20 popular biracial celebrities who could pass as ‘white’
Famous biracial people get the public's attention whenever they are spotted doing their usual activities. They are well-known in the industry for their work as actors, TV hosts, musicians, and even athletes. Some of these celebrities have won numerous awards and have become exceedingly popular in all their endeavours. So who are these white-passing biracial celebrities?
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Most people strive to become the most well-known celebrities throughout their entire lives. However, being popular can mean different things to different people. For some, it may mean being among the richest or highest-paid celebrities, while others may have a huge global following.
20 popular biracial celebrities who could pass as 'white'
Here, in no particular order, are the most well-liked white-passing celebrities of 2022, together with the tales and triumphs that have helped them seize the spotlight so far.
1. Jennifer Beals
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- Date of birth: 19 December 1963
- Age: 59 years (as of October 2022)
- Place of birth: South Side, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Heritage: African-American-Irish
- Occupation: Actress, philanthropist
Jennifer Beals is an American actress, former fashion model, and one of the popular mixed-race celebrities. Some of her most famous roles include Justine Madsen Judd in Nothing Sacred (1998) and Bette Porter in The L Word: Generation Q (2019-2022). She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, actor Ken Dixon, and their two children.
2. Taika Waititi
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- Date of birth: 16 August 1975
- Age: 47 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Raukokore, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
- Heritage: Ashkenazi Jewish-Irish-Māori-French Canadian
- Occupation: Filmmaker, actor, comedian
In 2007, Taika Waititi's first feature film, Eagle vs Shark, a romantic comedy, was released in the United States. These days, he is known for directing and acting in several iconic movies and TV shows, including Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit and Our Flag Means Death. TIME magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people in its annual list in 2022.
3. Shakira
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- Date of birth: 2 February 1977
- Age: 45 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Barranquilla, Colombia
- Heritage: Lebanese-native Colombian
- Occupation: Singer, songwriter, dancer
Shakira began her music career at 13 with Sony Music Colombia. She became famous in Hispanic countries with her two albums, Magia and Peligro. She sold her fifth album Laundry Service in 2001 and sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is one of their global representatives.
4. K.J. Apa
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- Date of birth: 17 June 1997
- Age: 25 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Auckland, New Zealand
- Heritage: Samoan-European New Zealander
- Occupation: Actor, singer, musician
K.J. Apa starred as Kane Jenkins in Shortland Street, a popular New Zealand soap opera, from 2013 to 2015. His other acting credits include Riverdale, The Hate U Give and The Cul De Sac. In 2021, he released his first album, Clocks.
5. Devon Aoki
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- Date of birth: 10 August 1982
- Age: 40 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: New York, New York, United States
- Heritage: Japanese-German-English
- Occupation: Actress, fashion model
Devon Aoki began modelling in 1997 when she walked for brands such as Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons and Chanel. In 2003 she began her acting career when she was featured in the comedy film Death of a Dynasty. Devon has also appeared in films such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead, Mutant Chronicles and DOA: Dead or Alive.
6. Aubrey Plaza
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- Date of birth: 26 June 1984
- Age: 38 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Wilmington, Delaware, United States
- Heritage: Puerto Rican-Irish-English-Taino
- Occupation: Actress, comedian, producer
Aubrey started her career at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, where she performed improv and sketch comedy. She made her acting debut in 2006 and has been in multiple popular films and TV shows. She has acted in series including Little Demon, Legion, and Welcome to Sweden.
7. Halsey
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- Date of birth: 29 September 1994
- Age: 28 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Edison, New Jersey, United States
- Heritage: African-American-Irish-Italian-Hungarian
- Occupation: Singer, songwriter, actress
Halsey's breakthrough was in 2014 when she released her extended play, Room 93. She released her first studio album Badlands on 28 August 2015, which became number 2 on the billboard 200 albums chart in the US, selling 115,000 copies in its first week. She has appeared in several films and TV series, such as If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power, Sing 2 and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?.
8. Fred Armisen
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- Date of birth: 4 December 1966
- Age: 55 years (as of October 2022)
- Place of birth: Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States
- Heritage: German-Korean-Venezuelan
- Occupation: Actor, comedian, writer, producer, musician
Fred is famous for appearing in comedy films such as Melvin Goes to Dinner, The Dictator, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, and The Ex. He has also received two Peabody Awards, one in 2008 as a member of the cast of Saturday Night Live's political satire and another in 2011 for Portlandia.
9. Chloe Bennet
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- Date of birth: 18 April 1992
- Age: 30 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Heritage: Han Chinese-Anglo-American
- Occupation: Singer, actress
Chloe is an actress and singer famous for appearing in the ABC superhero drama Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. from 2013 to 2020. She has also appeared in movies such as Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, 5 Years Apart, Intercept and Valley Girl.
