Non-Americans Are Sharing The “Most Famous” Person From Their Countries, And It’s Fascinating
Across Reddit, people from around the world have been naming who they believe to be the biggest celebrity from their country. Actors, athletes, and musicians dominated the list, so here are just 19 names that stood out:
Note: The responses have been compiled from a series of Reddit threads and have been edited for length and clarity.
“I don’t have much of an opinion on him apart from the fact that he’s a good actor and seems like a funny, likable guy.”
“Pedro Pascal is a personality trait for a lot of Chileans.”
“Pedro Pascal is very, very popular here, which is a given ‘cause he’s Chilean.”
2. Michelle Yeoh is an Oscar-winning actor born in Malaysia. Though she moved to the United Kingdom to study as a teenager and college student, she returned to Malaysia where she won the Miss Malaysia competition in 1983.
“I don’t have much opinion about him other than he’s a great actor.”
“I didn’t know he is from Guatemala. Indeed another great actor.”
4. Lionel Messi was born in Argentina and moved to Barcelona at 13 to grow his football prowess. Considered one of the best footballers ever, he was part of the Argentine national team that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
5. Bono is an Irish musician best known as the lead singer of U2. He’s won 22 Grammys.
“Kind of a hard question to answer. Historically, probably a literary figure like W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde, or James Joyce. In contemporary times, maybe someone like Bono (known for being the frontman of U2) or Conor McGregor (known for being an MMA fighter).”
“Bono. Known for being Bono.”
6. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-born actor, bodybuilding legend, and former governor of California.
“Christoph Waltz too, probably. But I think Arnie is still the most famous. Does Conchita Wurst count, too?”
7. David Ortiz, aka Big Papi, is an MBA legend born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He’s a three-time World Series champion.
“We have other really famous baseball players, including Juan Marichal and Pedro Martínez. Juan Luis Guerra is a well-decorated and esteemed musician who is recognized internationally.”
8. Björk is a visionary singer and artist from Iceland. She’s been nominated at the Grammys a whopping 16 times. She also received an Oscar nomination in 2001 for her song “I’ve Seen It All,” which appeared in the film Dancer from the Dark.
“I don’t know what dimension she’s from. Nobody does.”
9. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is a multi-time Emmy-nominated actor from Denmark. He’s arguably best known for playing Jamie Lannister in Games of Thrones.
“Living celebrities, it’s probably Nikolaj Coster-Waldau or Mads Mikkelsen who are both very famous in Denmark and kind of famous abroad.”
10. Kimi Räikkönen is an elite race car driver from Finland who won the Formula One World Championship in 2007.
“He is famous for driving a red car around a circuit faster than Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.”
“Kimi! He is one of the coolest and most handsome guys out there…”
11. Liam Neeson is an Oscar-nominated actor from Northern Ireland. He’s well-known for his roles in films like Schindler’s List, Michael Collins, and Love Actually. He’s also starred in the Star Wars, Batman, Chronicles of Narnia, and Taken franchises.
“At this point probably Lewandowski (a football player). In the past, it used to be Pope John Paul II or former president Lech Wałęsa.”
“Lewandowski is definitely nothing to be ashamed about. Excellent player.”
13. Cristiano Ronaldo is considered one of the best footballers of all time. Born in Portugal, he’s been named Best FIFA Men’s Player three times. He also just so happens to be the most followed person on Instagram.
“Every time I visit a different country and some local asks where I’m from, they always reply with, ‘Ohh, Cristiano Ronaldo,’ so yeah.”
“I’m from Portugal, and every time I go abroad and say this sentence people’s immediate response is SUUUUUIIIII RONALDO. So, yeah, not only is he the most famous one, he’s the first thing people know us for.”
“🇳🇴 Internationally, it’s Erling Braut Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, and Magnus Carlsen in that order. Kygo was somewhat famous a few years ago along with Jens Stoltenberg. Domestically, the royal family and a few skiers are equally recognized.”
15. Monica Bellucci is a legendary actor and model from Italy whose well-known works include The Apartment, The Matrix films, The Passion of the Christ, and Spectre. Last year, she starred in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
16. Rihanna, a singer, businesswoman, and fashion mogul, was born and raised in Barbados.
“NO ONE I have ever seen in my life has fame close to that of what SRK has. People have legit stood outside his house every second of every day just hoping to get a glimpse.”
“It has always been and will always be SRK. Sure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a brand of his own, but SRK is unmatched.”
18. Taika Waititi is a director, writer, producer, and actor from New Zealand. He’s received three Oscar nominations, including a Best Adapted Screenplay win in 2020 for Jojo Rabbit.
“I would also say it’s either Taika Waititi or Peter Jackson if we’re talking about awareness among sub-Boomer-aged people who follow pop culture, which is a pretty huge group.”
19. Finally, Roger Federer is a former No. 1 ranking Swiss tennis player. He retired in 2022 after a hallmark career that included achieving a Grand Slam. In total, he won 20 major championships.
“Definitely Federer. No Swiss is more famously Swiss.”
—None
“Roger Federer is the most famous living Swiss person.”
