An Epic List of INFP Famous People and Fictional Characters

Imagine your favorite celebrity or fictional character.

Are they calm, intuitive, and harmony-oriented?

If so, they could very well be an INFP personality type. This type makes for some of the most caring, nurturing, and emotionally rich characters and famous people. INFPs are not always easy to spot, as they like to blend in with their environment, but anyone who knows what INFPs personality traits are can accurately categorize many famous people and fictional characters into this type.

Below you will find the most comprehensive list of those believed to be INFP. From Kurt Cobain through William Shakespeare, all the way to Vincent Van Gogh – we’ll not only list as many famous INFP people and characters as we can, but we’ll also cover some of the features that make them stand out – or not! People of this type can be obvious if you have an understanding of the 16 personalities theory but, due to their shy nature, they can still be elusive.

So, let’s take a deeper look at the INFPs who have shaped the world we live in.

INFP Celebrities

INFPs have a very specific way of dealing with things. They are calm, often perceived as shy, they place heavy importance on maintaining peace and harmony. Their strong intuition and well-developed imagination often makes them naturally inclined toward different artistic forms of expression. In fact, writing has been noted to be one of the best ways that these people convey their feelings to the world. This is why there are so many INFP writers, the most famous one probably being William Shakespeare.

Like a jack of all trades, the INFP archetype is good at other artistic ventures as well. These people make for notable actors, philosophers, and teachers. Take a look at Johnny Depp for example, who is also an INFP. Throughout his career, he managed to take on some of the weirdest and most conceptual roles known to film history, and turn them into relatable characters. He is known to be a very artistic and considerate person, despite his recent controversies.

There are plenty of other fields that INFPs have left a mark on – music, politics and even YouTube. Below we will take a closer look at representatives from each section. Some might even surprise you.

INFP Actors and Filmmakers

INFPs make for very dedicated and passionate actors. A common characteristic of this personality type is their desire to please everyone around them. Sometimes this can happen at the expense of their own needs, which is why they sometimes find it easier to slip into the shoes of someone they are not. INFPs are likely to view acting as a means to protect their identity, a shell they can successfully hide in. This transformation can be beneficial for the INFP, as they can draw confidence from it, even if they are shy in reality. This is probably why INFP actors are prone to pouring tremendous amounts of energy and willpower into fully embodying a character. When portraying someone else, they want to do so with as much precision and sincerity as possible. Unlike INFJ actors, INFPs like to take a character and contribute actively to it, enriching it through their own conscious effort. It is easy for them to detach themselves from their real-life persona and fully become someone else for a while.

Films created by INFPs are also a different breed. While they might not be everyone’s cup of tea, that’s hardly an issue for this personality type. INFPs prefer to let their films express their deeper sense of creativity and their take on the bigger picture. It’s easy to find meaning scattered throughout all of their shots – think choices of camera angles, props, set design, costume, and makeup. They have a way to tell stories in their own unique way and the work they deliver is often captivating and enchanting.

Johnny Depp is the quintessential example of an INFP actor. He is a definite introvert (the man bought an island to get some peace and quiet) and has the amazing ability to create his characters from scratch. Even when given an inspiration for a certain role, he still contributes to it with his signature imagination and style. It is exactly his elaborate imagination that gives him away as an INFP. If we take Captain Jack Sparrow for example, we can see how he contributed to the role with lots of small details, like the drunken swagger and the cool rocker style. This gives the impression that in Depp’s mind, the character has been mapped out and that he is aware of seemingly unimportant, but in reality, crucial things like his backstory and how that character would interact in certain situations. Furthermore, as he says in his own words: “[In my career] I am doing things that are true to me,” and, “People say I make strange choices, but they’re not strange for me. My sickness is that I’m fascinated by … what’s underneath the surface, by the worlds inside people.”

You can also see from interviews how he acts in a typical INFP fashion when he receives compliments and praise from established names in Hollywood.

