UA's notable artists and celebrities
Check out these notable achievers who went to the UA.
Denise Austin
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Image from Denise Austin's Daily Workout, Feb. 21, 1997.
Began at UA in: 1975
Why she's famous: Sports — fitness; Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Austin is a former member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Michael Biehn
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THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN ride again! The western series based on the classic film, starring Michael Biehn as Chris, the fearless leader of the group, returns for its second season.
Graduated from UA in: 1974
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Biehn is most well known for his role as Kyle Reese in "The Terminator."
Lynn Borden
UpdatedGraduated from UA in: 1959
Why she's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Borden is known for her role in the film "Frogs." She was also named Miss Arizona in 1957.
Jerry Bruckheimer
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Producer Jerry Bruckheimer waves as celebrities leave the red carpet before the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., May, 3, 2014. (Charles Bertram/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT)
Graduated from UA in: 1965
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Bruckheimer's notable works include TV's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film series.
Joan Ganz Cooney
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FILE — In this Dec. 1, 2005 file photo, Joan Ganz Cooney, creator of Sesame Street, arrives at the Museum of Television and Radio "She Made It" launch party in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, file)
Graduated from UA in: 1951
Why she's famous: Arts — television
Notable accomplishment: Cooney is one of the founders of the Children's Television Network, which later created the television show "Sesame Street."
Ted DeGrazia
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Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia in April, 1960, next to "Los Niños," which was chosen as the official Christmas card by UNICEF in 1960. Tucson Citizen file photo
Graduated from UA in: 1944
Why he's famous: Arts
Notable accomplishment: During his career, DeGrazia studied under artists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.
David Fitzsimmons
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Mugshot of David Fitzsimmons. Shot in the Star studio on April 17, 2012.
Graduated from UA in: 1977
Why he's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Fitzsimmons, or "Fitz," is a cartoonist and editorial writer for the Arizona Daily Star.
José Galvez
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Jose Galvez, May 6, 2004.
Graduated from UA in: 1972
Why he's famous: Arts — photography
Notable accomplishment: Galvez, a Tucsonan who attended Tucson High, was the first Mexican-American photojournalist to be hired by The Los Angeles Times. Galvez and a team of reporters at the Times won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1984.
Brian Garfield
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Brian F.W. Garfield and his wife (not named) received master's degrees in English during University of Arizona commencement in May, 1963. The caption read, "Now they'll go to Europe where he will continue writing novels." In fact, he went on to write more than 70 books, including several made into movies. His 1972 novel "Death Wish," about a vigilante, was made into a movie and several sequels starring Charles Bronson.
Graduated from UA in: 1959
Why he's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Garfield's novel titled "Death Wish," published in 1972, was adapted into a film in 1974.
Gil Gastelum
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Gil Gastelum, founder and CEO of Cosmica Artists and Records.
Graduated from UA in: 1993
Why he's famous: Arts — music
Notable accomplishment: Gastelum is the founder and CEO of Cosmica Artists and Records, a "boutique entertainment management and record label," as stated on the company's website.
One of the company's artists, Gustavo Galindo, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2012. Two more of the company's artists, La Santa Cecilia’s and Carla Morrison, have also been nominated for Latin Grammy Awards.
George Gray
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Handout photo of George Gray, 2005. Photo courtesy of George Gray.
Graduated from UA in: 1990
Why he's famous: Arts — television personality
Notable accomplishment: Gray has hosted many television game shows, such as the "Weakest Link."
Earl Hindman
UpdatedBegan at UA in: 1961
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Hindman is known for his role on the television series "Home Improvement."
John Hughes
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FILE - This 1984 file photo shows director John Hughes. Hughes is the man who wrote "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Mr. Mom" and "Natonal Lampoon's European Vacation." He also wrote and directed "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club," and "Weird Science." Hughes, who was 59, died in New York on Aug. 6, 2009. (AP Photo)
Began at UA in: 1968
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Hughes wrote and directed classic films such as "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles." He also wrote many more films such as "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."
J.A. Jance
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Author photo, J.A. Jance.
Graduated from UA in: 1966
Why she's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: When Jance appears at a book-signing event for her different series such as "Johanna Brady," a series set in Southern Arizona, she asks the bookstore hosting the event to donate a percentage of their earnings to various charities. In the last 10 years she has raised about $250,000 for charities.
Kourtney Kardashian
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Kourtney Kardashian attends a book signing for "Dollhouse", the novel she co-wrote with her sisters, at Barnes & Noble in New York, Nov. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
Graduated from UA in: 2002
Why she's famous: Arts — television personality
Notable accomplishment: Kardashian's television shows, clothing lines and stores have made her worth above $65 million.
Kitty Kelley
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Author Kitty Kelley poses for a photo at the Doubleday office in New York on Sept. 13, 2004. (AP Photo/Gino Domenico)
Began at UA in: 1959
Why she's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: One of Kelley's most-recognized works is "Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography," published in 1991.
