South African Stars In Hollywood: The List May Surprise You

Salena Harshini |Mar 06, 2021

You may be surprised how many actors starring in Hollywood movies and US television shows are from Mzansi in one way or another.

You may not have known that these big stars and celebrities in Hollywood actually hailed from South Africa. Check out the South African stars in Hollywood list.

1. Charlize Theron

The number one on the list of South African stars in Hollywood is the charismatic and beautiful Charlize. The Mad Max: Fury Road actress was born in 1975 in Johannesburg, Benoli.

Charlize Theron 2016 1080x1920 — She is the Academy Award winner.

For the unknown, while her father is French, her mother belongs of German descent which makes Afrikaans her first language. The actress trained in South Africa as a ballerina. However, she then moved to New York to become a model and dancer.

2. Sasha Pieterse

With her family name, it’s quite hard to miss that the actress was born in South Africa. Hailing from Johannesburg, she quickly moved to Las Vegas at the age of five.

Sasha Pieterse 1 — Hardly anyone would think she is one of the South African stars in Hollywood.

She quickly got accustomed to showbiz as her parents were international acrobatics performers.

3. Lesley-Ann Brandt

Another star among the South African stars in Hollywood is Lesley-Ann Brandt. She was born in Cape Town and then immigrated to Auckland, New Zealand with her family.

The actress started her acting career in the new land. She also moved to the US to extend her work. And one of the roles that shot her to fame is Naevia in Spartacus.

4. Troye Sivan

This pick might be obvious to some or very surprising. It depends if you see him as a singer or the 15-year-old Spud actor he was. The songwriter-singer and Youtuber were born in 1995 in Johannesburg.

He moved to Australia with his family due to South Africa’s high crime rate. He is famous for many good songs like Dance To This, Youth, Fool, and more.

5. Tammin Sursok

Similar to Pieterse, Tammin Sursok was also born in Johannesburg and brought up in an entertainment clan.

When she was only four, she moved to Australia with her family and later studied drama and speech.

6. Adhir Kalyan

The actor was born in Durban and is most famous for his acting in Rules of Engagement. He first moved to London and then Atlantic to venture into Hollywood.

Many may be surprised to know he is the son of Sandy Kalyan who is a South African politician. In detail, he is the Democratic Alliance Shadow Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation.

7. John Kani

There are not many black South African actors, let alone those who can go big in Tinseltown. However, John Kani is among those who made his presence felt in the industry.

The actor is known for playing in notable movies like Ghost of Darkness, Sarafina, Avengers: Endgame, and more. John Kani currently works as the reigning Chairperson of the South African National Arts Council and a theatre director.

More South African stars in Hollywood

And we have more celebs who are claimed South African for diverse reasons. Matilda star Embeth Davidtz came to South Africa when she was nine.

Meanwhile, Madelaine Petsch who is often referred to as Riverdale’s Cheryl Blossom also spent her first 10 years between Washington and South Africa Then, singer Doja Cat and actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw also have parents who are South African.