Here’s a list of some more INFP actors:

• Andrew Garfield, British-American actor (The Amazing Spiderman; Hacksaw Ridge; The Social Network)
• Audrey Hepburn, English actress (Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Roman Holiday; My Fair Lady)
• Chloe Sevigny, American actress and designer (Boys Don’t Cry; American Psycho; Zodiac)
• David Lynch, American director (Twin Peaks; Mulholland Drive; Blue Velvet; Eraserhead)
• Emily Blunt, English actress (A Quiet Place; The Devil Wears Prada; Edge of Tomorrow)
• Fred Savage, American actor (The Wonder Years; The Princess Bride; Little Monsters; The Wizard)
• Gary Oldman, English actor (Darkest Hour; Dracula; Leon: The Professional)
• Heath Ledger, Australian actor (Brokeback Mountain; A Knight’s Tale; 10 Things I Hate About You; The Dark Knight)
• Hugh Laurie, English actor (House M.D.; The Night Manager; Stuart Little)
• Jennifer Jason Leigh, American actress (The Hateful Eight; Single White Female; Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
• Jude Law, English actor (The Talented Mr. Ripley; The Holiday; Sherlock Holmes; The Young Pope)
• Lisa Kudrow, American actress (Friends; The Comeback; Space Force)
• Louis C.K., American comedian (Louie; Horace and Pete; The Secret Life of Pets)
• Marlon Brando, American actor (The Godfather; A Streetcar Named Desire; Apocalypse Now)
• Mia Farrow, American actress and activist (Rosemary’s Baby; Hannah and her Sisters; The Great Gatsby)
• Nicolas Cage, American actor (Con Air; National Treasure; Raising Arizona; Adaptation)
• Richard Gere, American actor (Pretty Woman; An Officer and a Gentleman; Primal Fear)
• Robert Pattinson, English actor (Twilight; The Lighthouse; Tenet)
• Teller, American magician (Pen & Teller; Tim’s Vermeer)
• Tim Burton, American director (The Nightmare Before Christmas; Edward Scissorhands; Big Fish)
• Tom Hiddleston, English actor (The Night Manager; Thor; The Avengers; Only Lovers Left Alive)

INFP Writers and Authors

INFPs often make for natural writers. Writing encompasses one of their favorite things – being left to themselves. When working alone, INFPs have the opportunity to pour out their imagination and creativity undisturbed by others. Something that can be a real challenge for them, however, is picking which of their numerous ideas to build upon. While their imagination is impressive, it can also be overwhelming for INFPs. This personality type is also highly critical of themselves, which can result in them trying to perfect their manuscripts to a point where it’s obsessive. Given how empathetic and emotionally adept INFPs are, the stories they tell are often very relatable to readers and manage to convey the emotions of their made-up characters. Being sensitive, these writers tend to write either more philosophical or emotional pieces, which explore the human experience.

An example of an INFP author is William Shakespeare. He was a highly imaginative writer, with a tremendous contribution to modern day English words and phrases. His creative, whimsical, flexible, and linguistically gifted works are still studied by people around the globe (and no, we are not talking about his theatre). His ability to create fantasy worlds and translate those into compelling pieces of literature prove how skilled he was as a wordsmith. Shakespeare saw the world for what it could be and wasn’t afraid to act upon that, by imagining a number of ways about how life could unfold (Extroverted Intuition). His inner world was also a formidable one, filled with intense emotions and feelings. His outside-the-box way of thinking was pioneering for his time and was marked by a heightened sense of idealism. Shakespeare was also alert to the feelings of other people as well. In his own words: “If we shadows have offended; think but this and all is mended; that you have yet slumbered here; whilst these visions did appear; and this weak and idle theme; yet unyielding as a dream;…” Here it is clear that he is focusing on how his audience feels.

Some more popular names in this area are:

• A. A. Milne, English author (Winnie the Pooh; The Red House Mystery)
• Amy Tan, American author (The Joy Luck Club; The Bonesetter’s Daughter)
• Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French author and pilot (The Little Prince; Wind, Sand and Stars; Night Flight)
• Bill Watterson, American cartoonist (Calvin and Hobbes)
• C. S. Lewis, English author (The Chronicles of Narnia; Mere Christianity; The Screwtape Letters)
• Edgar Allen Poe, American author and poet (The Raven; The Tell-Tale Heart; The Fall of the House of Usher)
• Franz Kafka, Czech Bohemian novelist and short-story writer (The Metamorphosis; The Castle; Amerika)
• George Orwell, English author (1984; Animal Farm; Homage to Catalonia)
• George R. R. Martin, American author (A Song of Ice and Fire; The Ice Dragon)
• Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author (The Little Mermaid; The Ugly Duckling; The Snow Queen)
• Helen Keller, American writer (The Story of my Life; Light in my Darkness; Optimism)
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet (The Song of Hiawatha; Evangeline)
• Homer, Greek author (Odyssey; Iliad)
• John Milton, English poet (Paradise Lost; Paradise Regained; Lycidas)
• J. R. R. Tolkien, English author and linguist (The Lord of the Rings; The Hobbit; The Silmarillion)
• Virgil, Roman poet (Aeneid; Eclogues)
• Virginia Woolf, English author (Mrs. Dalloway; A Room of One’s Own; To the Lighthouse)
• William Blake, English poet and engraver (The Tyger; London; The Lamb)

