page_title: Livingston, New Jersey
section_title: Notable people
hierarchical_section_title: Livingston, New Jersey / Notable people
caption_attribution_description: English: Heth and Jed busking on 5th Avenue, New York City
context_page_description: Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 29,366, reflecting an increase of 1,975 from the 27,391 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 782 from the 26,609 counted in the 1990 Census. In 2019, the Population Estimates Program by the United States Census Bureau calculated that the township had a population of 30,303.
  Livingston was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield Township. Portions of the original township were later taken to form Fairmount and Roseland.
  The township was named for William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey; his family's coat of arms served as the township's seal for many years.
  The community has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, township residents had a median household income of $153,381, ranked 14th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.
context_section_description: People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Livingston include:
  Academia
  Shiva Ayyadurai (born 1963), MIT systems scientist and entrepreneur who developed an email system in 1979 when he was a student at Livingston High School.
  Pamela Nadell (born 1951), historian, researcher, author and lecturer focusing on Jewish history.
  Paul E. Olsen (born 1953), paleontologist, elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences, helped in getting Riker Hill Fossil Site in Roseland registered as a National Natural Landmark when he was a teenager.
  Suzanne Steinbaum (born c. 1968), cardiologist and director of Women's Heart Health at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital.
  Roger Y. Tsien (1952–2016), chemist who was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He also won first prize in the Westinghouse talent search at age 16 when he attended Livingston High School with a project investigating how metals bind to thiocyanate.
  Artists
  Val Britton (born 1977), artist known for her collage work.
  Business
  Elvina Beck (born 1985), founder of the co-living company PodShare.
  Frank Biondi (1945–2019), former President and CEO of Viacom, and former Chairman and CEO of Universal Studios.
  Robert E. Grady (born 1959), venture capitalist, investment banker and government official.
  Barry Halper (1939–2005), baseball memorabilia collector and businessman, who was once a limited partner in the Yankees' ownership with George Steinbrenner.
  Charles Kushner (born 1954), real estate mogul and Democratic fundraiser who pleaded guilty in 2004 to tax violations and charges related to witness tampering.
  Joshua Kushner (born 1985), businessman and investor.
  David Tepper (born 1957), founder of the hedge fund Appaloosa Management.
  Entertainment
  Jason Alexander (born 1959, originally Jay Greenspan), actor best known for his role as George Costanza of the long-running television show, Seinfeld.
  Benjamin August (born c. 1979), casting director and screenwriter.
  Bruce Beck (born 1956), sportscaster on WNBC.
  Alan Cooper (born ca. 1949), founding member of Sha-Na-Na and biblical scholar.
  Joe Dante (born 1946), film director whose work includes Gremlins, The Howling and Twilight Zone: The Movie
  Rob Fusari (born c. 1968), music producer and songwriter who discovered Lady Gaga.
  Dana Gaier (born 1997), actress and singer-songwriter known for her role as "Edith" in the Despicable Me franchise.
  Chelsea Handler (born 1975), stand-up comedian, author, television personality and star of Chelsea Lately on E!.
  Nikki M. James (born 1981), Tony-Award-winning actress and singer who won a 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a musical for her role as Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon.
  Myq Kaplan (born 1978), comedian.
  Leslie Kritzer (born 1977), Broadway actress in Legally Blonde: The Musical, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and A Catered Affair with Harvey Fierstein.
  Sophia Lin, film producer.
  MIKE (born 1998), rapper, songwriter and record producer.
  Stephen Oremus (born 1971), music supervisor, music director, orchestrator and vocal arranger who won a 2011 Tony Award for Orchestration for The Book of Mormon.
  Adam Pally (born 1982), comedian and actor who appears in the ABC series Happy Endings.
  Todd Solondz (born 1959), director, whose films include Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness and Life During Wartime
  Richard Tanne (born 1985), filmmaker who wrote and directed Southside With You.
  Thea White (born 1953), voice actress, best known for her role as Muriel in Courage the Cowardly Dog.
  Wendy Williams (born 1964), radio personality, television host, actress, producer, author and comedian who has been host of The Wendy Williams Show.
  Danny Zuker (born 1963) Emmy award-winning writer and producer for Modern Family.
  Military
  Glenn K. Rieth (born 1957), who was the Adjutant General of New Jersey in Governor Jon Corzine's cabinet.
  Literature
  Mona Charen (born 1957), conservative political columnist who grew up in Livingston, where she was close friends with future Washington Post journalist Ruth Marcus.
  Harlan Coben (
caption: Heth and Jed
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