55 Famous INFJ People & Celebrities
Many famous INFJ people are prominent in music, film, politics, and other fields. This may be somewhat surprising, given how shy INFJs can be.
However, thanks to their innate creativity and social awareness, INFJs often do work that ultimately makes them famous. In fact, some of the most influential people in history were INFJs!
Want to find out which famous people share your personality type? Read along and learn who the most famous INFJ people of all time are, from actors to religious leaders and more!
55 Famous People with an INFJ Personality Type
Without further ado, here are the 55 famous INFJ people you should know about:
INFJ Celebrities in the Film Industry
Although INFJs don’t particularly like being in the spotlight, you might be surprised to find out that many famous INFJ people are actors.
As very private people, INFJs go to great lengths to preserve their identity.
Because of this, many INFJs learn to be social chameleons, so much so that many people around them can’t even guess that they are in fact introverted. In large groups of people, INFJs often feel like they have to play a role to make others feel comfortable.
For this exact reason, INFJs make surprisingly good actors. They can easily adopt different personas and personality traits, which allows them to play convincing movie roles.
And let’s not forget that INFJs are perfectionists, too. Because of this, many celebrities with INFJ personality, including Al Pacino, use method-acting techniques to embody their characters in every possible way—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Nonetheless, most INFJs prefer staying behind the scenes to being in front of the camera. As such, you can also find many famous INFJ people among award-winning film directors.
INFJs have a unique mind and thinking process, which often translates in the movies they create. Since the dominant INFJ cognitive function is introverted intuition (Ni), many INFJ directors such as Andrei Tarkovsky explore mysterious topics and pack their movies full of symbolism.
20 Famous INFJ Actors and Directors
Now that you know why INFJs make talented actors and directors, let’s see who are the most famous INFJ people in the film industry!
Famous INFJ film directors include:
Credit: Pera Museum
- Andrei Tarkovsky: Stalker (1979), Solaris (1972), Mirror (1975)
- Lars von Trier: Melancholia (2011), Antichrist (2009), Dogville (2003)
- Ingmar Bergman: The Seventh Seal (1957), Persona (1966), Fanny and Alexander (1982)
- Darren Aronofsky: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Black Swan (2010), Mother! (2017)
- Mike Leigh: Secrets & Lies (1996), Naked (1993), Mr. Turner (2014)
- Werner Herzog: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Grizzly Man (2005), Fitzcarraldo (1982)
- Mike Flanagan: Oculus (2013), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Absentia (2011)
And here are some of the most famous INFJ personality actors:
Credit: Everest Collection
- Al Pacino: Scarface (1983), The Godfather (1972), Heat (1995)
- Rooney Mara: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Her (2013), Pan (2015)
- River Phoenix: My Own Private Idaho (1991), Dark Blood (1993), Stand by Me (1986)
- Penn Badgley: Easy A (2010), You (2018-), Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
- Benedict Cumberbatch: Doctor Strange (2016), Sherlock (2010-), The Courier (2020)
- Edward Norton: Fight Club (1999), American History X (1998), Primal Fear (1996)
- Rosemund Pike: Gone Girl (2014), I Care a Lot (2020), Pride & Prejudice (2005)
- Richard Gere: Pretty Woman (1990), Unfaithful (2002), Chicago (2002)
- David Schwimmer: Friends (1994-2004), Madagascar (2005), Band of Brothers (2005)
- Michelle Pfeiffer: Scarface (1982), Batman Returns (1992), Dangerous Mind (1995)
- Nicole Kidman: Aquaman (2018), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), The Undoing (2020)
- Jennifer Love Hewitt: Heartbreakers (2001), Garfield (2004), If Only (2004)
- Kate Beckinsale: Underworld (2003), Van Helsing (2004), Pearl Harbor (2001)
INFJ Celebrities in the Music Industry
Creativity is one of the key INFJ strengths. As deeply emotional and creative people, INFJs need a channel to express their thoughts and feelings.
Many INFJ personalities choose music as their preferred creative outlet. Because of this, it comes as no surprise that some of the most famous INFJ people are found in the music industry.
Typically, INFJs aren’t just performers - they are also songwriters. Instead of performing someone else’s songs, they like to tell their own stories through music. For INFJs, music is a healthy outlet for expressing their innermost emotions.
For this reason, a key characteristic of INFJ musicians and songwriters is emotional vulnerability. Although INFJs are reserved, music is one medium where they let their emotions out, which is often therapeutic for them.
One such example is Alanis Morrisette, a Canadian singer whose song ‘You Oughta Know’ is widely regarded as one of the angriest breakup songs of all time. According to the famous INFJ singer, the song helped her to express her anger and prevented her from seeking and acting out of revenge.