INFP Musicians

Music is also deeply intertwined with INFP creativity. When dealing with music, this personality type often emerges as a bandleader or a solo artist. Their natural proclivity to being artistic, as well as their unique take on the world, means that most of the time they write their own music. Through music, INFPs find an unconventional outlet to channel their thoughts and feelings. Self-expression is an important thing to this personality type, which is why they place such importance on, and take such care in, the meaning and message they convey through their art. This is probably why you’ll find plenty of activist INFP musicians, who advocate for social causes. INFPs are mostly oriented toward the subjective world of their personal feelings. It’s essential for them that what they do feels as authentic as possible, and this is their primary criteria for making decisions.

A good example of a musician who is undeniably an INFP is the late Kurt Cobain. This is evident from both his lyrics and his behavior. He is characterized by Feeling preference, as his life was clearly guided by his inner feelings. Unfortunately, this drive even left a mark on how his life ended – by suicide. This excerpt from his journals can paint a more clear picture of his strong NF inclinations:

“I like punk rock. I like girls with weird eyes. I like drugs. I like passion. I like things that are built well. I like innocence. I like and am grateful to not have to work at menial jobs. I like killing gluttony. I like playing my cards wrong. I like various styles of music. I like making fun of musicians whom I feel plagiarise or offend music as art by exploring & pushing their embarrassingly, pathetic versions of their work. I like to write poetry. I like to ignore others’ poetry. I like vinyl. I like nature and animals. I like to swim. I like to be with my friends. I like to be by myself. I like to feel guilty for being a white, American male. I love to sleep. I like to fill my mouth with seeds and spit them out at random as I walk. I like to taunt small, barking dogs in parked cars. I like to make people feel happy and superior in their reactions to my appearance. I like to feel prejudice. I like to make incisions into the belly of infants then fuck the incisions until the child dies. I like to dream that someday we will have a sense of generational solidarity amongst the youth of the world. I like to make insidious efforts to avoid conflict. I like to have strong opinions with nothing to back them up with besides my primal sincerity. I like sincerity. I lack sincerity. These are not opinions. These are not words of wisdom, this is a disclaimer, a disclaimer for my lack of education, for my loss of inspiration, for my unnerving quest for affection and for my perfunctory shamefulness towards many who are of my relative age. It’s not even a poem. It’s Just A Big pile of shit like ME.”

Other names in the music industry with the INFP personality type include:

• Bob Marley, Jamaican singer (Is This Love; No Woman, No Cry; Three Little Birds)
• Carlos Santana, Mexican-American guitarist (Maria, Maria; Black Magic Woman; Smooth)
• Chris Martin, British singer, lead of Coldplay (Viva la Vida; The Scientist; Paradise; Yellow)
• Fiona Apple, American singer (Criminal; Shameika; Pure Imagination)
• James Taylor, American singer (Fire and Rain; Something in the Way she Moves; Shower the People) 
• John Mayer, American singer (Slow Dancing in a Burning Room; New Light; Gravity) 
• Joni Mitchell, Canadian singer and artist (A Case of You; Both Sides, Now; The Circle Game)
• Lenny Kravitz, American singer (Fly Away; It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over; Are You Gonna Go My Way)
• Robert Smith, English singer and guitarist, founder of The Cure (Friday I’m In Love; Pictures of You; Just like Heaven)
• Ronnie James Dio, American singer (Neon Knights; Heaven and Hell; The Sign of the Southern Cross)
• Sarah MacLachlan, Canadian singer (Angel; I Will Remember You; Building a Mystery)
• Thom Yorke, English singer, vocalist of Radiohead (Last I Heard; Plasticine Figures; Impossible Knots)
• Tori Amos, American singer (Cornflake Girl; Silent All These Years; Precious Things)

INFP Philosophers

Since INFPs are extremely imaginative and internal people, it’s only natural that they hardly ever stop thinking. Their minds are active, incredible places, preoccupied with thoughts of grandeur and interesting concepts, which in turn often leads them to explore philosophical questions. People of this personality type love to learn and enjoy running different theoretical ideas through their minds. Their rich inner thoughts are often difficult to explain to other people, which is why they find comfort in philosophy. They are often able to extract deep insights by observing what’s around them or by hearing different perspectives. By analyzing their circle of relatives, friends, and everyday people, they are devoted to exploring the true character of each person, which often lurks beneath the surface.

