Stars I've Seen in Real Life

1. Leni Riefenstahl

Producer | Das blaue Licht - Eine Berglegende aus den Dolomiten

Leni Riefenstahl's show-biz experience began with an experiment: she wanted to know what it felt like to dance on the stage. Success as a dancer gave way to film acting when she attracted the attention of film director Arnold Fanck, subsequently starring in some of his mountaineering pictures. With...

2. David Lynch

Writer | Twin Peaks

Born in precisely the kind of small-town American setting so familiar from his films, David Lynch spent his childhood being shunted from one state to another as his research scientist father kept getting relocated. He attended various art schools, married Peggy Lynch and then fathered future ...

3. Johnny Depp

Actor | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II was born on June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, to Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. He was raised in Florida. He dropped out of school when he was 15, and fronted a series of music-garage bands, including one ...

4. Kevin Costner

Actor | The Postman

Kevin Michael Costner was born on January 18, 1955 in Lynwood, California, the third child of Bill Costner, a ditch digger and ultimately an electric line servicer for Southern California Edison, and Sharon Costner (née Tedrick), a welfare worker. His older brother, Dan, was born in 1950. A middle ...

5. Hugh Laurie

Actor | House M.D.

Hugh was born in Oxford, England on June 11, 1959, to Patricia (Laidlaw) and William George Ranald Mundell "Ran" Laurie, a doctor, both of Scottish descent. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge. Son of an Olympic gold medalist in the sport, he rowed for the England youth team (1977) and for ...

6. John Malkovich

Actor | Being John Malkovich

John Gavin Malkovich was born in Christopher, Illinois, to Joe Anne (Choisser), who owned a local newspaper, and Daniel Leon Malkovich, a state conservation director. His paternal grandparents were Croatian. In 1976, Malkovich joined Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, newly founded by his friend Gary ...

7. David Duchovny

Actor | The X Files

David William Duchovny was born on August 7, 1960, in New York City, New York, USA. His father, Amram Ducovny, was a writer and publicist who was from a family of Jewish immigrants (from Ukraine and Poland), and worked for the American Jewish Committee. His mother, Margaret (Miller), was a ...

8. Jared Leto

Actor | Dallas Buyers Club

Jared Leto is a very familiar face in recent film history. Although he has always been the lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and songwriter for American band Thirty Seconds to Mars, Leto is an accomplished actor merited by the numerous, challenging projects he has taken in his life. He is known to be ...

9. Darren Aronofsky

Writer | Pi

Darren Aronofsky was born February 12, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, Darren was always artistic: he loved classic movies and, as a teenager, he even spent time doing graffiti art. After high school, Darren went to Harvard University to study film (both live-action and animation). He won ...

10. Daryl Hannah

Actress | Kill Bill: Vol. 2

Daryl Christine Hannah was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She is the daughter of Susan Jeanne (Metzger), a schoolteacher and later a producer, and Donald Christian Hannah, who owned a tugboat/barge company. Her stepfather was music journalist/promoter Jerrold Wexler. Her siblings are Page ...

11. David Suchet

Actor | Executive Decision

Widely regarded as one of England's finest stage, screen and TV actors, David Suchet's international reputation has only grown over the years, greatly enhanced by his definitive interpretation of Agatha Christie's suave Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot, a character he played for nearly 25 years ...

12. Charlotte Gainsbourg

Actress | Nymphomaniac: Vol. II

Charlotte Gainsbourg was born in London, England in 1971. She is an Anglo-French actress and singer. The daughter of English singer and actress Jane Birkin and French songwriter, singer and actor Serge Gainsbourg, she was raised in Paris. Charlotte made her motion picture debut in 1984. In 1986, ...

13. Joan Chen

Actress | Judge Dredd

Born into a family of doctors and educated in China at the Shanghai Film Academy and the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Languages, Joan Chen was discovered by veteran Chinese director Jin Xie while observing a filming with a school group. Her performance in Xiao hua (1979) (A.K.A. "The Little Flower...

14. Richard Dreyfuss

Actor | The Goodbye Girl

Richard Dreyfuss is an American leading man, who has played his fair share of irritating pests and brash, ambitious hustlers.

He was born Richard Stephen Dreyfus in Brooklyn, New York, to Geraldine (Robbins), an activist, and Norman Dreyfus, a restaurateur and attorney. His paternal grandparents ...

