Kevin Feige. Is it wrong to put my boss on this list? Honestly, though, I greatly admire Kevin for both his talents as a producer, and the way he conducts himself in business. He's a visionary and a consummate professional. Most producers at his level (i.e., the very top of the A-list) get sidetracked by things like fame, big paydays, etc. But he always appears singularly focused on just doing the job of making good movies. The success and consistency of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is unequivocally one of the greatest achievements in the history of the film industry, and the MCU wouldn't exist without Kevin's steady, guiding hand. As someone aspires to produce film and television one day, he's one of the role models that I look up to.


Amanda Gorman. The youngest and most recent addition to this list, I discovered her like most people during her recitation at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden. For someone so young, she has an amazing facility with words, and a remarkably wise and sophisticated worldview for someone her age. Poetry is one of those things that I don't feel that I do particularly well, and I don't particularly connect with in most cases, but hearing her poetry made me realize how impressive the medium can really be. She's on this list because, quite simply, she's able to do something with words and concepts that I'll never be able to do (but wish I could).


Ezra Klein. I consider myself an intellectual, but Ezra Klein is on another level. I'm consistently blown away by how smart he is, well versed in a number of different spheres of knowledge, and able to talk with people from all kinds of backgrounds with all kinds of expertise in an intelligent and rational way. While I don't agree with all of his positions on the issues, or his approach to everything, I always find myself intrigued by what he's thinking and talking about.


Barack Obama. He wasn't a perfect president by any stretch of the imagination, but the thing I admire most about our 44th POTUS is his eloquence as a public speaker, his commitment to public service, and his over-arching optimism. He's the first politician in a long time that feels authentic in his beliefs and the way he carries himself, whether I agree with him or not. I fully admit that this might be because I grew up getting familiar with politics during the waning years of the Clinton Administration and the missteps of the Bush Administration, so it's entirely possible that my admiration for Obama stems from the fact that he's the first politician who seemed decent, intelligent, and well-intentioned.


Dolly Parton. If you think Dolly Parton is just a country music singer, you don't know Dolly. She's also a songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman, philanthropist, and humanitarian. She plays nine musical instruments, has a theme park named after her, is worth half a billion dollars, and is a member of Halls of Fame in a number of different disciplines. Between her professional success across a variety of mediums and her personal efforts to make the world a better place, I don't know how you can't not admire what this woman has accomplished during her seventy-plus years on the planet.