Barbara Kingsolver
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Author Barbara Kingsolver. Photo by Annie Griffiths Belt/courtesy HarperCollins.
Graduated from UA in: 1981
Why she's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Kingsolver is a New York Times bestselling author. Novels include "The Poisonwood Bible" and "The Bean Trees," set partially in Tucson.
Greg Kinnear
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Actor Greg Kinnear participates in a press conference for "The Matador" during the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 15, 2005 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
Graduated from UA in: 1986
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Kinnear is known for his roles in "Little Miss Sunshine," "As Good As It Gets" and "You've Got Mail."
Kevin Leman
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Portrait of Kevin Leman. Courtesy of Kevin Leman.
Graduated from UA in: 1969
Why he's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Leman is a New York Times bestselling author. His parenting books include "The Birth Order Book."
Alison Levine
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Picture of UA Alumna Alison Levine climbing Mt. Everest, May 22, 2003.
Graduated from UA in: 1987
Why she's famous: Arts — literature; Sports — extreme outdoor
Notable accomplishment: Levine has climbed the highest peaks on every continent. She is also a New York Times bestselling author of the leadership book "On the Edge."
Harvey Mason Jr.
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Former Wildcat Harvey Mason talks with Wilbur T. Wildcat during the No. 1 University of Arizona Wildcats vs. Arizona State University men's college basketball game on Jan. 16, 2014, at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
Began at UA in: 1986
Why he's famous: Arts — music; Sports — basketball
Notable accomplishment: Is a record producer, songwriter and movie producer. Mason has won multiple Grammy Awards.
Linda McCartney
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FILE--Paul and Linda McCartney perform during a Wings show in London in this Oct. 1976 file photo. (AP Photo/J. Glanvill)
Began at UA in: 1961
Why she's famous: Arts — music, photography
Notable accomplishment: McCartney was married to Paul McCartney of the Beatles.
McCartney's portrait of Eric Clapton appeared on the cover of the May 1968 edition of the Rolling Stone magazine, making her the first woman ever to have one of her photographs appear on the front cover of the magazine.
Six years later, McCartney appeared on the front cover of Rolling Stone magazine with her husband, Paul McCartney. This made her the only person to have one of her photographs featured on the front cover, as well as have a photograph of her be featured on the front cover.
James McMurtry
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Musician, James McMurtry, Oct. 3, 1997.
Began at UA in: 1986
Why he's famous: Arts — music
Notable accomplishment: Music critic Robert Christgau ranked McMurtry's song "We Can't Make It Here" as "the best song of the 2000s."
Peter Murrieta
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Peter Murrieta, creator of "Greetings from Tucson."
Began at UA in: 1984
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Murrieta is the former head writer for the TV show "Wizards of Waverly Place." He won two Emmy Awards for his work on the movie "Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie," adapted from the TV show.
Craig T. Nelson
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Actor Craig T. Nelson, one of the voice talents in the new Pixar Animation Studios film "The Incredibles" poses for photographers at the film's premiere, in Hollywood, Oct. 24, 2004. (REUTERS/Fred Prouser)
Began at UA in: 1965
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Nelson is known for movies such as "Poltergeist" and "The Incredibles," as well as the sports sitcom "Coach."
Valerie Perrine
UpdatedBegan at UA in: 1961
Why she's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Perrine is known for her role as Eve Teschmacher in the 1978 film "Superman."
She also played Honey Bruce in the 1974 film "Lenny."
Brian Ralston
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From left, Cheryl Bell, Steve Tobias, Patrick Coco, Tom Alexander and Brian Ralston are all sporting the new "Lute lids," a rubbery white hair piece that is suppose to make you look like Lute Olson. Photo taken Jan. 15, 1998.
Graduated from UA in: 1997
Why he's famous: Arts — music
Notable accomplishment: Ralston produced the short film "The Receipt" and composed the music for it. Ralston's score for the film won the "Gold Medal of Excellence" at the Park City Film Music Festival in 2005.
Caroline Rhea
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From left, Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick, Melissa Joan Hart, in an episode of "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," Sept. 22, 1998.
Began at UA in: 1985
Why she's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Rhea played Hilda Spellman on the TV show "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch."
Nicole Richie
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Nicole Richie arrives at the American Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Nov. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Began at UA in: 1999
Why she's famous: Arts — Television personality
Notable accomplishment: Richie is the adopted daughter of singer Lionel Richie and has been a prominent figure in reality television for more than a decade since her first show, "The Simple Things," aired in 2003.
Geraldo Rivera
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Geraldo Rivera is shown in a November, 1988 file photo. Rivera taped the 2,163rd and last episode of his daytime talk show May 7, 1998, giving it up as part of his agreement to take on a larger role at NBC News. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)
Graduated from UA in: 1965
Why he's famous: Arts — film; Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Rivera was the host of the TV talk-show "Geraldo."
