[citation needed], During the interwar period, the number of Greeks migrating to Australia increased substantially. He was previously married to Bunny Gibson and June Salter. Getty Images. Australian actor Jack Thompson was born John Hadley Payne on August 31, 1940 in Manly, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney. The daughter of a Greek father and a Sicilian mother, Kanakis was an avid reader while growing up. He was previously married to Gia Carides. [18] In 1957, Hellenic/Greek language newspaper Neos Kosmos was founded by Dimitri Gogos, Bill Stefanou and Alekos Doukas, the latter also being an exceptionally well known author. So, umm, you seen that movie The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King? Bruce Spence is probably most seen in The Lord of the Rings as the mouth of Sauron though he has a actually has a massive filmography going from Mad Max 2 to The Dry (2020). [citation needed]. Mena was raised in a Rhode Island home that was built in 1870 and had early aspirations of Elias Koteas was born on March 11, 1961, in Montreal, Canada. Not long after came the biggest movie of all time, Avatar, which he starred in. Diana Glenn was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. .more. His family confirmed his death on Monday, saying "our irreplaceable husband, father, brother . However, there are also a bunch of famous people who are of Greek descent that might surprise you! Dropped out of medicine and law at university. Was recently seen in Baz Luhrman's Elvis. She is known for her work on Agent Cody Banks, Baywatch Nights, Law & Order, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Women's Murder Club, Seraphim Falls and Rizzoli & Isles. The largest concentration of Greek Australians is in the state of Victoria, which is often regarded as the heartland of the Greek Australian community. 19. Jennifer Aniston. Gia Carides has been working as an actress since age 12 in film and in theatre. He was born to Bulgarian parents in Athens and moved to the United States as a child. She then went on to study Performance at the University of Western Sydney's School of Contemporary Arts, graduating in 2003. [citation needed], The Greek government, devastated by the destruction of infrastructure and the mass looting of their banks by the Germans, encouraged post-war migration as a way of solving poverty and unemployment problems. She has an older sister, Jess, and a younger brother, Kai. Continues to command roles from every angle. Grew up in Warrawee, NSW Australia and went to Knox Grammar School. His father was a well-to-do builder. He is the son of Leonie (van Os), a teacher of English, and Craig Hemsworth, a social-services counselor. As mentioned above he has appeared in some great films, but he shows up in plenty more films and always performs well. A true talent. Murray Bartlett is an Australian actor. Typical aussie (like the name!) She is an actress and writer, known for Kath & Kim (2002), Kath & Kim (2008) and Da Kath & Kim Code (2005). Unknown outside of Australia, David Field is a quality actor. Within Australia, the Greek immigrants have been "extremely well organised socially and politically", with approximately 600 Greek organisations in the country by 1973, and immigrants have strived to maintain their faith and cultural identity. In the fall Hank Azaria is an American comedian and actor from Queens, New York. [citation needed], Greece entered World War II with the Allies when she was invaded by German and Italian forces, who remained in Greece until 1944. Won a Critics Circle award in 1992 for "The Television was his game, but recently was seen in the Mad Max: Fury Road. Alexander is a graduate of Beverly Hills High School. She is the granddaughter of director Elia Kazan. This guy started off with humble beginnings, but has since proven his worth. He was previously married to Lisa Serma. But here are some famous Australian celebrities who are actually born overseas. Im tipping a mini comeback in the next couple of years. The man who starred in Time Machine, ahem, i mean Memento, LA Confidential and aussie darlings Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Animal Kingdom. He is of Dutch (from his immigrant maternal One to watch over the next few years. Has two older brothers. David Gulpilil is a legendary Yolngu actor, a First Nations person of Northern Australia, born around 1953. He has been married to Victoria Ramos since October 10, 2013. Striking, intense actor from Australia. Evi Marandi was born on August 7, 1941 in Athens, Greece. Sean Keenan was born on January 18, 1993 in Australia. Anthony LaPaglia was born on January 31, 1959 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Alexakis, Effy and Janiszewski, Leonard (1998). She has been married to Daniel MacPherson since 2015. John Jarratt was born on August 5, 1951 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. This list of famous people of Greek descent is loosely ranked by fame and popularity. [citation needed] It is noted that the first major flow of