Here are some prominent examples of INFP philosophers:

• Augustine, Roman philosopher (Confessions of Augustine; The City of God; On the Trinity)
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Genevan philosopher (The Social Contract; Emile, Or Treatise on Education; Discourse on Inequality)
• Albert Camus, French philosopher (The Stranger; The Plague; The Myth of Sisyphus)
• Peter Singer, Australian moral philosopher (Animal Liberation; Practical Ethics)
• Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and poet (Either/Or; Fear and Trembling; The Sickness Unto Death)

INFP Artists

Given the INFP’s tendency for abstract thought, it’s no wonder that they use art as another outlet for their creativity. Being strongly intuitive types, it’s common for INFPs to have a rich inner world. Their art is expressive and sometimes even bizarre, which goes to show exactly how interesting these people can be. However, being artistic has its downsides as well. INFPs are highly perfectionistic people – they often redo something many, many times before they are satisfied with the end result. This can lead them to nitpick or observe everything under a magnifying glass to see any imperfections with their work. Hopefully, you can see how this can make them constantly unsatisfied in the long run.

Here are the names of some of the most prominent INFP artists:

• Andy Warhol, American artist, film director, and producer (Shot Marilyns; Campbell’s Soup Cans)
• Vincent van Gogh, Dutch post-impressionist painter (The Starry Night; Sunflowers)

INFP Leaders

Even though politics isn’t a career that INFPs particularly excel in, certain characteristics of their personality are quite fitting for a position in that field. They are passionate, idealistic, and inspiring leaders, who strongly believe in making the world a better place. These people are also interested in investing in personal development – both for themselves, as well as for those around them. Even though INFPs usually stay away from the spotlight, they would be willing to step into it to fight for a cause they strongly believe in. Their nature is so inspirational that it can easily appeal to others, without them trying too hard to do so.

That being said, it’s understandable that there aren’t any prominent political figures that have been identified as INFPs. People of this personality type lead through their music (Kurt Cobain, Bob Marley) or through their writing (William Shakespeare). Sometimes it can be their sheer authenticity and idealism that inspires others – as with Princess Diana, who was also an INFP. Or other times (in very rare occasions) these leadership tendencies can manifest in the typical, political way – take, for example, Bernie Sanders.

INFP Youtubers

You can find INFP representatives in the YouTube scene as well. They are mostly people who talk about the 16 pesonalities theory and their own type, but also appear in the gaming environment as well. Below we have listed several more prominent INFP YouTubers.

• Geek Psychology, blogger/YouTuber
• INFPurple, INFP vlogger
• John Green, author and one of the Vlogbrothers hosts
• Joseph Iacobucci, INFP vlogger
• Lex MorningStar, INFP vlogger
• Me an INFP, INFP vlogger
• Savannah Brown, vlogger and author
• Vinesauce, gaming vlogger
• Zoey Proasheck, gaming vlogger

INFP Characters

Fictional INFPs are fairly common in film, TV, literature, and comic books. They are typically the quiet dreamer, the introspective character, with keen observational skills and a unique perspective of the outside world. Their deep idealism and passion for their own beliefs and ideas make them likable to audiences. They are compassionate and possess strong intuition. Sometimes the INFP perception of the world doesn’t exactly fit with reality, but they are unbothered by that – and prefer to stay inside their heads anyway. Their strong moral compass aids them in telling right from wrong and, when they believe in a cause, nothing can turn them away. INFP characters also believe in others and are willing to support their loved ones no matter what.

Let’s take a look at characters who exhibit INFP characteristics, and can be classified as such.

