Hollywood Celebrities Of Ukrainian Origin
You have probably often watched the acting of some actors of global scale and wondered why Ukrainians can’t film something similar or why there aren’t such talented actors in Ukraine. Despite the poor activity of Ukrainian cinema, our land gave the world some celebrities, who are now immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. WeLoveUA team will tell you about the most famous filmmakers with Ukrainian roots.
Steven Spielberg
“Finally I’m on a native land”, these are the words said by the holder of two Oscars, film director, screenwriter, and producer Steven Spielberg when he arrived in Ukraine for the first time. The reason is that both filmmakers’ grandfathers lived in Ukraine. A grandfather on the mother’s side was born in Odessa, and grandfather on the paternal side lived in a small village in Kamianets-Podilskyi District. Stephen often mentioned in his interviews that Russian always sounded in his childhood, and the grandmother sang him Russian lullabies. And perhaps the best evidence of the fact that Spielberg is Ukrainian is that Ukrainian borscht is filmmaker’s favorite dish for many years.
Dustin Hoffman
The Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman, although believing that Kyiv is his native but Russian city, actually is of Jewish and Ukrainian origin. Actor’s parents lived in Kyiv until his grandparents were shot by the Bolsheviks right in front of the children. After the tragic event, Harry and Lilien Hoffman migrated to the US, where Dustin was born. According to some reports, the actor has made a family tree, leading the origin from the Zaporozhian Cossacks.
Mila Kunis
Perhaps Ashton Kutcher still doesn’t believe his luck. To attract one of the sexiest actresses of Hollywood took him a lot of effort. Nevertheless, it is not surprising that he chose Mila Kunis. After all, Ukraine has been always famous for its beautiful girls. The actress was born in Chernivtsi and lived there for 7 years. Actress’ father Mark worked at the factory and her mother was a teacher of Physics. In 1991, Kunis moved to the United States, her parents worked at various jobs to take care of themselves and children. Meanwhile, the little Mila was trying to get used to the new culture and new language. Later, Mila Kunis’ parents counted her in an acting school, which later played an important role in the life of ordinary emigrant girl from Chernivtsi.
Міла Йовович
Another Mila, a beauty of Hollywood, knows where her native land is. Till the age of 5, the superstar lived in Kyiv, and her mother, who was also an actress, worked at Dovzhenko Film Studios. When Mila was 5 years old, her family moved to London and then to Sacramento, USA. Nowadays, Milla Jovovich is American by citizenship, but she calls herself an American Ukrainian.
Olga Kurylenko
Do not be surprised if one day at the seaside of a small town called Berdiansk in Zaporizhzhya Region you meet a desperate and fearless James Bond’s girlfriend Olga Kurylenko. The famous French model and Hollywood actress is a frequent visitor of her hometown. Olga was born there in 1974 and at the age of 13 moved to Moscow with her mother. The Ukrainian girl was offered to become a model right at the station, and when she was 16, Kurylenko pulverized the catwalks of Paris. It was France where she began her acting career. Olga Kurylenko often pays visits to Berdyansk, where her mother still lives.
Leonardо DiCaprio
Although the name of one of the most famous Hollywood actors is Italian, his grandmother’s name is Slavic. Olena Smyrnova was born in Odessa and in 1917 emigrated to Germany because of the war with Soviet Russia. After an unfortunate marriage, the actor’s grandmother moved to the US, where she gave a birth to the daughter Irmelin. In 1974, the daughter of Smirnova became a mother for the main character of the Titanic, one of the greatest box office hitters in the history of world cinema.
Jack Pelens
The birth name of Hollywood legend Jack Palance, who starred in over 120 movies, is Volodymyr Palagniuk. The actor’s father was born in Ternopil Region in the village of Ivane-Zolote, and his mother is from Lviv. During the acting career, Jack (Volodymyr) for some time was called the Hollywood cowboy No. 1. But besides his acting career, Palagniuk has some high sports achievements. Volodymyr won the domestic football championship of the University of North Carolina, and at the time set a record in professional boxing. Palagniuk also served in the US Air Forces, where he received awards and participated in the fighting. He gained the recognition as an actor of westerns but received the Oscar only in 1992 for a comic role in the film City Slickers. He was also the winner of the Golden Globe and Emmy. Jack Palance was always proud of his nationality and once even refused to accept the title of People’s Artist of Russia, noting that he was Ukrainian.
Moreover, David Duchovny mentioned his affiliation to the Ukrainian in 2014 in his Twitter. “I grew up thinking that I was Russian, but now I realized that I have always Been Ukrainian. It’s never too late to change”. David’s grandfather lived in Berdychiv. There are even more immigrants from Ukraine who became famous. Among the others are Winona Ryder (she is of Kharkiv origin) and Sylvester Stallone, who still has relatives in Odessa.
Thank you for noting so many of the actors& musicians& sports figures whose family roots are ukrainski. I excelled in the 50/60’s as a top U.S. AAU lifter/ bodybuider(Feb.’61 cover man Strength& Health picked by BobHoffman to rep USTeam as mid heavy in Olympics when I began a lucrative film stunt career/ injured/ cast in TV Westeens as Riding Extra / cast eventually in 86 SAG films/ cast in between films cast in many leading Musicals after changing name to Joe D’Costa. Thruout this time I met most of those Ukie Sports/Acting- Music & other performers not as well known. The point is how proud & priveledges we are to have & practice& keep alive such a vibrant tradition. I am also known for my world wide award winning poetry( under Jtone( My City In Portrait & Song) & screenplays. Which I owe to BojHa & Cossack linage