Greek immigrants to Australia began in the mid 1920s, where many Greek people from Kastellorizo migrated to Australia to escape the Ottoman repression. He has been the recipient of the top Australian television accolade, the coveted Gold Logie, and his stage production of Grease held the U.K. West End all-time box office record from 1993 Portia de Rossi was born and raised in Geelong, Australia. from back in the day. They have two children. As per the 2021 census, 424,750 people stated that they had Greek ancestry (whether alone or in combination with another ancestry), comprising 1.7% of the Australian population. Marie Avgeropoulos currently stars as "Octavia Blake" in the CW's post-apocalyptic drama series, The 100 (2014). Actress | Her love of musical theater, especially the work of Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera, inspired her as a child. [citation needed], During the 1920s, as a result of the Greco-Turkish War there was a significant amount of Greek migration to Darwin, Northern Territory and across the Top End. Her mother, Sarie Kessler, is a physiotherapist, and her father, is Doug Robbie. Rodger Corser is well known to Australian audiences having worked extensively in television, theatre, and film. She is an actress, known for From the Orient with Fury (1965), Planet of the Vampires (1965) and Our Men in Bagdad (1966). Rebel Wilson is an Australian actress, comedian, and writer. Mr Zonfrillo died in Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning at age 46. He played David Madson on the Emmy and Golden Globe winning Limited Series: 'American Crime Story, The Assassination of Gianni Versace', Michael Langdon (The As imdb.com alluded to, this guy is on the upward path. Peter Scolari. Also Craig McLachlan is one of Australia's most versatile actors and a household name in both Australia and the U.K. Gary Sweet was born on May 22, 1957 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is an actor and director, known for Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Spartan (2004) and Speed Racer (2008). Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 10:24. She has appeared in as many Zoe Carides was born on February 19, 1962 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hit enter to search or ESC to close. Directed over 80 plays, including 'Sons of Cain' on London's West End (1986). [4], Australia and Greece also have a close bilateral relationship based on historical ties and the rich contribution of Greek Australians to Australian society. [1] At the 2021 census, 92,314 Australian residents were born in Greece. He is an actor and writer, known for The Little Death (2014), Mortal Kombat (2021) and The Eleven O'Clock (2016). A Brooklyn native, Vasi signed to Ford Models at the age of 12. Been around a long time. With comedic talents and a knack for writing, we are bound to see more of this guy. Her performance was nominated an Academy Award for Best Born in Melbourne in 1934 Graham Kennedy remains an icon in Australian TV, an accolade earned from his hosting of the long-running In Melbourne Tonight (1957) or IMT on Channel Nine. Perhaps there will be a return to the big screen soon. Bruce Spence was born on September 17, 1945 in New Zealand. Very well may crack top 20 one dayone decade. She began her . Together, these other denominations make up 0.4% of the Greek Australian population. Andonis Manolis' grave is in the old cemetery at Mittagong. Semi-regular in TV series 'All Saints'. She was granted Greek citizenship in 2019, in honor of her efforts to assist Greece by appealing for international aid after a Jason Mantzoukas is an American actor, comedian, writer and pod-caster. Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as superhero, period, and . His mother is Australian-Canadian and his father is a New Zealander. She had been called "one of the world's great actresses" with "the beauty and talent to become an international star". Jigger Bulgari married an Irish woman, and they had many children. Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer and producer. Luke Bracey was born in Sydney, Australia and made his acting debut in Aussie soap opera, Home and Away (1988) in 2009, portraying bad-boy "Trey Palmer" into 2010, while also appearing in multiple episodes of Aussie series Dance Academy (2010)). Shane Jacobson is one of Australia's most loved, award-winning actors, presenters and entertainers. The youngest of five children, he grew up in Deepdene in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. She attended the Santa Sabina College for her high school education. She was nominated for Best Actress for Elizabeth and then won Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator, then won again in Blue Jasmine. Spent three years of High School on set with a tutor. From the hit TV show: Stranger Things, i expect bigger things from DM. In 2016, the Greek language was spoken at home by 237,588 Australian residents, a 5.8% decrease from the 2011 census data. Edit: More on the big screen- not on silly once off tv shows, he's becoming a presenter. