Son ofMary Frances and heating oil vendor Harry Galifianakis. She has also spoken about how her heritage has influenced her work, saying of the legacies of the Spanish inquisition that drove her ancestors out of Spain to the Ottoman Empire: [It] makes me aware of the fragility of good political institutions. She has been married to Keven Undergaro since December 31, 2017. Tina Fey: The 30 Rock actress was actually born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey to a Greek American mother and a Scottish father. He also acted in Godzilla, Michael Chiklis has been working professionally as an actor since he was thirteen. Propelled by, Billy Zane is an actor and producer. Her role as Alex Dunphy in the comedy, John Varvatos is an American contemporary menswear designer. There are over 80,000 Griko people in Southern Italy. Actors, designers, musicians, business leaders, a living Medal of Honor recipient, and even a former member of Congress have all played a role in the American Jewish narrative. She is credited with co-founding the popular news aggregator and blog, The Huffington Post. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet. 5. She tragically died of a heart attack at 37. For his act of bravery, he was promoted to Captain and awarded the Medal of Honor. Hank Azaria: This popular actor's grandparents on both his mother and father's sides came from Greece. He has been married to Brittany Furlan since February 14, 2019. Believe it or not this famous triple threat actress best known for her role in the TV show Glee has Sephardic and Greek Jewish roots. The Maenads were the female followers of Dionysus, the god of wine. She appears as a seductress in John Keatss Lamia. They were hosted on the island in the mansion of the famous Greek painter Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas. Listen online or download the iHeart App. Regardless of what year you're currently in, there's always time to join a Greek organization. Singer Lionel Richie and actor Omari Hardwick pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He was invited to the White House in 2015 to celebrate Greek Independence Day. She was a child when she warned her father against Aristagoras, who tried his best tobribe Cleomenes to have him as an ally after the Ionian revolt. In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman and was created by Hephaestus on Zeuss orders. Music Director of the New York Philharmonic and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Despite heavy casualties, he was able to single-handedly save more than a dozen of his fellow soldiers, including his commander, from a Viet Cong attack. Her Godfather was the late legendary Greek American actor who played Kojak. The son of David Oliver Bass, a US Army serviceman of Welsh origin, and Vassiliki Papadimitriou, a 1957 Miss Greece contestant, Mtley Cres founding member Tommy Lee (Bass) was born in Athens. Ever pondered about what makes the Greek women stand out among the rest of the world? He is well known for playing awkward characters and he always delivers high quality performances. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She has hosted Eurovision Song Contest which was organized in Athens and even had a BIG fat Greek wedding in her dads village in Akova, Greece. Jen is half Greek from her dads side, John Aniston (Anastasakis), who played Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives. She briefly served in the Nevada State Assembly and on several local education boards before running for Congress. She thus became the queen of the underworld. Her maternal grandparents emigrated from Ottoman-controlled Salonika in the early 20th century. Legend has it that the shield was adorned by the head of a Gorgon and also roared during battles. See more on legendary Telly Savalas. Heres our list of 9 famous Hollywood celebrities you probably didnt know below: CSI New York actress, 15 minutes with Robert Deniro, Melina Kanakaredes was born in Akron, Ohio, and is the daughter of candy store owner Connie (ne Temo) and insurance salesman Harry Kanakaredes. She has won several awards for her work and has written nearly a dozen books on political science and philosophy. His parents were amateur actors and managed a medical technical school. The American actor of Japanese descent is known, above all, for playing villains in Hollywood films such as Mortal Kombat, License to Kill and Planet of the Apes. He obtained Russian citizenship a year later. The Romans worshipped her as Victoria. Her grandfather was a Turkish rabbi, and her family was well integrated into the Jewish community of Istanbul for generations. Born Diane Simone Michelle Halfin, von Furstenberg is well known for her designer fashion line, creation of the wrap dress, and former marriage to a German prince. James J. Kellaris - award-winning composer of contemporary classical music drawing from Greek and Byzantine themes. There are a lot of celebrities in America that are considered greek gods goddesses. Jennifer Aniston: Not only is Aniston Greek, but she's literally the goddaughter of the godfather of Greek-American television actors, Kojak's Telly Savalas. Greek goddess Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was abducted by Hades while collecting flowers in Nysa. It is great to see that, against all odds, Greece still inspires the world! Maria Sharapova is believed to be Greek Orthodox. The trailer is pretty weird. