30 most famous Jewish actors of all time conquering Hollywood
The entertainment industry has grown tremendously, producing the most remarkable films with talented actors. Famous Jewish actors are conquering Hollywood with their incredible acting skills. Their humour, sarcasm and talent to portray any character makes them stand out. The majority have made it big in the industry, appearing in some of the biggest productions.
Jewish actors have made a name for themselves in the entertainment industry due to their acting skills, making them famous worldwide. Others are born and raised in Jewish families, while others are not, but they have Jewish roots. Their performance demonstrates a range of emotions and the ability to portray a complex character.
30 famous Jewish actors
Actors from various communities portray many characters in Hollywood movies to make their content relatable to all people. Who are some of the famous Jewish actors? Have a look at the list below.
1. Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin is one of the most famous Jewish-American actors of all time. He was born on 26 March 1934 in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America and raised in a Jewish family. He is known for his prominent comedic roles in The Russians Are Coming and Little Miss Sunshine. He has won multiple awards, like Academy Awards, BAFTA and Golden Globe.
2. Robert Downey Jr
Robert Downey Jr is known for his complex and diverse characters in Hollywood films. He is famous for his famous roles in films like Iron Man 3, Oppenheimer and Tropic Thunder. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2001 for his role in Ally McBeal. His father was half-Jewish.
3. Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman is also on the list of Jewish celebrities who have made a name for themselves in the entertainment industry for their incredible acting skills. He learnt about his Jewish origin on the PBS series Finding Your Roots. He is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family. He has won two Academy Awards, Golden Globe and three Drama Desk Awards.
4. Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His mother was a Jewish immigrant from Russia. He is known for immersing himself in his character, which has made him well-recognized in the entertainment industry. He is known for the 2019 film Joker which got him the Academy Award for Best Actor. His famous films include Gladiator, Napoleon and Walk the Line.
5. Lior Raz
Lior Raz is also among the Jewish Hollywood actors who have made a name for themselves in the industry. He was born in Jerusalem, Israel. His famous films include The Real Fauda, The Flood and Policeman.
6. Harrison Ford
Another actor on the list of Jewish actors is Harrison Ford. He comes from a family of actors. His mother Dorothy was a former actress, and his father Christopher was an advertising executive and former actor. He is known for his notable roles in movies like Frantic, Witness and The Age of Adaline.
7. Oded Fehr
Oded Fehr is one of the best Jewish actors in Hollywood. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israeli. Oded is known for his incredible performance in films like Resident Evil, The Mummy and White Chambler.
8. Paul Newman
Paul Newman was an actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist and entrepreneur. He was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States of America. His father was of Jewish-German descent. Paul Newman received many awards before he died on 26 September 2008.
9. Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd is known for films like Clueless, I Love You Man and Ant-Man. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey, United States of America. He is one of the most famous Jewish actors who have won awards like the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a comedy series. He was raised by Jewish parents.
10. Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler is a Jewish comedic performer best known for films like The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. His comedic talent has made him highly recognised in Hollywood and worldwide. Before his breakthrough in Hollywood, he was a comedian and regular cast member of Saturday Night Live.
11. Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal was born in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. His mother is Jewish. He made his acting debut in the 1991 comedy-drama City Stickers. His parents worked in Hollywood as directors and screenwriters, and his sister Maggie Gyllenhaal is an outstanding actress.
12. Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen was born in Vancouver, Canada, to a Jewish family of Ukrainian-Russian origin. He is recognised for films like Pam & Tommy, Preacher and Platonic. He is also a comedian and filmmaker. Seth Rogen started his acting career at 12 when he attended Mark Pooley’s comedy workshop class.
13. Jack Black
Jack Black is a multi-talented personality. He was born on 28 August 1969 to a Jewish mother and a protestant father who later converted to Judaism. Aside from his acting career, he is also a famous songwriter and comedian. He is known for his appearance in High Fidelity, King Kong and Tropic Thunder.
14. David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer has gained recognition worldwide due to his career. He began acting at Beverly Hills High School. He came into the limelight following his role as Ross Geller in the popular sitcom, Friends which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance. His parents, Arthur and Arlene Coleman, raised him in a Jewish family.
15. Jason Segel
Jason Segel is also among the Jewish male actors making it big in Hollywood. He is a renowned comedian, author, producer, screenwriter and singer-songwriter. He is known for his comedic role on CBS's How I Met Your Mother. His father, Alvin Segel, is a lawyer. He is of Jewish descent through his father.
16. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
He is highly recognised for his role in Angels in the Outfield. Joseph Gordon has received ten award nominations for his role in Inception. He joined the entertainment industry at an early age. Joseph played the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz at age 4. He has played a role in Don Jon, Knives Out and Premium Rush. He is of Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity.
17. Sean Penn
Sean Penn has appeared in popular Hollywood films like Family Guy, The Gunman and Sound Of Sun. He gained recognition for his role in the 1982 high school comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He is a recipient of two Academy Awards. Sean Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
18. Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield is known for playing Peter Parker in The Amazing Spiderman film. He has won awards like BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Tony awards. He studied at the Centre for Speech and Drama at the University of London. His famous films include Hacksaw Ridge and Mainstream. He is Jewish from his father's side.
19. Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe is famous for playing the role of Harry Potter in the landmark Harry Potter film franchise. The role earned him multiple Teen Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards, and National Movie Award for Best Male Performer in 2007. He has been in the entertainment industry since he was ten years. He was born to a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father.
20. Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller was born in New York City, New York, United States of America. He is well-known for The Ben Stiller Comedy Show. He comes from a family of performers. His mother, Anne Meara, was an American comedian and actress, and his father, Jerry Stiller, was a comedian and filmmaker. His most well-known films include Zoolander, Heavyweights and Tropic Thunder.
21. Miles Teller
Miles Teller is known for his notable roles in popular films like The Spectacular Now and Only The Brave. His performance in The Spectacular Now earned him a Dramatic Special Jury Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Miles Teller has Jewish roots from his paternal grandfather, who was of Russian-Ukrainian descent.
22. Shia LaBeouf
He is known for his role as Louis in the Disney series Even Stevens, which made him the winner of an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in 2003. He is recognized for films like Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He is also a filmmaker and performance artist. He has Jewish roots from his mother, Shayna Saide.
23. Andy Samberg
He was born in Berkeley, California, United States of America. He is known for popularising Saturday Night Live’s Digital Shorts while a cast member from 2005 to 2012. He is also known as one of the comedy groups called The Lonely Island. His famous films include Palm Springs and That’s My Boy. He was born and raised in a Jewish family by his parents, Marjorie and Joe.
24. Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role as Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film, The Social Network. He has also starred in films like Now You See Me, Zombieland and The Squid and the Whale. He made his first television appearance when he was 16 on Fox’s Get Real.
25. Zac Efron
Zac Efron, whose paternal grandfather was Jewish, rose to fame for playing the role of Troy Bolton in High School Musical and won a Bravo Otto Award in 2010 for Best Male TV Star. He also voiced the lead character Ted in the 2012 animated film, The Lorax. He launched a television series, Down to Earth with Zac Efron, in 2020.
26. Bob Saget
Bob Saget was born in a Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America. Though he died on 9 January 2022, he is still remembered for his notable roles in several Hollywood films. His famous films include Dirty Work, Entourage and Full House. He is also the voice behind future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother.
27. Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis is a Canadian actor and writer. He rose to fame when he performed Memorable Impressions on Canada's Second City Television. He is also known for his incredible work in The Flintstones, Ghostbusters and Spaceballs. He was born and raised in a family that practices the Jewish faith.
28. Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody was born on 14 April 1973 in Queens, New York, United States of America. The celebrity who attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art won an Oscar in 2003 for his role in The Pianist. He is the first performer under thirty to win an Oscar Award. Adrien's father is of Polish-Jewish descent, and his mother is a catholic believer.
29. Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria is behind several voices in The Simpsons, including Moe Szyslak, Carl Carlson and Chief Wiggum. His film credits include Mystery Men, Along Came Polly and Hello Tomorrow.
30. Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman joined the entertainment industry at an early age. He started being recognised as a young actor at three, starring in The Goonies and Stand by Me. He was born in Reseda, California and raised a Jew.
Hollywood is filled with talented Jewish actors doing a fantastic job in the entertainment industry. These performers portray various characters, earning many prestigious awards, including Academy Awards, Oscars and Golden Globe Awards.
Legit.ng recently published an article about 20 fat cartoon characters with larger-than-life personalities. Fat cartoon characters wow viewers due to their personalities and the entertainment they bring on screen. They are adorable, and viewers can't help but love them.
Fat cartoon characters are captivating, whether in the way they talk, walk or relate with people around them. Their personality leaves a lasting impression on viewers. These characters include Pumbaa from The Lion King, Peter Griffin and Shrek.
Source: Legit.ng