10. David Gallagher
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- Date of birth: 9 February 1985
- Age: 37 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: College Point, New York, United States
- Heritage: Cuban-Irish
- Occupation: Actor
David Gallagher is famous for appearing in the TV series 7th Heaven as Simon Camden. He has also been featured in films such as Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle, Summer of Fear and Trophy Kids. Since 2002, Gallagher has notably voiced Riku in the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise.
11. Raquel Welch
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- Date of birth: 5 September 1940
- Age: 82 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Heritage: English-Bolivian
- Occupation: Actress
Raquel Welch's breakthrough was in 1966 when she appeared in the science fiction film Fantastic Voyage. She has also appeared in movies and TV series such as Welcome to the Captain, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child and How to Be a Latin Lover.
12. Ryan Lochte
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- Date of birth: 3 August 1984
- Age: 38 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Rochester, New York, United States
- Heritage: Cuban-Dutch-English-German
- Occupation: Swimmer
Ryan Lochte is a professional swimmer who is a 12-time Olympic medallist. He holds a world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle in the long course and 4×100-meter freestyle in the mixed relay. Ryan has won 54 gold, 22 silver and 14 bronze medals.
13. Bella Thorne
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- Date of birth: 8 October 1997
- Age: 25 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States
- Heritage: Cuban-Italian-English-German-Irish-Welsh
- Occupation: Actress, model, singer, producer, writer
Bella Thorne first appeared in an uncredited role as a sidelines fan in the 2003 film Stuck on You. After that, she appeared in the movies such as Entourage, The Seer and The Babysitter. Bella's first single, Watch Me reached 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts.
14. Martin Gore
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- Date of birth: 23 July 1961
- Age: 61 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: London, United Kingdom
- Heritage: African-American-English
- Occupation: Songwriter, musician, singer, record producer, DJ
Martin Gore is the founding member of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode. He has released several solo albums and collaborated with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke as part of VCMG. He is renowned for his flamboyant and androgynous theatrical persona. He is the longest-serving member of the band.
15. Nicole Richie
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- Date of birth: 21 September 1981
- Age: 41 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Berkeley, California, United States
- Heritage: English-Mexican-Creole African-American
- Occupation: Television personality, fashion designer, socialite, actress
Nicole's filmography includes Bless This Mess, Great News, and Cursed Friends. She joined the Making the Cut reality competition series as a judge in 2020. She is also the founder of the House of Harlow lifestyle brand.
16. Wentworth Miller
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- Date of birth: 2 June 1972
- Age: 50 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Chipping Norton, United Kingdom
- Heritage: African-American-Jamaican-Rusyn-French-Syrian-Lebanese
- Occupation: Actor and screenwriter
Wentworth Miller is famous for his role in the Fox series Prison Break as Michael Scofield. His other acting roles include DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Flash and Madam Secretary. He came out as gay in August 2013.
17. Mariah Carey
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- Date of birth: 27 March 1969
- Age: 53 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Huntington, New York, United States
- Heritage: African-American-Venezuelan-Irish
- Occupation: Singer, songwriter, record producer, actress
Mariah Carey rose to fame in 1990 with her eponymous debut album. She has appeared in films such as Mariah: The Diva, the Demons, the Drama, A Christmas Melody and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. She has won 77 different awards.
18. Pete Wentz
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- Date of birth: 5 June 1979
- Age: years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Wilmette, Illinois, United States
- Heritage: English-German-Afro-Jamaican
- Occupation: Musician, actor
Pete is best known as the bassist and lead lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy. He also serves as the host of the television show Best Ink. Teen Titans Go!, 90210, Friends with Benefits, and Team Unicorn are among his acting credits.
19. Carly Simon
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- Date of birth: 25 June 1943 (or 1945)
- Age: 77-79 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: New York City, New York, United States
- Heritage: Ashkenazi Jewish-German-Cuban
- Occupation: Musician, singer, songwriter, children's author
Carly Simon rose to fame in the 1970s with her hits such as Haven't Got Time for the Pain, You Belong to Me and The Right Thing to Do. She received the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers' Founders Award in 2012. Simon will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 5 November 2022.
20. Louis C.K.
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- Date of birth: 12 September 1967
- Age: 55 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Washington, D.C., United States
- Heritage: Mexican-Hungarian
- Occupation: Stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, filmmaker
Louis is one of the popular mixed celebrities who could definitely pass as white. He began his career in the 1990s writing for comedians such as Chris Rock, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien. Louis released his debut comedy album, Live in Houston, in 2001.
These are just a few famous multiracial celebrities who could pass as 'white'. They are all gifted individuals who have established successful careers in various fields.
READ ALSO: Top 50 Nigerian male actors every movie buff will recognise
Legit.ng recently published an article on the top 50 Nigerian male actors that every moviegoer knows. Nigeria is one of Africa's leading countries in terms of acting talent. Every year, a new generation of actors emerges from the film industry, some of whom have achieved success on a global scale.
Nollywood actors have helped Nigerian films gain international acclaim, from newcomers to veteran actors. If you are a fan of Nigerian movies, you will recognize their faces in various films portraying various characters.
Source: Legit.ng