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Bana also has Croatian . Congrats to him and hope he keeps the top work up! Josh Lawson was born on July 22, 1981 in Queensland, Australia. She is a multi-award winning, classically trained actress of stage and screen. He died on May 15, 2009 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Worldwide impact. A treasured actor. From a young age, Isla A very funny woman, Fisher is best in comedy and stands well above her peers when in her niche. She has two younger brothers. His father is of Greek descent and his mother is of mostly English and Scottish ancestry. He is an actor, known for Police Rescue (1989), Alexandra's Project (2003) and Adore (2013). Friels is genuine thespian, just check out his resume. Neil Perry. Her mother, Zenobia "Jeanne" (ne Xenakes) was born in Piraeus, Athens and migrated to the USA as a young girl. Close Search. He is an actor, known for Darkman (1990), Water Rats (1996) and Malcolm (1986). In 2002 he got the role Jack Malone in Without a Trace that went on until 2009. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Tracy spent part of her childhood in her parents' homeland, Greece, before the Spiridakos family returned to Canada to open a Greek restaurant. [14], One study investigating the 54 most common ethnic groups in Australia found that Greek Australians had the lowest rate of intermarriage (marrying outside their ethnicity) than every other ethnicity in the first, second and third generations. [citation needed] From 1924 until 1936 a series of regulations operating in Australia severely restricted the number of Greeks permitted to immigrate to and settle in Australia. Her father is Greek, and her mother was of English, Irish, Scottish, and Italian descent. At the time of his birth both of his parents were working in the film industry and he spent many hours during his childhood on film sets where he developed a love of acting. He is known for voicing several characters in The Simpsons including Apu, Chief Wiggum, Moe, Bumblebee Man, Lou and Superintendent Chalmers. 3. She is known for starring as Hannah Baker in the 2017 Netflix series 13 Reasons Why (2017), based on the novel of the same name, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination. Jennifer spent a year of her childhood living in Greece with her family. Toni Collette is an Academy Award-nominated Australian actress, best known for her roles in The Sixth Sense (1999) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006).Collette was born Toni Collett (she later added an "e") on November 1, 1972, in Blacktown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. If you haven't seen The Castle yet, go watch it. She is an actress. Nicole Kidman. His brother is filmmaker Nash Edgerton. From The Wolverine (2013) to Les Misrables (2012) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), this actor, singer, and producer has become one of Australia's most popular talents. Australians needed no introduction to Greek culture when Acropolis Now first aired in 1989. He is an actor and producer, known for Without a Trace (2002), Lantana (2001) and Empire Records (1995). Isabel was born in Melbourne, Australia. Collette was born Toni Collett (she later added an "e") on November 1, 1972, in Blacktown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bound for the top 12. Miranda Otto is an Australian actress. Numerous of these people from Greece's easternmost island spent time in Egypt's second largest city, Alexandria, before being offered migration to Australia by British authorities. alongside Paul Scheer and June Diane Raphael. Sydney -born Hugh Jackman has risen to international fame, and has starred in many romance, period, and superhero films. 7. Christopher "Chris" Hemsworth was born on August 11, 1983 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Leonie Hemsworth (ne van Os), an English teacher & Craig Hemsworth, a social-services counselor. Jennifer Aniston was born in Sherman Oaks, California, to actors John Aniston and Nancy Dow. He was previously married to Audrey Wilson. Post WWII in the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, Greeks were one of the main European races[citation needed] picked by the Australian government's "Populate or perish" immigration scheme and due to this, thousands of Greeks migrated to Australia to gain a better life and future for themselves and their families. Her parents were Polish immigrants. She has been married to Keven Undergaro since December 31, 2017. He is in the top 50 for a reason, excellent actor. She has been married to Vince Colosimo since 2010. [19] In 1935 and 1936 a third newspaper, Pharos (Lighthouse), was published, and a number of short-lived titles were issued in the late 1960s, with the longest of these being Tachydromos (Mailman), founded in September 1968. The top actress to come out of Australia. She has an older brother and a younger sister. She moved to Sydney to Chris Pang was born on December 29, 1984 