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The ancient Greek goddess of victory, Nike was the daughter of the giant Pallas and the river Styx. A comedian makes it to the list and is amazing at making other people laugh out loud! No matter where you are in the world, when you meet Greeks theres always this bond and relationship. This is especially true of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, whose brand started with her starring in the TV series Glee. Her work includes a lot of different roles. JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER The former The Sopranos actress speaks Greek and Spanish fluently. She has been featured on lists, such as Time magazine's 100 most influential people and Forbes magazine's Most Powerful Women. Paul Vallas Ethnicity-: Paul Vallas is an American politician and former education superintendent. The Urban Dictionary of what the shift toward a more integrated and interdependent world economy is called. $1.7 billion. That explains my attraction to Angie Harmon and interest in Kelly Clarkson; whom I didnt know are Greek. Aniston's godfather, the actor Telly Savalas, is a friend of her fathers and also of Greek descent. Her love for Greece is omnipresent in her work. mothers side and the other half is Irish. Having played at the Entourage and Fantastic Four, Maria is more than an actress. Photo : Austin Hargrave. She is a producer and actress, known for Fantastic Four (2005), Entourage (2015) and Kickin' It Old Skool (2007). I follow my heart. A sea monster who lived in the Strait of Messina, Charybdis often appeared as a whirlpool and wrecked sailors. But in 2014, she made the decision to convert to Orthodox Christianity and even planned to make a documentary called Orthodoxy: A Love Story about how faith had changed her life. There are many famous greek people in america today. Simmons is of black, Korean, and Japanese heritage. Other famous people featured on this Greek Orthodox celebrities list include Tina Fey, George Michael, and John Stamos. ANGIE HARMON Angies father is Germanand Irish,while her mother is Greek. All Rights Reserved, This Greek Chicken Soup Has a Surprising Sephardic History, Hanukkah Recipe from Greece: Bunuelos (Doughnuts) with Honey, Greek Burekas, A Treat at Shavuot or Year-Round. How to give your Hanukkah a multicultural Greek flavor. (Nona is the term many Sephardic and Romaniote Jews use to refer to their grandmothers.) Read on and find out more about other famous Greek women! The Law & Order star has Greek roots from her mother, however, has not publicly spoke much about her Greek heritage. In the controversial 2020 American elections, when asked what he would do if Trump was re-elected for four more years, he told, American Singer, Kelly Clarkson is half Greek from her. Greeks do that at the end of a movie by the way. Not surprisingly, Olympias is often depicted in stories that narrate Alexander's life. Ariel stars on ABC's critically acclaimed and Emmy winning hit series, "Modern Family (2009)." 25 names 1. What celebrities will you find on this list of famous Greek Orthodox people? The Hollywood actress was born in Kiev and, although her family moved to the U.S. when she was young, she is proud of her roots and speaks excellent Russian. This list has been created randomly and not following any classification. Since Dionysus was also known as Bacchus in Roman mythology, the Maenads were also called the Bacchantes. A retired colonel in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient, Jacobss paternal grandparents immigrated from the city of Ioannina in todays northern Greece. Criss Angel was born Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos, and hails from Mistra, in Sparta! Juliss father grew up on New Yorks Lower East Side, attending the Romaniote synagogue Kehila Kedosha Janina, before moving to the Bronx. Both his parents were Sephardic Jews from Turkey and the UK, with roots in northern Morocco and Gibraltar, all hubs of Sephardic communal life. One of the 3 monster-like creatures from Greek mythology, known as the Gorgons, Medusa was a winged woman with a head full of snakes instead of hair and could turn people into stone with her stare. Greek pop icon Nana Mouskouri soared to fame all over Europe with her track The White Rose of Athens. As if the long last name didnt give it away! In 2015, she had her daughter, Dashiel Edan, baptized in the Holy Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles. Moreover, we know the hilarious Hangover star, Zack Galifianakis, who is half Greek, from his dads Cretan side. 10. We all know that Hollywood has many stars, and some have origin from Greece! His mother is of Scottish-Irish and English descent, while his paternal grandparents were Greek immigrants from the island ofCrete. What Was Greece Like After the War of Independence? Jennifer Aniston, Hollywood's favourite is part Greek from her paternal side. Apart from an actress, she has been a TV host and an entertainer, as well as a producer. Criss Angel is a world class magician well-known in Las Vegas and from his popular TV magic series MindFreak. Demetri Martin was born on May 25, 1973 in New York City, New York, USA. Tom Hanks was exposed to a wide variety of religions as a child. TV Host, Entrepreneur, Maria Menounos is an only child and was born to Greek parents Kosta and the late Litsa Menounos in Boston. Elon Musk has plans to revolutionize transportation on earth as well as to space through futuristic technology. Mena was raised in a Rhode Island home that was built in 1870 and had early aspirations of Jamie-Lynn Sigler has been acting and singing since the age of 7. 's Direction", "One-woman Show: There Are 16 Cook County Board Members-plus Maria Pappas", "Chrysostomos "Max" Nikias Named 11th President of USC", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Greek_Americans&oldid=1142158532. These are the people who have managed to find the niche that all greek celebrities have found. Jennifer spent a year of her childhood living in Greece with her family. His portrayal earned him a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for . in 2008, Anna had a few significant roles in, "Conspiracy," "Superhero Movie," "And American Carol," Anna got a recurring role in the series "Greek," "Rizzoli & Isles," and "In Plain Sight ." Anna Osceola Net Worth. Some hilarious actors are also Greek. Even Chaka Khan and actress Vivica A. After the war, her mother moved to Belgium and met her father, a Belgian Jewish Holocaust survivor. Take a look at this list and get in on the conversation in the comments section. While in New York, as young child, Callas enjoyed listening to gramophone records and, Stavros Niarchos was a multi-billionaire Greek shipping tycoon and rival of Aristotle Onassis. Tommys family moved to West Covina, California one year after he was born, yet he never forgets his roots. 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