1. Kat Dennings
Well!! Hanukkah is knocking the doors of Jews. So, the time of rejoicing and merry making with the festival of dedication and lights is again around. The Jews or the “Children of Israel” commemorate this festival for eight nights and days, and observe it by kindling lights in beautiful nine-branched candelabras. But, do you know that there are some renowned celebs, who are also going to rejoice this illuminating fiesta? Let’s have a look at those celebrities, whom you didn’t know were Jewish.
Born as Katherine Litwack in a Jewish family, Kat is an American actress by profession. This gorgeous Jewish beauty emerged with a television series on HBO, called Sex and the City, which was followed by a number of movies, like Big Momma’s House 2, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Charlie Bartlett, Defendor, Raise Your Voice, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, The House Bunny, and Thor. However, her eminence became publicized with her role in CBS television series, 2 Broke Girls.
Kat was born and raised as a Jew in Pennsylvania to a speech therapist mother and molecular pharmacologist father. She is the youngest among the five children. Her career began at the age of 10 with a few commercials. However, in her later years, her idea of becoming an actress was regarded as the “worst idea ever” by her parents.
About being her a Jewish, Kat Dennings states that, “Judaism is an important part of my history, but, as a whole, religion is not a part of my life“, to The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.
2. James Franco
This American actor of cool and debonair looks first gained popularity with a short-lived cult show, Freaks and Geeks. James later became all the more famous with his character in biographical movie, James Dean, which garnered him with a Golden Globe and his character ‘Harry Osborn’ in Spider-Man trilogy.
Born in California to a businessman father and actress mother, where his mother was of Jewish descent and father was of Swedish descent. Franco has largely been under the influence of his maternal side and hence, is a Jewish by religion. To fulfil his passion for acting, James formally took two year training under Robert Carnegie and got his first role in a commercial for Pizza Hut.
James made his debut with the movie, Never Been Kissed, which is followed by a number of successful movies in which he appeared, like Pineapple Express, 127 Hours, Milk, Tristan & Isolde, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Annapolis, Spring Breakers, This Is the End, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Lovelace.
James Franco was also the face of Gucci’s men’s fragrance line.
3. Zac Efron
This handsome Jewish actor with hot blue eyes became a sensation among girls after he worked in the High School Musical series. We are talking about none other than Zac Efron, an American actor and amazingly talented singer. Having tasted success in teen dramas, like High School Musical, and Summerland, he has also worked excellently in movies, such as Hairspray, 17 Again, New Year’s Eve, The Lucky One, Me and Orson Welles, and Charlie St. Cloud.
Efron was born in California. His surname “Efron”, which he received from his grandfather, links him to the Jewish ethnicity. However, Zac is a complete agnostic and does not believe in religion. His debut began with guest roles in several television series, and he got his big break as Troy Bolton from the Disney Channel’s original movie, called High School Musical.
Efron was on the 92nd place in the Forbes’ “Powerful Celebrity” list, in 2008. His upcoming project is “Neighbors”, which will release in 2014.
4. Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an amazingly beautiful American actress, who belongs to the Jewish ethnicity, which she has inherited from her grandmother. However, she practises Buddhism.
Kate came in the eyes of public with the role that she played in Almost Famous, which fetched her Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. ‘Almost Famous’ was Kate’s first hit movie with which, she gained immense fame and love from the audience. She made her Hollywood debut with a movie called, Desert Blue.
Kate’s other famous movies are- Gossip, Le Divorce, About Adam, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, My Best Friend’s Girl, Alex & Emma, Bride Wars, Nine, Something Borrowed, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Raising Helen, and many others.
5. Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress and model. This beautiful Jewish actress made her debut with the movie, North, which was followed by her other thriving movies, like The Horse Whisperer, Manny & Lo, and Ghost World. She further acclaimed eminence from her adult roles in movies, such as Lost in Translation, The Avengers, The Prestige, In Good Company, An American Rhapsody, Iron Man 2, A View from the Bridge, and Girl with a Pearl Earring. Scarlett is the recipient of BAFTA award for ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’.
Scarlett was born in New York City. Her mother belongs to an Ashkenazi Jewish family and Scarlett also describes herself as a Jewish and celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas.
6. Mila Kunis
Milena Markovna Kunis, aka Mila Kunis, is an American voice artist and actress. Before appearing in the television series, “That ’70s Show”, Mila has performed in a number of television commercials and series. Although, her breakthrough came in 2008 from the movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was followed by other thriving projects, like Max Payne, Friends with Benefits, Oz the Great and Powerful, and The Book of Eli. Mila was much extolled and liked for her role as ‘Lily’ in Black Swan, for which she received the “Best Young Actress Award” in 67th Venice International Film Festival.
