortune

Lee Evans (1964 - )

Lee Evans is stand-up comedian and actor from Avonmouth, Bristol.

Bill Bailey (1965 - )

Bill Bailey is a comedian, musician and actor. Bailey is known for his role in Black Books and for his appearances on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You and QI, as well as his stand-up work. Bailey spent most of his childhood in Keynsham, near Bristol.

David Walliams OBE (1971 - )

Walliams is a comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on Little Britain (2003–2007, 2020, being a judge on Britain's Got Talent and writing children's books, having sold more than 37 million copies worldwide. From 1989 to 1992, he studied at the University of Bristol.

James Redmond (1971 - )

James Redmond is an actor, comedian and model, known for his roles in Casualty and Hollyoaks. He attended Clifton College in Bristol

Stephen Merchant (1974 - )

Stephen Merchant is a comedian, writer, director, radio presenter and actor. He was born in Bristol and grew up in Hanham, later attending Hanham High School. He is best known for co-writing the British TV comedy series The Office (2001–2003), Extras (2005–2007), Life's Too Short (2011–2013). He has two Golden Globe Awards, three BAFTA TV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four British Comedy Awards. 

Matt Lucas (1974 - )

Matt Lucas is a comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for Little Britain (2003–2007, 2020), and Doctor Who (2015-2017). He studied at the University of Bristol between 1993 and 1995. 

Mark Olver (1975 - )

Mark is stand-up comedian from Bristol. He grew up and still lives in the Brislington area of the city. He specialises as a compere and a warm-up act for television shows. He later lived with fellow comedians Russell Howard, Jon Richardson and John Robins for a year in Bristol. 

Russell Howard (1980 - )

Russell Howard is a stand-up comedian, television presenter, radio presenter and actor, best known for his TV shows Russell Howard's Good News and The Russell Howard Hour. He was born in Bristol and later studied at the University of the West of England in Bristol. He lived with fellow comedians Jon Richardson, Mark Olver and John Robins for a year in Bristol.

Mark Watson (1980 - )

Mark is a stand-up comedian and author. He was born in Bristol and attended Henleaze Junior school and then Bristol Grammar School.

Jon Richardson (1982 - )

Jon is a stand-up comedian. Best known for his appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. He attended Bristol University and later lived with fellow comedians Russell Howard, Mark Olver and John Robins for a year in Bristol.

John Robins (1982 - )

John is a stand-up comedian, television and radio presenter. John grew up in Bristol and was educated in Thornbury. He later lived with fellow comedians Russell Howard, Mark Olver and Jon Richardson for a year in Bristol. 

Jayde Adams (1984 - )

Jayde is a comedian, actress, writer and singer from Bristol. She's the winner of the 2014 Funny Women award and 2016 nominee for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.

Joel Dommett (1985 - )

Joel is a comedian, television presenter and actor who grew up in Bristol and was educated in Thornbury. he is best known for being the presenter of The Masked Singer and Survivor.

Paul Dirac (1902 - 1984)

Born in Bishopston, Bristol in 1902, Paul Dirac was considered to be one of the greatest and most influential theoretical physicists of his time. He formulated the Dirac Equation, and was responsible for leading the way towards the discovery of antimatter. He was a close friend of Albert Einstein's, and during his life won a shared Nobel Prize in physics with Erwin Schrödinger.

Sir Bernard Lovell (1913 – 2012)

Sir Bernard Lovell was an English physicist and radio astronomer. He was born in Oldland Common, Bristol and attended Kingswood Grammar School and the University of Bristol.

Colin Pillinger (1943 – 2014)

Colin Pillinger was an English planetary scientist who was born and grew up in Kingswood. He was a founding member of the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute at the Open University and the principal investigator for the British Beagle 2 Mars lander project.

Thomas Chatterton (1752 – 1770)

Chatterton was an English poet whose precocious talents ended in suicide at age 17. He was an influence on Romantic artists of the period such as Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge. He attended a school which is still located near to St Mary Recliffe Church.

Robert Southey (1774 - 1843)

Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school and England's Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 until his death in 1843. He was born in Wine Street, Bristol and married in St Mary Redcliffe Church.

Beryl Cook OBE (1926 - 2008)

Beryl Cook was an artist best known for her original and instantly recognisable paintings. She lived in Clifton, Bristol.

J.K. Rowling (1965 - )

Author and philanthropist famed for her fantasy coming-of-age novel series Harry Potter. She is the United Kingdom's best-selling living author and one of the most influential women in Britain. She was born in Yate and published the first of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in 1997.

Damien Hirst (1965 - )

Damien Hirst is an conceptual, installation, paint and sculpture artist who was born in Bristol. He became famous for a series of artworks in which dead animals (including a shark, a sheep and a cow) are preserved, sometimes having been dissected, in formaldehyde.

Tony Benn (1925 - 2014)

Labour’s longest-serving MP and a pivotal figure in British leftwing politics in the second half of the 20th century.