15. Vera Farmiga

Actress | Up in the Air

Vera Farmiga is an American actress who has received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Up in the Air (2009) and Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles in Bates Motel (2013) and When They See Us (2019).

She was born Vera Ann Farmiga, the second of seven children, on August 6, 1973, ...

16. Eric Roberts

Actor | Runaway Train

Roberts is an Academy Award nominee for his role in Runaway Train, and a three-time Golden Globe nominee for Runaway Train, Star 80, and King of the Gypsies.

In addition, Roberts received acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival for his role in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and It's My Party. He ...

17. Elizabeth McGovern

Actress | Ordinary People

Daughter of a law professor at Northwestern University, she moved with her family to Los Angeles when he transferred to the University of California at Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.). She began acting in school plays at North Hollywood High, graduated from The Oakwood School and then continued her stage ...

18. Thomas Kretschmann

Actor | King Kong

Thomas Kretschmann was born in East Germany. Before becoming an actor, he was a swimmer. He has acted in several popular American movies, such as Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), The Pianist (2002), U-571 (2000), In Enemy Hands (2004), etc. He has three children, Nicolas, Stella and Sascha with ...

19. Daniel Brühl

Actor | Rush

Daniel Brühl was born in Barcelona, Spain. His father was German TV director Hanno Brühl (1937-2010), who was born in São Paulo, Brazil. His Spanish mother was a teacher. He also has a brother and a sister, Oliver and Miriam. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Cologne, Germany, where he ...

20. Michèle Mercier

Actress | Angélique, marquise des anges

For Michèle Mercier, the role of Angélique, "the Marquise of the Angels," was both a blessing and a curse. It catapulted her to almost instant stardom, rivaling Brigitte Bardot in her celebrity and popularity, but ruined her acting career. The character of Angélique made to forget the other aspects...

21. Sting

Actor | Dune

Sting was born Gordon Matthew Sumner on 2 October, 1951 in Wallsend, North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, the eldest of four children of Audrey (Cowell), a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, an engineer and milkman. He received his name from a striped sweater he wore which looked like a bee...

22. Billie Eilish

Soundtrack | No Time to Die

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell is an American musician, singer and actress from Los Angeles. She performed hit songs such as "Bad Guy" and "No Time to Die," which was used in the James Bond film of the same name. She provided ADR for Ramona and Beezus, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and ...

23. Chris Isaak

Actor | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Chris Isaak was born on June 26, 1956 in Stockton, California, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Wild at Heart (1990) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

24. Mick Jagger

Soundtrack | Alfie

Michael Philip Jagger was born in Dartford, Kent on 26th July 1943. When he was 4 he met Keith Richards until they went into secondary schools and lost touch. But one day in 1960 they accidentally met on the Dartford train line and both realized that they had an interest in rock n roll combined ...

25. Iggy Pop

Actor | Cry-Baby

Iggy Pop was born on April 21, 1947 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Cry-Baby (1990), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) and Dead Man (1995). He has been married to Nina Alu since November 22, 2008. He was previously married to Suchi Asano and Wendy Weissberg.

26. Phil Collins

Soundtrack | Tarzan

Phil Collins was born in Chiswick, London, England, to Winifred (Strange), a theatrical agent, Greville Philip Austin Collins, an insurance agent. He spent most of his early entertainment life as a young actor and model. He played the "Artful Dodger" in the West End production of "Oliver!" ...

27. Dolores O'Riordan

Soundtrack | Mission: Impossible

Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan was born in Ballybricken, a town 8 miles outside Limerick on Sept. 6, 1971. Her parents are Eileen and Terrance. Terrance was in a wheelchair due to a motorcycle accident. Dolores was the youngest of seven children, and one of two girls. In the late eighties, Dolores ...

28. Mike Patton

Soundtrack | The Place Beyond the Pines

Michael Allan Patton was born on January 27th 1968 in California. He formed the band Mr Bungle at the age of 15, and after Jim Martin (of Faith No More) heard Mr Bungle, Mike was asked to join Faith No More as a permanent full time vocalist. After a turbulent career which lasted until April 1998, ...

29. Lenny Kravitz

Actor | The Hunger Games

Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race, and class over the course of a three decade-plus musical career. Reveling in the soul, rock, and funk influences the sixties and seventies, the writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist ...