Mila Kunis was born in Ukraine and has been raised as a Jewish. She also stated that anti-Semitism in the former Soviet Union was one of the reasons that her family moved to United States.
The husky voiced beauty has amazed everyone with her charming looks and has also been named five times amongst “100 Sexiest Women in the World”, in FHM’s list.
7. Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe, better known as Harry Potter, is an English actor. It is a well known fact that he has earned immense acclaim, internationally and nationally, with the major blockbuster movie, Harry Potter, in which, he played the lead role. The movie was the adaption of a fictional novel, Harry Potter, written by J.K. Rowling.
Daniel’s career started at a small age of ten from a television movie, David Copperfield, which was featured on BBC One. It was followed by 2001′s movie, The Tailor of Panama. This blue-eyed conjuror was selected to play the lead role in Harry Potter at the age of eleven, and starred in all the eight series.
Radcliff was born in England. His father is a literary agent, and Daniel is his only child. Daniel has been raised as a Jewish as his mother is a Jewish by ethnicity. In an interview, he also stated about his religion, “There was never [religious] faith in the house. I think of myself as being Jewish and Irish, despite the fact that I’m English. I’m an atheist and a militant atheist when religion starts impacting on legislation”.
Other than creating the magic with the Harry Potter series, Daniel has also worked in various other screen projects, such as December Boys, The Woman in Black, Horns, Kill Your Darlings, and The F Word.
8. Ben Stiller
Audiences have seen him as Larry Daley in ‘Night at the Museum’ series, running behind the exhibits of the museum that have come alive at night. This Jewish actor is none other than Ben Stiller, who is an American actor, producer, director, and voice artist. He is the son of legendary comedians, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara and has been raised as a Jew. Although, Ben illustrates that he is half Irish catholic and half Jewish.
Ben has appeared in a number of movies for which, he has garnered a lot of admiration, like Tropic Thunder, About Mary, Dodgeball, Meet the Parents, There’s Something About Mary, the Madagascar series, and Zoolander. Ben has also hosted his own produced show called, The Ben Stiller Show.
He often plays characters, which are arrogant, short tempered and who persistently stumble in awkward and gauche circumstances.
9. Nikki Reed
Nicole Houston Reed or Nikki Reed is an American actress and television artist of partially Jewish and partially Italian ancestry. She became a high-flying star, in 2003, with the release of her movie, Thirteen, where she played the lead role. This fascinating actress has always played roles, which are slightly spoilt in personality and highly adventurous. The script of “Thirteen” was written by Nikki when she was off on her six-day winter vacations, at a young age.
Nikki’s other movies are- The Twilight series, Man of God, Familiar Strangers, Chain Letter, Last Day of Summer, Empire State, and Pawn.
10. Paul Rudd
The good looking Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and comedian, who belongs to Jewish ethnicity. He has mostly appeared in humours movies and is acknowledged for his characters in films, like Clueless, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Our Idiot Brother, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Dinner for Schmucks, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and This Is 40.
Paul is known for his satirical and sardonic style of humour with a deadpan delivery of dialogues.
11. Adam Sandler
The American actor, comedian, and producer, Adam Sandler also belongs to the Jewish religion. His whole family is Jewish and therefore, he is also largely influenced by Jewish culture. Adam is well-known for playing comic roles in his movies, like Big Daddy, Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, Mr. Deeds, and Billy Madison.
In 1999, this talented actor founded a production and entertainment firm, called Happy Madison Productions, which developed a television series, Rules of Engagement, in 2007.
A few studio albums have also been recorded by Adam Sandler, including They’re All Gonna Laugh at You!, What’s Your Name?, Stan and Judy’s Kid, and What the Hell Happened to Me?.
12. Ashley Tisdale
The bubbly and beautiful actress and recording artist, Ashley Tisdale also belongs to the Jewish culture, although partially. Her mother is Jewish, and father is Christian. Ashley has worked in over hundred commercials as a child artist, and her theatrical career began from a Jewish Community Center of Monmouth County, where she participated in “The Sound of Music and Gypsy: A Musical Fable”. From late 1990’s to 2000’s, she appeared with some minor roles in television series, like 7th Heaven, Smart Guy, Boston Public, The Hughleys, and Bette.
Ashley’s first prominent role came up with the Disney Channel series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, where she played a teenage candy-counter girl, called Maddie Fitzpatrick. This show garnered her with Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award in the category of ‘Best TV Actress’, in 2008. Her success was followed by her role in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical.
Ashley Tisdale’s other movies are- Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, Scary Movie 5, The Mayor of Oyster Bay, and several others.
This multi-talented artist has also recorded two studio albums, named as ‘Guilty Pleasure’ and ‘Headstrong’, amongst which, Headstrong has been certified as gold.
13. Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is an actress and holds dual citizenship of both Israel and America. She went through the mainstream success from the Star Wars prequel trilogy, where she played the character of Padmé Amidala. Her accomplishment was trailed by various other award- winning movies, like V for Vendetta, The Other Boleyn Girl, Goya’s Ghosts, Thor and Closer. In 2010, Portman appeared in the psychological movie, The Black Swan, which fetched her with the BAFTA Award, her second Golden Globe Award, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem, Israel, and has been raised under the Jewish ethnicity. This petite Jewish beauty is an advocate for animal rights and is a complete vegan. She also says that she wants to raise her children as Jewish. Her upcoming project is the sequel of Thor.
14. Jake Gyllenhaal
“The Prince of Persia” star Jake Gyllenhaal is an American actor. He began acting at the age of ten through 1991 comedy film, City Slickers, following his first lead role in October Sky, in 1999. Since then, he has appeared in Donnie Darko, Lovely & Amazing, The Day After Tomorrow, The Good Girl, Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Source Code, Prisoners, and Enemy to name a few.
He is the son of Naomi Foner and Stephen Gyllenhaal. His father is Swedish and mother is of Jewish descent. Consequently, Jake considers himself as a Jewish and follows the Jewish culture.
This striking actor was listed in People Magazine’s “Hottest Bachelors of 2006″ and was also one amongst the “50 Most Beautiful People”, the same year by People’s.
In 2012, Jake Gyllenhaal was ranked at 6th place on the list of “the 50 most talented, intelligent, funny, and gorgeous Jewish men in the world” by Shalom Life.
15. Dianna Agron
Dianna Elise Agron is an American actress, dancer, and singer, who made her debut as Jessica Grant in CSI: NY, in 2006. She was born in Savannah, Georgia and was brought up as a Jewish. She attended the Hebrew School and also had the cultural “bat mitzvah”.
Dianna has been featured in a number of films and television series. Some of her movies are- The Family, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, I Am Number Four, Skid Marks, etc. Her small screen appearances comprise of Drake & Josh, Veronica Mars, The X Factor, Heroes Unmasked, Glee, Punk’d, The Glee Project, and others.
This Jewish’s splendour has also beautified the cover pages of famous magazines, like Elle, Seventeen, Teen Vogue, Sugar, GQ, Rolling Stone, Candy, and Glamour. Dianna Agron supports gay rights and PETA.
Dianna was named amongst one of the ‘100 Most Beautiful People’ of 2010 by People’s Magazine.
16. Justin Bartha
Famous as Doug Billings in ‘The Hangover’ trilogy, Justin Bartha is an American actor, belonging to a Reform Jewish family. Justin embarked on his silver screen career, behind the camera, as a production assistant on the sets of the movie, “Analyze This”. He debuted as an actor from the movie 54, which is followed by his other movies, like National Treasure, Failure to Launch, The Rebound, The Hangover trilogy, ‘New York, I Love You’, Dark Horse, and Holy Rollers.
Justin Bartha has recently finished his small screen project, The New Normal, in which he appeared from 2012-2013.
17. Winona Ryder
Born as Winona Laura Horowitz, and popularly known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress, who made her debut with the 1986 movie “Lucas”. Winona earned her significant approbation from the movie, Beetlejuice, where she played a Goth teenager.
Winona was born in Olmsted County, Minnesota. She is a Jewish from her father’s side and describes herself of Jewish descent. However, she also practices Buddhism.
The movies, in which Winona has appeared till date, are- Heathers, ‘Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael’, Edward Scissorhands, Reality Bites, The Age of Innocence, Dracula, How to Make an American Quilt, Little Women, Autumn in New York, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Star Trek, When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story, Black Swan, Frankenweenie, and so forth.
Apart from all the success and prominence, this pretty actress is not untouched of the controversies. She has been convicted on accuses of shoplifting $5,500 worth of clothes and accessories, grand theft, vandalism, using drugs, and burglary.
18. Jack Black
Jack Black is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, and producer of Jewish ethnicity. His career in movies has really been thriving. Jack has appeared primarily in comedy movies but has also done some serious roles. He is also the lead singer of a humorous rock band, which he, along with friend Kyle Gass, named as Tenacious D. He formed this band in 1994.
Some of his unforgettable silver screen projects are- Demolition Man, Airborne, The Cable Guy, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Mars Attacks!, The Jackal, High Fidelity, Cradle Will Rock, Melvin Goes to Dinner, School of Rock, Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, Envy, Nacho Libre, Kung Fu Panda, Bernie, and many others. Apart from the movies, he has also been an active part of the small screen shows.
19. Robert Downey, Jr.
Audiences have seen him as Albert Einstein, Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man, Charlie Chaplin, and in the role of few other prominent characters. This never monotonous actor is Robert Downy, Jr., who made his debut in movies at the age of five from his father’s movie, Pound. He has, since then, appeared in several movies, which have done a lucrative business on box office. Some of his movies are Sherlock Holmes, Chaplin, The Avengers, Zodiac, Tropic Thunder, Due Date, Iron Man, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Singing Detective, and many more.