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Featuring fashion influencers, food bloggers, beauty bloggers and regular people just like you who've turned their passion into a hobby, all blessed with a great eye for photography, this list of Instagram celebrities will make you fall in love all over again with Athens, the famous Greek islands, and the rest of the world. Jasmine trained at the Berklee College of Music for vocal performance and The Neighborhood Playhouse for Theater. To her Canadian fans, she is noted for her soft voice, unassuming and accessible nature, and her talent as a singer and songwriter.As a Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Sadly passed away in early 2015. The Australian actor Alex O'Loughlin was born in August 1976.Alex started out his film career in 2004, when he starred in Oyster Farmer (2004) as Jack Flange. Her two maternal uncles own and operate "Temo's Candy . Most recently seen in the TV version of The Mosquito Coast with Justin Theroux. The 2021 census showed that the following states had the largest numbers of people nominating Greek ancestry: Victoria (181,184), New South Wales (141,627), South Australia (40,704), Queensland (32,702), Western Australia (16,117). Like Hugo Weaving a lil further down, she has a huge range and even played Bob Dylan in Im Not There. Stephen Curry is an Australian comedian and actor who has appeared in many television drama and comedy series, and feature films. His mother was of German descent and his father had English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. The Hellenic Club of Canberra laid a commemorative marble plaque over his resting place around 2000. Continues to work hard, though the question remains, could he win an Oscar? Manuel Aroney. [8] The first wave of free Hellenic migrants commenced in the 1850s, and continued through the end of the 19th century, prompted in part by the recent discovery of gold in the country. She is the daughter of photographers Marzena Wasikowska and John Reid. Awarded the Screen Leader Award for Outstanding Leadership to the Screen Industry, Nadia is one of Australia's most respected and unique filmmakers.Known for directing Australian classic films "Malcolm" and "The Big Steal", Tass's other feature works include "Rikky and Pete", "Mr Reliable", "Amy", Cleo Rocos was born on July 24, 1962 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Showing promise in performing arts at a young age, Sarah was awarded a scholarship to study drama at Scotch College, Adelaide. Bill Hunter was one of Australia's acting legends, having worked with almost every notable Australian director and actor of the last thirty years - evidence of his genuine popularity among the public and acting fraternity alike.He started out in Australian television in the '60s (a hotbed of well Abbie Cornish, also known by her rap name Dusk, is an Australian actress and rapper. She began modelling during her teens, working for the Skye-Jilly International agency. Kick Gurry was born on May 25, 1978 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Listed In: Intellectuals & Academics. Many famous people are of Greek descent. He is an actor and producer, known for Animal Kingdom (2010), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) and Gangster Squad (2013). Errol Flynn was born to parents Theodore Flynn, a respected biologist, and Marrelle Young, an adventurous young woman. The top 10 is an actual target for this young man, Actress | In the summer of 2001, she starred in Pauline Black was born on October 23, 1953 in Braintree, Essex, England, UK. At the time of his death in 2009 his net worth was $5 billion. Worthington is one of the most popular actors in Australia and has a huge international fan base. Fantastic Actress with range, Toni Collette is sometimes so good that you start thinking she is who she portrays on screen. Criteria to be included: [13], At the 2021 census, 424,750 people stated that they had Greek ancestry (whether alone or in combination with another ancestry), comprising 1.7% of the Australian population. No, it was Rush when he starred alongside Daniel Bruhl which has him on the list, could be higher and im sure he will never stop improving. After moving to the US early in his career, he landed many supporting parts in Hollwood before he took some bigger roles in Australia such as Lantana and The Bank. The Greek language press began in Australia and in 1913, Australia had the first Greek weekly newspaper called Afstralia that was published in Melbourne. Suave and handsome Australian actor arrived in Hollywood in the 1950s, and built himself up from a supporting actor into taking the lead in several well-remembered movies. Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer and producer. The Sky is the limit. Winner of the BAFTA Best Supporting Actress award in 1993 for The Age of Innocence (1993), she received Best Supporting Actress at the 1989 LA Critics Circle Awards for her role A full time Brit as of 2013, Margolyes became an Aussie that year.