30. Justin Timberlake

Soundtrack | Trolls

Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Lynn (Bomar) and Randall Timberlake, whose own father was a Baptist minister. At the age of 11, he appeared on the show Star Search (1983), and even though he didn't win, it didn't dampen his ambitions. He also ...

31. Natalie Imbruglia

Actress | Johnny English

Natalie Jane Imbruglia was born on Tuesday, February 4, 1975, in Sydney, Australia, to Maxene (Anderson) and Elliot Imbruglia. Her father is Sicilain (from Lipari) and her mother has English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish ancestry. She grew up in a small beach town on the New South Wales coast called ...

32. Shirley Manson

Actress | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Shirley Manson was born on August 26, 1966 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She is an actress and composer, known for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008), Captain Marvel (2019) and The World Is Not Enough (1999). She has been married to Billy Bush since May 2010. She was previously married to ...

33. Bryan Adams

Soundtrack | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams rose to fame with the release of his third album, "Cuts Like a Knife" (1983). The album made him popular throughout the United States. However, it was his fourth album "Reckless" (1984), which is referred to as one of the best albums of the decade that made ...

34. Zaz

Soundtrack | Hugo

Zaz was born on May 1, 1980 in Chambray-lès-Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France. She is a composer and actress, known for Hugo (2011), Dead Man Down (2013) and A Simple Favor (2018).

35. Alice Cooper

Soundtrack | Wayne's World

Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a minister. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at a young age and still lives in the state today. At age 17, he formed a rock band called the Earwigs, who changed their name to The Spiders and then The Nazz, before finally ...

36. Mylène Farmer

Actress | Arthur et les Minimoys

Mylène Farmer was born in Montréal, Québec, Canada as Mylène Jeanne Gautier. She moved to France in her twenties, where she studied theater at the Le Cours Florent school in Paris to pursue a career as a film actress but became a singer instead. Her breakout song was "Libertine" (1986) which became...

37. Elizabeth Lzzy Mae Hale

Soundtrack | Thunder Force

Elizabeth Lzzy Mae Hale was born on October 10, 1983 in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Thunder Force (2021), Halestorm: Familiar Taste of Poison (2010) and Halestorm: I Get Off (2009).

38. Maria Sharapova

Actress | Ocean's Eight

Maria began hitting tennis balls at the age of four. At the age of six, she participated in an exhibition in Moscow which featured Martina Navratilova. At the age of nine, she began training at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy. During her first two years at the Academy, she was separated from her ...

39. Martina Hingis

Self | Wimbledon

The passion for the white sport ran in the family, as her father was also a tennis player who reached number 19 in his country's rankings. Martina Hingis herself learned to play tennis from early childhood. She was trained by her mother. She was already playing in tournaments at the age of five. In...

40. Frederick Elmes

Cinematographer | The Dead Don't Die

Frederick Elmes was born on November 4, 1946 in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, USA. He is a cinematographer, known for The Dead Don't Die (2019), The Night Of (2016) and Paterson (2016).

41. Oleg Yankovskiy

Actor | Nostalghia

Yankovsky was named best actor in a 1984 reader poll by Soviet Screen for his role in "In Love Because He Wants to Be." He was awarded the State Prize in 1987 for his role in "Flying Asleep and Awake." In 1989 he received the Vasiliev State Prize for his role in "The Kreutzer Sonata." Yakovsky was ...

42. Alisa Freyndlikh

Actress | Stalker

Alisa Brunovna Freindlikh was born on December 8, 1934, in Leningrad, USSR (now St. Petersburg, Russia). Her father, named Bruno Frejndlikh, was a notable actor. Alisa Freindlikh graduated from Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinematography in 1957.

From 1961-1983 Alisa Freindlikh was a ...

43. Oleg Basilashvili

Actor | Sluzhebnyy roman

Oleg Valerianovich Basilashvili was born on September 26, 1934, in Moscow, USSR. His father, named Valerian Basilashvili, was a director of the Moscow Polytechnical College. His mother, named Irina Ilyinskaya, was a teacher of linguistics.

His father made up a story that his grandfather was a ...

44. Kirill Lavrov

Actor | Bratya Karamazovy

Kirill Lavrov was a notable Russian actor, director and political figure who was also longtime Chairman of Theatrical Union of the USSR and the leader of Bolshoi Drama Theatre (BDT) in St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia.