Downy was born in Manhattan. His father Robert Downy Sr. was half Russian Jewish and half Irish Catholic and his mother was of Scottish descent. Consequently Downy Jr. belongs to Jewish ancestry. However, Downy illustrates his religious belief as “Jewish-Buddhist”.
In 2010, Downy, along with his wife, established a production company, called Team Downey. The first project of this corporation was Yucatan, a heist film.
Downy Jr. has won a number of awards for his outstanding work, which includes BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, MTV Movie Award, People’s Choice Award, Saturn Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Primetime Emmy Award, and several nominations.
20. Amanda Bynes
Strikingly pretty, Amanda Bynes, is an actress and belongs to both Judaism and Catholicism. She came into the limelight from Nickelodeon’s series “All That” and “The Amanda Show”. She began to act by the age of seven in a few commercials from where, she switched to television. Amanda made her debut in movies, in 2002, with a modest box office hit, Big Fat Liar, which was trailed by other movies, such as What a Girl Wants, She’s the Man, Robots, Sydney White, Hairspray, Love Wrecked, Living Proof, and Easy A.
Amanda Bynes owns a clothing line, “dear by Amanda Bynes”, in collaboration with Steve and Barry’s chain of fashion stores.
21. Jamie Lee Curtis
The ‘Scream Queen’ of Hollywood, Jamie Lee Curtis, is an American author and actress. She has obtained the title of “Scream Queen” due to her appearance in several horror movies, like Terror Train, The Fog, Halloween, and Prom Night.
Jamie was born in Santa Monica, California, and her grandparents were of Hungarian- Jewish descent. She has also been raised as a Jewish. Jamie made her acting debut from the movie, Halloween, in 1978, which is pursued by a number of movies in which, she has appeared or has done voice over. Her famous movies for which, she fetched awards and nominations, are- Trading Places, Terror Train, A Fish Called Wanda, Blue Steel, True Lies, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Nicholas’ Gift, and Freaky Friday.
Curtis is also the author of a few children’s books, including ‘Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day’, Tell Me Again about the Night I was born, and Big Words for Little People.
22. Gwyneth Paltrow
The attractive actress with blonde hair and blue eyes, Gwyneth Paltrow, is an American actress and food writer and belongs to Jewish descent. She started to feature herself in the movies from 1991, and came into the limelight from her roles in the movies “Emma” and “Seven”. Gwyneth garnered worldwide recognition from the movie “Shakespeare in Love”, in 1998, which also lead her to won a Golden Globe Award, Academy Award for Best Actress, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The other movies of this Jewish elegance are- Flesh and Bone, Sliding Doors, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Bounce, The Royal Tenenbaums, Shallow Hal, Iron Man trilogy, Country Strong, Contagion, and Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.
In 2007, Gwyneth signed a contract with PBS television series, “Spain… on the Road Again”, which featured the customs, culture, and cuisines of Spain. She has written books on food, like My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Notes from the Kitchen Table, All Good: Delicious Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great, and Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Togetherness.
23. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an American producer, actor, director and editor. He belongs to the Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and his parents were among the originators of the Progressive Jewish Alliance.
Joseph has appeared as a child artist in Beethoven, 10 Things I Hate About You, Angels in the Outfield, and A River Runs Through It. He eventually quit movies for studying further, but, dropped out in 2004 to pursue acting again. He, since then, starred in movies, such as The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Premium Rush, 50/50, Mysterious Skin, Manic, The Lookout, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and so on.
Joseph is well-liked for dimples and youthful boyish appearance.
24. Emmanuelle Chriqui
Lovely Canadian actress, Emmanuelle Chriqui, is known for her character on HBO’s series “Entourage as Sloan McQuewick”. She is one amongst the “Most Desirable Women of 2010” list of 2010, by Askmen.com. She first came on the silver screen at the age of ten in a McDonald’s commercial.
Cheriqui’s family practises Orthodox Judaism and she is also raised as a Jewish. She has appeared in movies, such as Fort Bliss, A Short History of Decay, Saint John of Las Vegas, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, National Lampoon’s Adam & Eve, August, Detroit Rock City, In the Mix, and many others.
25. Drake
Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian singer, recording artist, and rapper. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and belongs to Jewish religion. He attended a Jewish day school and also had the customary bar mitzvah.
Drake first garnered a small screen role with the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. In 2009, he signed a contract with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment as a rapper. His discography contains studio albums, like Thank Me Later, Nothing Was the Same, So Far Gone, and Take Care.
Drake proudly addresses himself as a “proud Jewish boy”.
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