# The 23 Most Influential People Born in 1955

> One birth year produced the web, the personal computer, Mr. Bean and Die Hard. Inventors, actors, rock guitarists and athletes are all fighting over the same vintage.

*By YPB Team · Published October 30, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-23-most-influential-people-born-in-1955*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Rowan Atkinson** — score 1000/1000
   English comedian born in 1955 who created Mr. Bean and starred in Blackadder.
2. **Greg Norman** — score 930/1000
   Australian golfer born in 1955 who spent 331 weeks as world number one.
3. **Eric Schmidt** — score 930/1000
   Engineer born in 1955 who ran Google as CEO through its growth into a global giant.
4. **Tim Berners-Lee** — score 818/1000
   British computer scientist born in June 1955 who invented the World Wide Web.
5. **Chow Yun-fat** — score 818/1000
   Hong Kong actor born in 1955 who starred in A Better Tomorrow and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
6. **Simon Rattle** — score 734/1000
   English conductor born in 1955 who led the Berlin Philharmonic for sixteen years.
7. **Bruce Willis** — score 734/1000
   Actor born in 1955 who became a global action star with Die Hard and Pulp Fiction.
8. **Gary Sinise** — score 734/1000
   Actor born in 1955 known for Forrest Gump's Lieutenant Dan and CSI: NY.
9. **Eddie Van Halen** — score 734/1000
   Guitarist born in 1955 whose tapping technique changed rock guitar playing.
10. **Whoopi Goldberg** — score 636/1000
   Actress, comedian and host born in 1955, one of the few EGOT winners.
11. **Bill Gates** — score 636/1000
   Microsoft co-founder born in Seattle in October 1955 who brought software to nearly every desk.
12. **Reba McEntire** — score 636/1000
   Country singer and actress born in 1955, one of the best-selling country artists ever.
13. **Kevin Costner** — score 636/1000
   Actor and director born in 1955 who won Oscars for Dances with Wolves and later led Yellowstone.
14. **John Grisham** — score 520/1000
   Novelist born in 1955 whose legal thrillers like The Firm sold hundreds of millions of copies.
15. **Iman** — score 520/1000
   Somali-born supermodel and cosmetics entrepreneur born in 1955.
16. **Steve Jobs** — score 520/1000
   Apple co-founder born in San Francisco in February 1955 who reshaped computers, music and phones.
17. **Alain Prost** — score 520/1000
   French racing driver born in 1955 who won four Formula One world championships.
18. **Billy Bob Thornton** — score 382/1000
   Actor and filmmaker born in 1955 who won an Oscar for writing Sling Blade.
19. **Willem Dafoe** — score 382/1000
   Actor born in 1955 known for Platoon, Spider-Man and four Oscar nominations.
20. **Kelsey Grammer** — score 382/1000
   Actor born in 1955 who played Frasier Crane across two decades of Cheers and Frasier.
21. **Debra Winger** — score 382/1000
   Actress born in 1955 nominated for three Oscars for An Officer and a Gentleman, Terms of Endearment and Shadowlands.
22. **Jeff Koons** — score 0/1000
   Artist born in 1955 whose Balloon Dog sculptures made him one of the priciest living artists.
23. **Bill Paxton** — score 0/1000
   Actor born in 1955 remembered for Aliens, Twister, Apollo 13 and Titanic.

Tags: music, celebrities, actors, legends, 1955