Famous People Who Appeared on TED Stages

TED stages are usually linked with scientists, educators, founders, and big thinkers.

But plenty of celebrities have also stepped onto TED and TEDx stages to share personal stories, creative lessons, activism, and ideas shaped by fame, failure, art, and public life.

This list includes official TED talks and select TEDx talks where the speaker’s public profile made the appearance especially memorable.

Monica Lewinsky

Monica Lewinsky gave one of the most widely discussed TED talks of the 2010s with “The Price of Shame.” Her talk focused on public humiliation, online cruelty, and what it means to have a personal mistake become global content.

Adam Driver

Adam Driver gave the TED talk “My Journey From Marine to Actor.” Before becoming known for Star Wars, Driver served as a U.S. Marine. In the talk, he discussed that transition and the founding of Arts in the Armed Forces, which brings theater to military audiences.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda gave the TED talk “Life’s Third Act.” The talk focused on aging, longevity, and how people can think about the later decades of life with more purpose.

Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin appeared with Jane Fonda in a TED conversation celebrating lifelong female friendship. Their talk mixed humor, honesty, and decades of shared experience.

Amanda Palmer

Musician Amanda Palmer gave the famous TED talk “The Art of Asking.” She spoke about music, vulnerability, street performance, and the relationship between artists and audiences.

James Cameron

James Cameron gave the TED talk “Before Avatar… A Curious Boy.” The filmmaker discussed curiosity, exploration, science fiction, deep-sea diving, and the imagination behind his movies.

Bono

Bono gave the TED talk “The Good News on Poverty.” The U2 frontman used the stage to discuss poverty, inequality, and global progress.

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes gave the TED talk “My Year of Saying Yes to Everything.” Rhimes is the force behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder, responsible for around 70 hours of television per season at the time of the talk.

J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams gave the TED talk “The Mystery Box.” He used the talk to explain his fascination with mystery, storytelling, and the unseen. TED connects that passion to projects such as Lost, Star Trek, and other films and television work.

Sting

Sting gave the TED talk “How I Started Writing Songs Again.” He spoke about his early life near a shipyard and a creative block that eventually led him back to songwriting. His childhood was shaped by the shipyard he once wanted to escape.

Julia Sweeney

Comedian and actor Julia Sweeney gave the TED talk “Letting Go of God.” The talk explored her personal questioning of belief after a visit from Mormon missionaries started a deeper spiritual inquiry. It is a journey that led her to rethink her beliefs.

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman has appeared on TED stages as a comedian known for sharp, uncomfortable humor. Her TED presence fits the platform’s “Entertainment” side, where comedy can be used to test social norms and audience discomfort.

John Hodgman

John Hodgman gave TED’s “Design, Explained.” Known for comedy, writing, and screen appearances, Hodgman used the stage to “explain” iconic modern objects in his signature dry style. The talk is part of the Design Studio session at TED2012.

Reggie Watts

Reggie Watts gave the TED talk “Beats That Defy Boxes.”

The performance is a blend of poetry and musical genres, with Watts using sound, rhythm, and improvisation in a way that resists easy labeling.

Ze Frank

Performer and web creator Ze Frank has given multiple TED talks, including “My Web Playroom” and “Are You Human?”

George Takei

George Takei appeared at TEDxBroadway, where he discussed the creative and historical meaning behind his musical about Japanese-American internment.

Cameron Russell

Cameron Russell gave the TEDx talk “Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m a Model.” TED includes the talk in its most popular TEDx talks playlist, where it is listed among the platform’s most-watched TEDx presentations.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is more a business icon than an entertainment celebrity, but he has become one of TED’s most recognizable public figures. His TED appearances helped bring mainstream attention to topics such as health, education, energy, and global development.

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