Generally speaking, INFJs care more about the lyrics than the instrumental part. For this reason, some INFJ musicians, such as George Harrison and Leonard Cohen, perform acoustic songs. This creates an intimate atmosphere and allows INFJ personality celebrities to connect with the crowd.
That said, you’d have to look hard to find famous DJs with an INFJ personality!
10 Famous INFJ Musicians
Besides the ones mentioned above, famous musicians with an INFJ personality include:
Credit: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
- Tori Amos, American singer, songwriter, and pianist
- Taylor Swift, American pop singer-songwriter
- Nick Cave, Australian singer-songwriter, composer, author, and screenwriter
- Lady Gaga, American singer, songwriter, and actress
- Kendrick Lamar, American rapper, songwriter, and music producer
- Amy Lee (Evanescence), American singer-songwriter
- Shirley Manson (Garbage), Scottish musician, singer-songwriter, and actress
- Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), English guitarist
- Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode), English singer-songwriter
- Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), American musician, singer-songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter.
While we are at famous musicians, check out our guide on Selena Gomez and her personality type which is ISFJ. Also, we recommend the article ISFJ cognitive functions, as well as funny and relatable ISFJ memes.
9 Famous INFJ Authors and Writers
As is typical for introverts, INFJs are often better at written than oral communication.
In fact, many INFJs are naturally gifted writers who are capable of creating fictional characters and worlds. Two great examples of this are J. R. R. Tolkien, who wrote the high-fantasy novel “The Lord of the Rings,” and J. K. Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter series. She is one of the most famous INFJ people to have publicly stated their personality type:
Although many INFJs like to create music and visual art, writing is perhaps the most common creative outlet among INFJ personalities. That’s because writing allows INFJs to express their thoughts in a clear and controlled manner, exactly as they intend.
Many INFJs start writing at a very young age, which might be another reason why there are many INFJ people among well-known writers and authors.
Although many INFJs lean towards creative writing, they also excel in writing non-fiction, especially when it comes to psychology-related topics.
Some famous INFJ writers and authors include:
Credit: Spillwords
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “Faust” (1808), “Prometheus” (1785), “Egmont” (1788)
- Fyodor Dostoevsky: “Crime and Punishment” (1866), “The Brothers Karamazov” (1880), “Demons” (1872)
- Agatha Christie: “Death on the Nile” (1937), “Crooked House” (1949), “Curtain” (1975)
- Dante Alighieri: “Divine Comedy”, “Inferno”, “Purgatorio”
- Leo Tolstoy: “War and Peace” (1867), “Anna Karenina” (1878), “Childhood” (1852)
- Sylvia Plath: “The Bell Jar” (1963), “Lady Lazarus” (1965), “Ariel” (1965)
6 Famous INFJ Philosophers
As mentioned above, INFJs are guided by introverted intuition (Ni), which is their dominant cognitive function.
This makes them natural philosophers. INFJs easily see connections between different events, can make predictions about how things will unfold in the future, and generally enjoy discussing philosophical topics.
INFJs constantly seek answers to existential questions. They believe there’s more to life than what meets the eye, and that leads them to question human existence.
INFJs also have a very strong moral compass, which is why they are interested in questions of ethics, morality, and such.
The tertiary function of INFJs, introverted thinking, also makes them great at analyzing situations and solving problems.
Although INFJs are one of the feeling personality types, they have a constant thirst for knowledge and enjoy discussing theoretical concepts and ideas. Unlike thinkers, however, they’re mostly concerned with the human condition.
As compassionate and empathetic people, INFJs tend to be humanitarians, and thus their primary concern is often human rights and equality. These concepts are often discussed and analyzed by famous INFJ philosophers such as Simone de Beauvoir, an existential philosopher who laid the foundation for feminist theory.
So, here are some other famous INFJ philosophers besides the above-mentioned Simone de Beauvoir:
Credit: Jon Hicks / Getty Images
- Plato, Greek philosopher
- Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher
- Plotinus, Hellenistic philosopher
- Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher
- Noam Chomsky, American linguist, philosopher, and political activist
8 Famous INFJ Political and Religious Leaders
What did Buddha, Jesus Christ, and Muhammad have in common? Besides being religious leaders, they are also thought to have been INFJs!
Although INFJs don’t typically feel comfortable in leadership positions, some INFJs become prominent political and religious leaders.
That’s primarily because INFJs care deeply about humanity and social issues. Their main goal is to bring about peace and harmony, which pushes them to overcome their inherent shyness in pursuit of a better world. Most INFJs, whether famous or not, strive to leave the world a better place.
Needless to say, INFJs have an altruistic nature. This, coupled with their strong sense of purpose and natural talent for inspiring other people, helps them become influential political, religious, and spiritual leaders.