INFP TV Characters

If you have watched the defining animated show of the 00s, Avatar: The Last Airbender, you are surely familiar with Uncle Iroh. He is a character that is easy to characterize as an INFP. He is deeply guided by his gut feeling and what “feels right,” placing deep faith in his intuition. As someone whose dominant cognitive function is Introverted Feeling, Iroh doesn’t let society shape his moral beliefs. Instead, he lets his own human experience guide him through life. He tends to disregard structural norms and instead focuses on the human factor of any situation. Fi (Introverted Feeling) is also responsible for his deep empathy on an individual level. Instead of trying to change the world as a whole (which is what a Fe-dominated person would do), he focuses on helping individuals one on one. The philosophy behind this way of thinking is that even pushing one pebble will create meaningful ripples. Iroh has been through his fair share of questionable life experiences and even though he has done things he deeply regrets in the past, he still aspires to keep moving forward and leave a good mark on the world.

Fi, combined with INFP’s auxiliary function, Extroverted Intuition, is what makes Iroh an inherently good person. He wants to help people not because he wants them to meet society’s standards, but rather because he sees their potential and is willing to help them unravel it. He prefers to focus on the other’s inner world and look more closely at the values that connect us all in an essential way. This is best depicted through his path in mentoring his nephew, Zuko, not because he wanted him to be accepted by society, but because he wanted Zuko to be accepting of his own self. Part of his motivation may still stem from the loss of his son, as well as all the bad things he has done in his past (besieging Ba Sing Se) – he doesn’t want others to repeat his mistakes.

Here are some other characters from TV shows, who are believed to be INFP:

• Ada Shelby, Peaky Blinders
• April Ludgate, Parks and Recreation
• Bubbles, The Powerpuff Girls
• Charlie Brown, Peanuts
• Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones
• Daria Morgendorffer, Daria
• Dolores Abernathy, Westworld
• Enzo, The Vampire Diaries
• Floki, Vikings
• Gohan, Dragonball Z
• Idris, Doctor Who
• Kermit the Frog, The Muppets
• Lane Kim, Gilmore Girls
• Lillian Kaushtuppe, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Lucy Moran, Twin Peaks
• Marshall, How I Met Your Mother
• Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey
• Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things
• Morgan Jones, The Walking Dead
• Norma Romano, Orange is the New Black
• Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ Warren, Orange is the New Black
• Tina Belcher, Bob’s Burgers
• Tyreese, The Walking Dead
• Vanya, The Umbrella Academy

INFP Movie Characters

An example of an unconventional INFP hero is one sweet hobbit from the Shire – Frodo Baggins. He is kind, sensitive, emotional, and extremely warm. Frodo cares tremendously for everyone around him, which can sometimes put himself and his loved ones in danger, which is illustrated in his unwillingness to hurt Gollum. He is a very empathetic character, however, he can’t connect to simply anyone. Frodo feels more drawn and understanding toward those who have experienced similar things to himself. This may be one of the reasons why he was so willing to accept Smeagol’s help, rather than Sam’s. Frodo has a clear understanding of what is wrong and what is right, which he often uses as a guide for his actions. He rarely lets others dictate his thoughts and instead relies on his own sense of morality.

Even though Frodo frequently faces discouragement throughout his journey, he does not falter in the face of difficulties. In such moments, others help build him up and push him forward (mainly Sam), which was deeply appreciated by Frodo (that is before the Ring started to cast its influence on him). Frodo’s strong intuition is adept in detecting ulterior motives in others as well. He could sense – even without the ring’s help – that Boromir carried some kind of danger with himself but still had some goodness in his heart. He could also acknowledge that he was capable of becoming like Gollum if he stopped being wary.

In a way, an INFP makes for the perfect ring bearer and Frodo is the perfect illustration of why that is. INFPs are people who have strong moral convictions but at the same time are soft, without the desire to rule over others. And even if he wasn’t your stereotypical macho hero, he shows exactly why he made the most sensible choice for such a difficult task. Even though Frodo is faced with insurmountable odds, and is pitted against an evil that even the immortal elves couldn’t defeat, he never gives up. He always tries to be cheerful, even when there’s little to feel cheerful for.

Here are some other INFP characters from movies:

• Cosette, Les Miserables
• Carl Fredricksen, Up
• Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre
• Kylo Ren, Star Wars
• Louis, Interview with the Vampire
• Luke Skywalker, Star Wars
• Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter
• Mags, The Hunger Games
• Quasimodo, Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Rafiki, The Lion King
• Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, Romeo and Juliet
• Sadness, Inside Out
• Scout Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird
• Sweeney Todd, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• Tantor, Tarzan

INFP Anime Characters

We have an article about famous INFP anime characters over here.