Let's try to come up with a comprehensive list. I'll start with:
1.Mark Hollis (of Talk Talk)2. Bill Watterson (of Calvin & Hobbes)
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:41 (fourteen years ago)
3. Terrence Malick
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:42 (fourteen years ago)
4. Thomas Pynchon
5. Osama bin Laden
6. Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:43 (fourteen years ago)
(Are we only including living people?)
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:44 (fourteen years ago)
7. Jandek
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:45 (fourteen years ago)
8. JD Salinger9. Marlene Dietrich
― ex-heroin addict tricycle (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:46 (fourteen years ago)
10. Harper Lee
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:46 (fourteen years ago)
11. Howard Hughes
― Les centimètres énigmatiques (snoball), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:47 (fourteen years ago)
I actually wanted to be a famous recluse when I was younger, and still do to a certain extent.
― Les centimètres énigmatiques (snoball), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:48 (fourteen years ago)
OK, if we're doing dead people:
12. Stanley Kubrick
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:48 (fourteen years ago)
is Kendra Smith famous enough?
(13)
― amphetamine enhanced scholar (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:51 (fourteen years ago)
14. Don Van Vliet
― ex-heroin addict tricycle (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 January 2011 18:53 (fourteen years ago)
15. Charles Portis
― Pleasant Plains, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:00 (fourteen years ago)
16. John Lurie (sort of)17. Keanu Reeves (sort of)
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:12 (fourteen years ago)
18. Cormac McCarthy
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:14 (fourteen years ago)
oh come on anybody who goes on Oprah is not reclusive
― ex-heroin addict tricycle (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:14 (fourteen years ago)
19. Garbo
― Loup-Garou G (The Yellow Kid), Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:16 (fourteen years ago)
19. Garbo doh!
― Trip Maker, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:16 (fourteen years ago)
is Dave Chappelle completely reclusive yet, or is he still doing live shows now and then?
― get off my lawn (rockapads), Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:17 (fourteen years ago)
21. Sly Stone
― Blazes Boyband (Pillbox), Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:21 (fourteen years ago)
x-post McCarthy's appearance on Oprah was I believe his first and only TV interview to date. Over the span of all those decades, I think he more than qualifies.
I mean, here's the thing. Is Terrence Malick a recluse if he appears on sets and works with dozens of people on a film? Answer: yes, by just about every standard. Even Pynchon has friends and family. Salinger did, too. Reclusive does not mean isolated looney. (Though it can: Hughes).
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:23 (fourteen years ago)
22. Syd Barrett
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:24 (fourteen years ago)
Ooh, care of the AV CLub:
23. Wachowski brothers24. John Hughes
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:25 (fourteen years ago)
25. Banksy?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:26 (fourteen years ago)
26. Johnny Carson (post-retirement)
― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:27 (fourteen years ago)
27. Sandy Koufax
― strongly recommend. unless you're a bitch (mayor jingleberries), Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:27 (fourteen years ago)
28. Snooki
― am0n, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:28 (fourteen years ago)
29. gershy
― omar little, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:30 (fourteen years ago)
30. http://i54.tinypic.com/11l4yvn.gif
― am0n, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:34 (fourteen years ago)
31. Kate Bush
― prolego, Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:41 (fourteen years ago)
Recluses are my favorites. Most celebrities today don't understand the art of mystery.
― not the sort of person who would wind up in a landfill (Nicole), Thursday, 20 January 2011 19:46 (fourteen years ago)
32. The Residents, whoever they / he may be
― Satantango! (Matt #2), Thursday, 20 January 2011 20:32 (fourteen years ago)
this is more "famously reclusive people" for the most part
― Magic Our Maurice! (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 20 January 2011 20:33 (fourteen years ago)
^^^this
― PWN: The Paul Winfield Network (get bent), Thursday, 20 January 2011 20:45 (fourteen years ago)
33. Scott Walker
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 January 2011 21:02 (fourteen years ago)
34. helen levitt
― dayo, Friday, 21 January 2011 00:30 (fourteen years ago)