Actors, Screenwriters, Directors, Novelists and Journalists with office, studio, hangout here
Birth of Venice and early years
Program of the 1978 Venice Festival at the Fox Venice Theater
Tale of the Fox
(from Free Venice Beachhead)
1981 Resistance Celebration Schedule
1981 Resistance Celebration Articles
Institutions, Organizations, Foundations
Paul Tanck on
Venice-related films
Actors, Screenwriters, Directors, Novelists and Journalists who live or lived in Venice
If it's on this page, I got it from at least one source. With somebody like Steve Allen, who openly admitted in his own autobiography to having lived in Venice, no problem. Then you get somebody like Charlie Chaplin - one reputable source says he lived in Venice and another reputable source says he didn't. I like to think that he did. I like to think of Marion Davies telling old Droopy Drawers (her pet name for William Randolph Hearst) that she was going down to the pier to ride the roller coaster, and sneaking up to the Waldorf Hotel penthouse to take a ride with Charlie. It makes a better story. But I won't swear to anything, and corrections of factual errors are welcomed. Write to the webslave.
Rachel Abramowitz author Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?
Alan J. Adler screenwriter
Amy Alkon columnist
Steve Allen 2318 Luella Ave., many years ago
Tony Alva legendary skateboarder in and around Dogtown; lived in a Venice garage
Gwili Andre actress, committed suicide in 1959 by burning self alive in fire built with her publicity photos and press clippings.
Fatty Arbuckle actor
Katie Arnoldi novelist
Jonathan Aurthur filmmaker, writer, community organizer
Alec Baldwin actor
Chris E. Balibrera screenwriter
Bradford Bancroft best known for his role in cult film Bachelor Party
Marshall Barer wrote Once Upon a Mattress
Arj Barker stand-up comedy, television, co-writer of and actor in The Marijuana-logues
Jess Barron writer, Yahoo senior editor, boardwalk resident
Henry Bean - writer moved here from Berkeley in 1978
Orson Bean - Canal district
Kate Beckinsale
Ed Bell actor
Brad Bemis
Mary Kay Bergman actress, committed suicide in Venice 1999
Philomena Winstanley Bessy co-editor of Slash, was married to punk musician Claude Bessy (aka Kickboy Face)
Tony Bill director, producer, actor
Brigit Binns has authored or co-authored 13 cookbooks.
Robert Blake grew up in Venice
Ray Bradbury is said to have been born and raised in Venice. His evocative stories recall streetcars, oil wells, fog, canals filled with detritus, and broken-down amusement park equipment. "In all the years from 1941 to the spring of 1950, I had done most of my typing in the family garages, either in Venice, California (where we lived because we were poor, not because it was the "in" place to be)....."
Rodrick Bradley novelist, photographer, film technician, artist
Foster Brashear
Milt Bratton partner in On The Beach Bookstore in Beat era
Lee Breuer playwright, Rose and Speedway early 1980s
Fredric Brown wrote hundreds of stories for the science fiction and mystery/thriller pulp magazines in the ‘40s. He lived here as well as many other places, and set some of his stories here.
Francis X. Bushman actor house Speedway and Anchorage
Nicolas Cage lived in a house with a screening room but sold it for more than $3 million
Patricia J. Campbell
Judy Carter is a comic who has coached more than 5000 aspiring comedians in workshops. She wrote The Comedy Bible : From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide
Malik Carter film actor, boardwalk habitue’
Charlie Chaplin (penthouse of the Waldorf Hotel)
Bob Chatterton - made 16mm home movies of the beat scene in the early 1960s, also associated with Synanon. Owned a shop on Ocean Front Walk. "His films are a gold mine of Venice beatnik history." (Peter Apanel)
Lisa Chess
Jack Chipman has written several books about pottery
Lana Clarkson ( Phil Spector case victim) at one point owned a house on the canals
Edward Cohen writer and producer of documentaries for public television. In 1999 published book The Peddler's Grandson: Growing Up Jewish in Mississippi
Richard Cohen local filmmaker; two of his works, Hurry Tomorrow and Deadly Force, played at the Fox Venice
Rob Cohen director, house on walk street
Allen Cole , writer of fantasy, historical, and suspense novels, now lives in Florida.
Gary Collins actor, born in Venice
Tom Conway - British actor who played Sherlock Holmes. In 1965 was discovered living in a $2-a-day Venice flophouse
Eleanor Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola director
Maureen Cotter writer, active in Beyond Baroque's Creative Non-fiction workshop, has been called "the Deviant Diva of Venice"
Georgiana Randolph Craig has been called the queen of comedic mystery. Almost every fact of her life is open to dispute, but she did live here at one point. She was married to Lawrence Lipton, and the USC Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection has a bunch of letters they wrote each other in the ‘50s. They co-authored 22 books under the joint pen name of Craig Rice in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s.
Brett Cullen actor
Gloria DeHaven burglarized, jewelry stolen
William de los Santos street person and former speed freak, wrote the script for Spun and accosted its soon-to-be director on a local street.