Many famous INFJ people, in fact, use their fame to raise awareness of important social issues. Nicole Kidman, for example, is a UN Goodwill Ambassador in addition to being an award-winning Hollywood actress. She travels to various countries around the world to educate people about violence against women.
That said, INFJ-As are far more likely to become political and spiritual leaders than INFJ-Ts. That's because INFJ-As differ from INFJ-Ts in terms of confidence. While INFJ-Ts are self-critical and tend to doubt themselves, INFJ-As are confident and assertive.
On that note, here are some INFJ-A celebrities from the realm of religion and politics:
Credit: Getty Images
- Mahatma Gandhi, Indian civil rights activist
- Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and a saint
- Nelson Mandela, South African revolutionary and political leader
- Martin Luther King Jr., American civil rights activist and minister
- Leon Trotsky, Russian-Ukrainian politician and Marxist revolutionary
3 Controversial Famous INFJ People
As with any personality type, INFJs can be healthy or unhealthy. Essentially, this means that all people are capable of doing both good and bad things.
INFJs are typically thought of as very compassionate, empathetic, and ethical people, but there’s another side to the coin, too. Unhealthy INFJs can use their strengths, such as the ability to inspire others, against other people. They can be selfish, cruel, manipulative, vengeful, and amoral.
Unlike healthy INFJs, unhealthy INFJs crave power. For this reason, you can find quite a few famous INFJ people among the world’s most cruel individuals.
Understanding how unhealthy personality traits manifest, however, can be very eye-opening. That’s especially true in the case of INFJs, who are usually thought to have some of the most gentle souls.
So, let’s take a better look at some of the most controversial INFJ famous people - Adolf Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Marilyn Manson.
Credit: AP file
#1. Adolf Hitler
Many people are taken aback by the fact that Adolf Hitler was a popular INFJ, as he doesn’t seem to fit the typical INFJ portrait.
However, Adolf Hitler is a prime example of an unhealthy male INFJ. He had all the usual INFJ traits, including creativity, as he wanted to become an artist.
Hitler also had incredible oratory skills and a talent for people, which he, unfortunately, used destructively. On top of that, Hitler was very perceptive, allowing him to avoid multiple assassination attempts.
It’s hard to deny that Hitler, like most INFJs, had a very strong sense of idealism, albeit a very problematic one. Essentially, this goes to show that even though people of the same personality type have similar characteristics, the way they use their inherent strengths and weaknesses can vary widely.
#2. Osama bin Laden
Another classic example of a famous, unhealthy INFJ personality is Osama bin Laden.
Osama bin Laden’s behavior easily reveals that he was a true INFJ - his primary cognitive functions could be easily observed by anyone.
For example, bin Laden was likely led by introverted intuition (Ni) to create a well-thought-out plan to terrorize the United States, and misused his extraverted feeling (Fe) to manipulate people into thinking that they were doing a good deed to Islam by terrorizing the United States.
Like Hitler, Osama bin Laden was a visionary who had a strong but destructive sense of idealism.
#3. Marilyn Manson
Although probably not as cruel as the two above-mentioned controversial INFJs, the singer-songwriter Marilyn Manson is still a good example of an unhealthy INFJ.
Like most INFJs, Marilyn Manson has a very artistic and unique personality. He uses a lot of symbols and metaphors in his songs, which is typical for personality types that heavily use their introverted intuition function.
That said, Marilyn Manson is a controversial figure, to say the least. Unhealthy INFJs often have no respect for other people, their beliefs, and feelings, and Marilyn Manson is no different. He has done some extremely disrespectful acts on stage, such as eating a Bible, and in 2021, multiple ex-partners accused him of domestic violence, but the singer denied the allegations.
Key Takeaways
And that’s all! Hopefully, you found this article interesting and inspiring.
As you see, there are many famous INFJ people in different fields. So, no matter how introverted you are, you too can become a prominent INFJ actor, filmmaker, musician, philosopher, politician, or spiritual leader!
If you want someone to look up to, here's a short but sweet list of some of the most famous INFJs:
- Nelson Mandela
- Agatha Christie
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Al Pacino
- Nicole Kidman
And before you go, here’s a quick recap of this article:
- Although INFJs prefer to stay behind the scenes, they can easily adopt different personas, which is why there are many celebrities with INFJ personality among world-class actors.
- INFJs often write and perform music to express their creativity and emotions, and many famous INFJ people are prominent musicians.
- INFJs have a natural affinity for writing and are capable of publishing best-selling fiction and non-fiction books.
- Because INFJs use Ni and Fe as their primary cognitive functions, they enjoy discussing ideas and can make great philosophers.
- Many famous INFJ people use their ability to inspire people in politics and religion.
- Unhealthy INFJs can be selfish and cruel and use their natural talents to manipulate crowds.