Linda Ronstadt
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This Sept. 17, 2013 photo shows American musician Linda Ronstadt posing in New York to promote the release of her memoir "Simple Dreams." (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision/AP)
Began at UA in: 1965
Why she's famous: Arts — music
Notable accomplishment: Ronstadt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2014. She has also earned 11 Grammy Awards during her career.
In July 2014, Obama presented Ronstadt with one of 12 2013 National Medals of Arts and Humanities.
One of Ronstadt's most well-known albums is "Heart Like a Wheel," released in 1974.
Richard Russo
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FILE — Author Richard Russo, 52, poses in his hotel suite in this file photo taken June 16, 2001 in Chicago. Russo was awarded the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for fiction April 8, 2002, for his book for "Empire Falls." (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
Graduated from UA in: 1979
Why he's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Russo won a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for fiction for "Empire Falls."
Rico Saccani
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Former Tucsonan Rico Saccani was once a child prodigy at the piano and now is a successful conductor based in Italy. Arizona Daily Star file photo taken Jan. 15, 1990.
Graduated from UA in: 1973
Why he's famous: Arts — music
Notable accomplishment: Saccani is the former music director for the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ari Sandel
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Ari Sandel. Photo courtesy of SWPR Group.
Graduated from UA in: 1998
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Sandel won an Academy Award in 2006 for the "Best Live Action Short Film" with his short film "West Bank Story."
Garry Shandling
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Garry Shandling, host of the 52nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, gestures as he opens the show at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Sept. 10, 2000. (AP Photo/Mark J.Terrill)
Graduated from UA in: 1971
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Shandling won an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series in 1998 for "The Larry Sanders Show."
Ron Shelton
UpdatedGraduated from UA in: 1974
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Shelton wrote and directed the film "White Men Can't Jump."
He also wrote and directed the film "Bull Durham" and co-wrote and directed the film "Tin Cup."
Frank Sotomayor
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Frank Sotomayor and Cecilia Martinez Estrada, at Tucson High School's 50th reunion in November, 2012. The two were classmates from first grade through high school.
Graduated from UA in: 1966
Why he's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Sotomayor and a team of reporters at the Los Angeles Times won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1984.
Stephen Spinella
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John Benjamin Hickey (Arthur), Stephen Spinella (Perry), Jason Alexander (Buzz), John Glover (John) and Randy Becker (Ramon) star in the Motion Picture: "Love! Valour! Compassion!"
Graduated from UA in: 1979
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Spinella is known for his role as Rick Stokes in the film "Milk."
Clifford Stoll
UpdatedGraduated from UA in: 1980 — Ph.D.
Why he's famous: Science — astronomy; Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Stoll is known for his 1989 book "The Cuckoo's Egg," which is a personal account of the hunt for a hacker who broke into a computer at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Vicki Lewis Thompson
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Vicki Lewis Thompson, a New York Times bestselling author and writer of more than 100 romance novels, sits for a portrait in her favorite writing chair in front of her fireplace on Aug. 22, 2013 in Tucson, Ariz.
Graduated from UA in: 1965
Why she's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Thompson is a New York Times bestselling author of romance novels.
Jack Wagner
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Actor Jack Wagner laughs before teeing off on the first hole at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course during the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, July 22, 2012, in Stateline, Nev. (AP Photo/The Tahoe Tribune, Joe Proudman)
Graduated from UA in: 1982
Why he's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Wagner won a Golden Rose Award in 2006 for best soap actor for his role as Dominick "Nick" Marone in "The Bold and the Beautiful."
David Foster Wallace
UpdatedGraduated from UA in: 1987 — Master
Why he's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: Wallace's novel "Infinite Jest" was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005.
Kate Walsh
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Kate Walsh arrives at the 2nd Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 18, 2012 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Began at UA in: 1988
Why she's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Walsh is best known for her role as Dr. Addison Montgomery in the TV shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice." She is also in the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy."
Kristen Wiig
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Kristen Wiig arrives at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre on Sept. 23, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Began at UA in: 1995
Why she's famous: Arts — film
Notable accomplishment: Wiig is most well known for her role on the television show "Saturday Night Live" and the film "Bridesmaids."
Merrill Windsor
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Merrill Windsor pictured in the 1949 University of Arizona yearbook. Photo courtesy of University of Arizona Yearbooks, University of Arizona Special Collections.
Graduated from UA in: 1949
Why he's famous: Arts — literature
Notable accomplishment: The late Merrill Windsor, a longtime journalist and former editor of Arizona Highways magazine, was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1949.
Photos: Tucson's notable achievers
UpdatedNow that you've browsed the UA's notable achievers, click the photo below to check out Tucson's notable achievers.
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