He was born Kirill Yuryevich Lavrov on September 15, 1925, in Leningrad, USSR (...

45. Mikhail Boyarskiy

Actor | Ma-ma

Mikhail Boyarskiy was born on December 26, 1949 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. He is an actor, known for Ma-ma (1976), The Return of the Musketeers, or The Treasures of Cardinal Mazarin (2009) and D'artagnan and Three Musketeers (1979). He has been married to Larisa Luppian...

46. Georgiy Taratorkin

Actor | Prestuplenie i nakazanie

Georgiy Taratorkin was born on January 11, 1945 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Crime and Punishment (1970), Lyubov imperatora (2002) and Otklonenie - nol (1978). He was married to Ekaterina Markova. He died on February 4, 2017 in Moscow, Russia.

47. Igor Dmitriev

Actor | Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona

Igor Dmitriev was born on May 29, 1927 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1980), Hamlet (1964) and Sirano de Berzherak (1989). He died on January 25, 2008 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

48. Leonid Bronevoy

Actor | Prostye veshchi

Leonid Bronevoy, one of Russian cinema's most famous faces who survived the traumatic experience under dictatorship of Stalin during his childhood, is now a film star and a hero in popular jokes.

He was born Leonid Solomonovich Bronevoy on December 17, 1928, in Kiev, Ukraine, Soviet Union (now Kiev,...

49. Bogdan Stupka

Actor | Taras Bulba

Bogdan Stupka is one of Ukraine's most famous actors. His most memorable stage role was as Tevye the Milkman in Sholom Aleichem's Tevye-Tevel (aka... Fiddler on the Roof (1971)). After a brief stint as the Ukrainean Minister of Culture, he is the Executive Director of the Ivan Franko State Theater ...

50. Nikolay Karachentsov

Actor | Chelovek s bulvara Kaputsinov

Nikolay Karachentsov was one of the most popular Russian actors, known for his intense dramatic roles. His mother was a ballet dancer. As a child, Nikolay's favorite activity was reading - he read even by nights, disguised under a blanket with a flashlight. He became popular in 1974 after playing ...

51. Irina Kupchenko

Actress | Uchilka

Irina Kupchenko is a Russian actress known for the role as Lisa in A Nest of Gentry (1969) by director Andrey Konchalovskiy.

She was born Irina Petrovna Kupchenko on March 1, 1948, in Vienna, Austria. Her father, Petr Kupchenko, was a Soviet Army officer stationed in Vienna; her mother was a teacher...

52. Sergey Yurskiy

Actor | Zolotoy telyonok

Sergey Yurskiy was born on March 16, 1935 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. He was an actor and director, known for The Golden Calf (1968), The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (1979) and Love and Doves (1985). He was married to Zinaida Sharko and Natalya Tenyakova. He died on ...

53. Evgeniya Simonova

Actress | Mnogotochie

Evgeniya Simonova was born on June 1, 1955 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. She is an actress, known for Mnogotochie (2006), Deti Arbata (2004) and Frenchman (1988).

54. Konstantin Khabenskiy

Actor | Wanted

Konstantin Khabenskiy is a Russian actor known in the West for his working the horror flicks Night Watch (2004) and Day Watch (2006). He is also co-starring opposite Angelina Jolie in Wanted (2008).

He was born Konstantin Yurevich Khabenskiy on January 11, 1972, in Leningrad, USSR (now St. ...

55. Chulpan Khamatova

Actress | Good Bye Lenin!

Chulpan Khamatova is an internationally acclaimed film and stage actress and well-known philanthropist who left Moscow following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and took permanent residency in Latvia.

She was born Chulpan Nailyevna Khamatova on October 1, 1975, in Kazan, Tatarstan Republic, Russia. ...

56. Kseniya Rappoport

Actress | La doppia ora

Kseniya Rappoport was born on March 25, 1974 in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. She is an actress and director, known for The Double Hour (2009), The Unknown Woman (2006) and Yurev den (2008). She is married to Dmitriy Borisov.

57. Ingeborga Dapkunaite

Actress | Seven Years in Tibet

Ingeborga Dapkunaite was born on January 20, 1963 in Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR, USSR. She is an actress, known for Seven Years in Tibet (1997), Mission: Impossible (1996) and Hannibal Rising (2007).