Joan Del Monte writer, canal district
Chuck Diederich founder of Synanon lived here and held meetings in a garage before moving the institution to the old armory on the beach at Santa Monica
Richard Dreyfuss - the Canal district
Richard Dry novelist
Isadora Duncan dancer
Theresa Duncan screenwriter
Robert Dunn screenwriter
Charles Eames
Mark Ebner author of Hollywood, Interrupted
Blossom Elfman (also known as Clair) writer
Bodhi Elfman actor in series Freedom
Jenna Elfman actress Dharma and Greg
Louis Elfman writes for Venice Magazine
Richard Elfman musician and entrepreneur
Peter Elbling writer, actor, and director
Alexander Eliot writer
Jane Eliot writer
E.T. shared a Venice studio apartment with a roommate (Mac from "Mac and Me.") according to Entertainment Weekly, March 2002
Jodie Evans founding member of CodePink
Dan Fante novelist
Gerry Fialka
Nancy Fitzgerald novelist
Carol Fondiller longtime Free Venice Beachhead writer
Marc Forster director
Mark Galluzzo director
Randy Gardner skating partner of Tai Babilonia
J. Watson Garman photographer, member of the Hollywood Underground, whose hobby is celebrity grave hunting.
William Garrett writer, used to live in Gas House
C. H. Garrigues journalist
George Garrigues journalist
Kathleen Gasperini is a writer for numerous action-sports and alternative publications
Mark Goffman writer of TV shows "West Wing" and "Spin City" "Odd Man Out."
Julie Golden screenwriter
Lauren Greenfield photographer
Nancy Griffin West Coast editor AARP magazine, married to architect Steve Ehrlich
Matt Groening - Canal district
Linda Hamilton
Wayland D. Hand author of Magical Medicine: The Folklore Component of Medicine in the Folk Belief, Custom and Ritual of the Peoples of Europe and America
Catherine Hardwicke director
Jean Harlow
Pat Hartman
Aaron Hass author of Teenage Sexuality - canal district
Nancy Hathaway
Bob Hegyes of Welcome Back Kotter, teacher at Venice High
Tamara Henry actress and animal lover
Alex Hertzberg agent
Dennis Hicks filmmaker
Gregory Hines moved to Venice Beach in 1973, stayed length of stay unknown
Endesha Ida Mae Holland - author of From the Mississippi Delta: A Memoir
Dennis Hopper - in an Oakwood house designed by Gehry, described as fortress on the outside, art gallery on the inside, since early 80s
Michael Horowitz writer
Diana Hrabowecki writer
Helen Hunt
Angelica Huston
Clifford Irving
Helen Hunt Jackson colleague of Abbot Kinney, author of Ramona
Nina Jacobson Disney president
Taliesin Jaffe actor
Ricky Jay illusionist, actor
Ricki Lee Jones
Janis Joplin
Bob Kaufman
Debra Kaufman filmmaker and journalist
Mickey Kaus journalist
Michael Keaton
Ken Kesey - canal district
Jeffrey Kimball cinematographer
Abbot Kinney founder of Venice
Kaaren Kitchell novelist, poet, facilitator of poetry readings
Kiyoko aka Amilda Kiyoko Tachibana McIntyre(Cuddy?) - actress, dancer, musician, astrologer, and one-time mistress of alleged serial killer, lived very near the beach (See Black Dahlia Avenger by Steve Hodel)
Andrew Koenig filmmaker
Ron Kovic Vietnam veteran, author of Born on the Fourth of July, had wheelchair with sail attached to cruise on the boardwalk
Stacie Krajchir writer, producer
Paul Krassner - lived in Venice and published The Realist from here
Kim Kupperman writer
Jay Kugelman producer, resident 1974-82
Maryjane Kwan author of A Sea Shore Memoir, definitive book on homegrown activism
Leslie Labowitz performance artist - "Sproutime" indoor hydroponic project in garage behind her house
Bill LaChasse photographer
Karen Landry
Mark Lane
Stan Laurel was filmed at his Venice home shortly before his death, by Bob Chatterton. "Someone had given Laurel a puppet of himself, and Laurel was clowning around with it." (Peter Apanel)
Frank Levering screenwriter
Lawrence Lipton
Eric Lively actor, bought Tony Bill‘s house, two-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot with high ceilings, glass block walls roof deck, indoor pond.
Pegarty Long filmmaker
Philomene Long poet
Marc Madow filmmaker, activist
Brandon Maggart bought house in 1985 from Tai Babilonia’s skating partner
Garett Maggart
Camryn Manheim
Vaughn Marlowe founder of On The Beach Bookstore
Director Peter McCarthy, who made the movie Floundering.
James McLure playwright, screenwriter
William McNally published Venice of America: The American Dream Come True, under the pseudonym of Sweet William
The co-writer of Roadie, Big Boy Medlin (of Odessa, Texas) lived on the "fringe of Venice" and said that he didn't believe writers should be interviewed. "Every screenwriter from the 30s and 40s who's been interviewed is dead now." Medlin also stated that it's bad luck to write anything before 10 a.m.
