Notable alumni
Film and television production
- Patricia Alvarado Nuñez (MA, 1993), television producer and director for PBS
- Paul Thomas Anderson (did not graduate), Academy Award-winning director known for Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood
- Roberto Bentivegna, screenwriter known for House of Gucci
- Jay Bienstock (BFA, 1987), television producer
- Dave Blass, production designer known for The Boys
- Kevin S. Bright, television producer known for Friends
- Jim Cummings, filmmaker and actor known for Thunder Road
- The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), directors known for Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Vin Di Bona (1966), television producer known for MacGyver
- Paul Dini, screenwriter, known for Batman: The Animated Series
- Jim Finn, independent filmmaker
- John Frink, screenwriter known for The Simpsons
- Todd J. Greenwald, television producer known for Wizards of Waverly Place
- John Harrison, director and producer best known for Dune and Frank Herbert's Dune
- Doug Herzog, television producer and MTV Networks executive
- Shane Hurlbut (BA, 1987), cinematographer
- Laura Kightlinger, television writer and producer
- Marci Klein, television producer known for Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock
- Richard LaGravenese (did not graduate), director and screenwriter known for The Bridges of Madison County
- Norman Lear (did not graduate), television producer known for All in the Family and Sanford and Son
- Adele Lim, director known for Crazy Rich Asians
- Joe Mande, television producer and writer
- Terry Matalas, television producer known for 12 Monkeys and Star Trek: Picard
- Michael McCusker, editor known for Logan and Ford v Ferrari
- Erik Messerschmidt, cinematographer known for Mank
- Amir Mokri, cinematographer
- Max Mutchnick, television producer known for Will & Grace
- Anna Hamilton Phelan, screenwriter known for Girl, Interrupted
- Brittany Martin Porter, television producer known for The Voice
- Felicia Pride, writer and producer known for Grey's Anatomy
- Jacobo Rispa, Spanish television producer
- Stefani Robinson, screenwriter known for Atlanta and What We Do in the Shadows
- Bill Schulz, writer and television producer
- George Scribner, director and animator known for Oliver & Company
- Tyler Taormina, director and screenwriter known for Christmas Eve in Miller's Point
- Alex Tse, screenwriter known for Watchmen
- Lilly Wachowski (did not graduate), director and screenwriter known for The Matrix
- Harris Wittels, comedian and television writer known for Parks and Recreation
Acting and performing arts
- Mary Kay Adams, actress, known for work on Guiding Light and Babylon 5
- Pearl Aday, singer
- Landry Allbright, actress
- Michael Angelakos, singer-songwriter known for Passion Pit
- Anthony Atamanuik, actor, comedian, and Donald Trump impressionist
- Sarah Borges, singer-songwriter
- Glenn Branca, avant garde composer and guitarist
- Bill Burr, comedian and actor
- Kerem Bürsin, television actor
- Tim Burton, saxophonist for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
- Mario Cantone, actor and comedian
- Anthony Clark (1986), television actor, known for Yes, Dear
- Bonnie Comley, Tony Award-winning theater producer
- Jennifer Coolidge, actress and comedian, known for American Pie and The White Lotus
- Billy Costa, radio personality
- David Cross (did not graduate), actor and comedian, known for Mr. Show and Arrested Development
- Gabe Dunn, podcaster and writer known for Just Between Us and Bad with Money
- Richard Dysart, actor, known for L.A. Law
- Joely Fisher (did not graduate), actress
- Gina Gershon, actress
- Natalie Gold, actress known for Succession
- Spalding Gray, actor and performance artist
- Adam Green, musician known for The Moldy Peaches
- Louise Closser Hale, actress and playwright
- Elden Henson, actor known for Daredevil
- Eric Hutchinson, singer-songwriter
- Abbi Jacobson (did not graduate), actress and comedian known for Broad City
- Kizzy, actress and television personality
- Zach Kornfeld, comedian and social media personality known for The Try Guys
- Paul Kreppel, actor and theatre producer
- Arasha Lalani, comedian and social media influencer known for Smosh
- Denis Leary, comedian and actor
- Brandon Lee, actor and martial artist known for The Crow
- Jay Leno (1973), comedian and talk show host
- Jack Lepiarz, circus performer and former WBUR anchor
- Dan Levy, comedian
- Sunita Mani, actress
- Andrea Martin, actress and comedian
- Matt McGorry, actor known for Orange Is the New Black
- Shelley Mitchell, actress and performance coach
- Lance Norris, actor and comedian
- Michael Nouri, actor known for Flashdance
- Morgan Page, music producer
- Eddie Palladino, announcer for the Boston Celtics
- Don Pardo, television personality
- Penny Peyser (1973), film and television actress
- Chrystee Pharris, actress known for Passions
- Eugene Roche, television actor
- Hartley Sawyer, actor known for CW's The Flash
- Iliza Shlesinger, comedian and actress
- Emily Skeggs, actress known for Fun Home