58. Dmitriy Kharatyan

Actor | Na Deribasovskoy khoroshaya pogoda, ili Na Brayton-Bich opyat idut dozhdi

Dmitriy Kharatyan was born on January 21, 1960 in Almalyk, Tashkent Oblast, Uzbek SSR, USSR [now Uzbekistan]. He is an actor and producer, known for Na Deribasovskoy khoroshaya pogoda, ili Na Brayton-Bich opyat idut dozhdi (1993), Koroleva Margo (1996) and The Secret of Queen Anne or Musketeers ...

59. Mikhail Porechenkov

Actor | 9 rota

Porechenkov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in the Russian SSR on 2 March 1969, to parents Evgeny Mikhailovich Porechenkov and Galina Nikolayevna Porechenkova. His father was a Soviet Navy officer, and his mother was a building engineer. Since his parents were busy at work, he, in ...

60. Danila Kozlovskiy

Actor | Vampire Academy

Danila Valeryevich Kozlovsky is a Russian stage and screen actor. He was born in Moscow, USSR. From a very young age he was into music, dancing and playing football (soccer). He has two brothers, an elder Egor and a younger Ivan.

In 1996, at the age of 11, Danila, following his brothers, went to a ...

61. Aleksandr Baluev

Actor | Deep Impact

Aleksander was born and grew up in Moscow. His father was a navy commander. During his childhood he played hockey and dreamed to become a famous hockey player. His other passion was theatre so after he finished school he decided to be an actor. His first attempt to join Schepkin Theatrical school ...

62. Tatyana Drubich

Actress | Poslednyaya skazka Rity

Tatyana Drubich was born on June 7, 1959 in Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Poslednyaya skazka Rity (2012), Ten Little Indians (1987) and Privet, duralei! (1996). She was previously married to Sergey Solovyov.

63. Tatyana Dogileva

Actress | Doktor Liza

Tatyana Dogileva was born on February 27, 1957 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress and director, known for Doctor Lisa (2020), Afghan Breakdown (1992) and Central Russia's Vampires (2021). She was previously married to Mikhail Mishin and Aleksandr.

64. Igor Kostolevskiy

Actor | Gobseck

Igor Matveevich Kostolevsky was born in the family of the "Eksportles" of the Ministry of Foreign Trade director, Matvey Matveevich Kostolevsky and Vitta Semyonovna Kostolevskaya. After the graduation he worked for two years as a tester in the Research Institute of Quartz Industry. Then, in 1967, ...

65. Valentin Gaft

Actor | 12

Valentin Gaft was born on September 2, 1935 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was an actor and producer, known for 12 (2007), Piry Valtasara, ili noch so Stalinym (1989) and Master i Margarita (2005). He was married to Olga Ostroumova, Inna Eliseeva and Elena Izorgina. He died on December 12,...

66. Sergey Makovetskiy

Actor | Russkiy bunt

Sergei Makovetsky is a popular Russian actor best known for his leading roles in Duska (2007) by director Jos Stelling and in 12 (2007) by director Nikita Mikhalkov.

He was born Sergei Vasilevich Makovetsky on June 13, 1958, in Darnitsa, a suburb of Kiev, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine). He was ...

67. Vera Glagoleva

Director | Odna voyna

Vera Glagoleva was born on January 31, 1956 in Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She was an actress and director, known for Odna voyna (2009), Zakaz (2005) and Two Women (2014). She was married to Kirill Shubsky and Rodion Nakhapetov. She died on August 16, 2017 in Baden-Baden, ...

68. Mikhail Svetin

Actor | 12 stulev

Mikhail Svetin was born on December 11, 1930 in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Ukraine]. He was an actor, known for Twelve Chairs (1977), Sirano de Berzherak (1989) and Zolotoy telyonok (2006). He was married to Proskurnina Bronislav. He died on August 30, 2015 in Gatchina, Leningrad Oblast, Russia.

69. Frank Dux

Writer | The Quest

Frank Dux is a Martial Arts legend surrounded in both fame and controversy. In the early 1980s, Dux was the center of a now-famous article in a well-known martial arts magazine, highlighting his career as an underground fighter for a secret organization located in Asia. A number of years later, ...