Sam Mercer producer
Lance Miccio filmmaker
Katherine Milton media developer
Stanley Mitchell
Perry Miyake playwright, novelist
Marilyn Monroe as a child
Dudley Moore 5505 Ocean Front Walk In March of 1994, it was the scene of Moore's arrest on domestic violence charges which required $50,000 bail. Later the lady changed her story and in April the two got married at this house.
Viggo Mortensen
Susan Moscowitz Doll Lady
Chris Mulkey
Daniel Henry Murray actor, lives in "converted crack house"
Rol Murrow filmmaker, co-founder Fox Venice Theater
Troy Niemans filmmaker
Ann Nietzke, author of Windowlight, in the Potter Apartments
Bill Norton - director of More American Graffiti and Losing It
Michael Ochs
Sean O'Keefe video game producer
Ed O'Neill - canal district
Kisha Xiomara Palmer writer and actress
Kip Pardue
Suzan-Lori Parks playwright
Kenneth Patchen
A.J. Peralta The Other Venice Film Festival
Stacy Peralta filmmaker
Stuart Z. Perkoff
Lori Petty
Mary Pickford
Polly Platt
Chris Prentiss - author of Little Book of Secrets: 81 Secrets for Living a Happy, Prosperous and Successful Life. The title says it all, and the author proves it by living in both Venice and Big Sur.
Michael Pressman
Ingo Rademacher actor, General Hospital
Ann Randolph writer, performer
Joe Ravetz writer, director, photographer
Travis W. Redfish fictitious screenwriter, creation of Big Boy Medlin
Keanu Reeves
Jennifer Reif writes about nature, ancient cultures, mythology
Frank Rios
Mark Rizzo actor, writer
Lisa Robbins actress
Julia Roberts lived with husband in "modest" $1.2 millon house on a walk street and also bought the lot next door, but moved to Malibu in February of 2004
Thomas Robischon philosopher, writer
James Cass Rogers author of Venice to Avalon and several other books
Henry Rollins credited as actor in 29 movies
Brian Routh - boardwalk performer, one of the Kipper Kids, married to artist Nina Sobell
Jerry Rubin activist - the Venice one not the national one, used to live on Sunset
Tupper Saussy author of a wonderful book Miracle on Main Street; tax resister who had been living "underground" for ten years when apprehended at his Venice home in 1997; composer, visual artist, filmmaker. Lived on Carroll Canal between 1995 and 1997.
Mario Savio of the Berkeley free speech movement used to live at Ocean Front Walk and 25th.
Paul Schrader and his brother lived in a one-bedroom place in Venice and spent two months writing The Yakuza.
Director Barbet Schroeder - in 1981 moved to Oakwood where (he said in a 1992 interview) "everything was happening all the time. You never needed television." He also described it as the best year of his life to that point.
John Schuck actor
Hanna Segal author of many books about psychoanalysis
Linda Seger wrote several books on various aspects of screenwriting
Rhoda Shapiro fiction writer
S. A. Shipley (Sharyn Shipley) playwright
Michael Shoob screenwriter
Ron Shusett
Brett Simon filmmaker- In April 2003, a Datax installation by Simon appeared at the Images Festival in Toronto, and his video about a Karaoke romance premiered at a Los Angeles gallery in June 2003.
G. Bruce Smith - Playwright/Journalist whose theatrical productions include The Last Pitch and The Pleasure Pod
Bruce Singer screenwriter
Ben Smith agent
Wesley Snipes
Keith Snyder novelist, filmmaker
Nina Sobell videographer, performance artist, studio in Venice
Suzanne Sommers and her husband (and a housekeeper, of course) - on the swank section of the Venice boardwalk, in a seven-level structure containing two offices, an atrium, sauna, etc. and Ms. Sommers's own 16-foot-high closet. (Feb. 1982)
Penelope Spheeris filmmaker, reportedly lived in Venice from 1969-74
Moe Stavnezer writer
Drew Stepek - novelist and TV writer
James Still playwright
Matt Stone of South Park
Oliver Stone
Frank Sufert filmmaker
Mena Suvari three-bedroom Craftsman house
Amber Tamblyn
Russ Tamblyn
Paul Tanck has written extensively about Venice, and has a book about music coming out soon.
Laura Shepard Townsend novelist
Danny Trejo actor
Alexander Trocchi
David Unger agent
Mark Valley actor
Herve Villechaize
Aajonus Vonderplanitz author of We Want To Live: The Best Diet For Diabetics
Jonathan Wacks filmmaker from South Africa
Becky Wahlstrom (Joan of Arcadia)
Roy Walford MD author, gerontologist, nutritionist
Fred Ward actor
Mae West said to have lived in a house later owned by John Lydon (Johnny Rotten)
Edward Weston regional director of Actors Equity
Sampson E. Whipple actor, born in Venice
Elijah Wood actor
Cassie Yates actor