- Steve Sweeney, actor and comedian
- Michael Grant Terry, actor known for Bones
- Natasha Gregson Wagner (did not graduate), actress
- George Watsky, poet and rapper
- Justin Willman, television personality
- Henry Winkler, actor known for Happy Days and Barry
- Gene Wood, television personality and game show host
- Steven Wright, comedian
- Elisha Yaffe, television actor
Literature
- Mary P. Burrill (1904), playwright of the Harlem Renaissance
- Gerry Duggan, comic book writer for Marvel Comics
- Denise Duhamel, poet
- Jack Gantos, children's book writer
- Seth Grahame-Smith, novelist
- Jody Houser, comic book writer
- Don Lee, novelist
- Thomas Lux, poet and academic
- Chris Lynch, YA novelist
- Carl Menninger, stage director and playwright
- Erik Mona, writer known for Dungeons & Dragons game magazines
- Jay Baron Nicorvo, poet and essayist
- Porsha Olayiwola, poet laureate of Boston
- Joe Randazzo, comedy writer known for The Onion
- Taylor Jenkins Reid, novelist known for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
- Kim Roberts, poet
- Olen Steinhauer, television producer and spy novelist
- Laurie Faria Stolarz, YA novelist
- Cecilia Tan, writer, publisher, and founder of Circlet Press
- Nicola Yoon, YA novelist known for Everything, Everything
- Laura van den Berg, award winning author
Journalism
- Julie Banderas, television news correspondent and anchor for Fox News
- Veronica Belmont, technology journalist and media personality
- Steve Berthiaume, sportscaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks
- Warren Bobrow, culinary writer and chef
- Jared Bowen, reporter and editor at WGBH-TV
- Ben Collins, reporter for NBC News and The Daily Beast
- Morton Dean (1957), television correspondent and anchor, known for CBS Evening News and Good Morning America
- Greg Dickerson, sideline reporter for the Boston Celtics
- Frank Fixaris, broadcast reporter and anchor at WGME-TV
- Al Jaffe (1968), broadcast producer and executive
- Mike Joy, sporstcaster for NASCAR
- Amir Korangy, newspaper and magazine publisher
- Wayne Larrivee, sports broadcaster for the Green Bay Packers
- Gene Lavanchy, reporter and anchor for WFXT Boston 25
- Dion Lim, television anchor for KGO-TV
- Leslie Marshall, journalist and talk radio host
- Maria Menounos, entertainment journalist and media personality
- Tim Neverett, sportscaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Josh Pahigian, baseball sportswriter
- Anaridis Rodriguez, television correspondent anchor for WBZ-TV
- Katya Soldak, journalist and editor for Forbes
- Lauren Sherman, fashion writer
- Matt Spiegel, sports broadcaster
- Kristin Tate, libertarian columnist and commentator
- Susan Wornick, television reporter and anchor
Business
- Benjamin Bronfman, environmentalist and entrepreneur
- Bobbi Brown, make-up artist and entrepreneur
- Will Dawkins, basketball executive and GM of the Washington Wizards
- Ada Crogman Franklin, newspaper publisher
- Marian Goodman, art dealer
- Rob Hennigan, basketball executive and former GM of the Orlando Magic
- Jayceeoh, music producer and DJ
- Sam Presti, basketball executive and GM of the Oklahoma City Thunder
- Sara Weeks Roberts, president of the National Library for the Blind
Academia
- Elma Lewis (1943), arts educator and founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
- Guy McElroy (1975), art historian
- Henry Lawrence Southwick, second president of Emerson College
- Jessie Eldridge Southwick, actress, author, and Emerson College professor
Politics
- Elspeth B. Cypher, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
- Susan Del Percio, political strategist
- Jaclyn Friedman, feminist activist
- Doris Haddock, campaign finance reform activist
- Chris Hurst, activist and member of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Hussein Ibish (1986), Arab-American activist and scholar
- Suzan Johnson Cook, political advisor and pastor
- Gaynelle Griffin Jones, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
- Katherine G. Langley, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky
- Julie Mayberry, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
- Peter Meade (1970), head of the Boston Redevelopment Authority under Mayor Thomas Menino
- Alice Moore Hubbard, feminist writer and suffragette
- Elaine Noble, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Jerry Parisella, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Michael Rulli (1991), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio
Sports
- Geoffrey Gray, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Skip Lockwood (1976), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Jessie Ward, professional wrestler and television producer
Visual arts
- Derek Paul Jack Boyle, visual artist
- Ken Fallin, illustrator and cartoonist
- Spencer Tunick, photographer
Miscellaneous
- Tamara Czartoryska, Polish aristocrat and model
- Princess Noor bint Asem (2004), member of the Jordanian royal family
- Princess Sarah bint Asem, member of the Jordanian royal family
- James Parry, internet personality and comedian