Actors You Probably Didn’t Know Were White

Sometimes an actor’s last name, birthplace, or bilingual background leads people to assume they’re from a non-European racial group when their documented ancestry is European. The performers below have family histories rooted in Europe even if their careers and public images often highlight broader cultural identities. Each entry includes straightforward biographical facts such as birthplace, parents, and heritage to give clear context.

Rita Hayworth

Born Margarita Carmen Cansino in New York City in 1918, she was the daughter of a Spanish flamenco dancer, Eduardo Cansino, and an American mother, Volga Hayworth, of Irish and English ancestry. Early in her career she adopted her mother’s surname and changed her hairline to downplay perceptions that she was not European. Publicity materials later emphasized her Irish and English roots alongside her Spanish heritage. She remained a U.S.-born actress of European descent throughout her career.

Cameron Diaz

She was born in San Diego to Emilio Diaz, a Cuban American of Spanish ancestry, and Billie Early, who has English, German, and Scots-Irish roots. Diaz has often spoken about her Cuban family background while also noting her European lineage. She grew up in Southern California and began modeling as a teenager before moving into films. Her ancestry places her within the white Latino category common among Cuban and Spanish-descended families.

Alexis Bledel

Born in Houston, she was raised speaking Spanish at home by parents who had lived in Argentina and Mexico. Her father is Argentinian of European heritage and her mother, though born in the United States, spent much of her youth in Mexico within a family of European descent. Bledel holds American nationality with a culturally Latin upbringing. Biographically she is a white Latina with roots in Spanish-speaking countries.

Ana de Armas

She was born in Havana and moved to Madrid as a young adult, obtaining Spanish citizenship through her grandparents. De Armas’s family background traces to Spain, and she began her screen career in Spanish-language productions. After establishing herself in Spain, she transitioned to English-language roles in the United States. Her heritage reflects European ancestry despite a Cuban birthplace.

Andy García

Born in Havana, he emigrated to Miami with his family after the Cuban Revolution. His parents were business owners of Spanish-descended Cuban heritage, a group historically classified as white within Cuba’s census categories. García built his career in American film while maintaining ties to Cuban culture. His documented ancestry is European through Spanish roots.

Martin Sheen

He was born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez in Ohio to a Galician Spanish father and an Irish mother. Early in his career he adopted “Martin Sheen” as a stage name while keeping Estévez legally. His family history is firmly European on both sides. The Spanish-language birth name often surprises people who learn his ancestry is Irish and Spanish European.

Emilio Estevez

Born in New York City, he is the son of Martin Sheen and has Irish and Galician Spanish ancestry. Estevez chose to keep the family’s original Spanish surname professionally. He grew up in a multilingual, culturally mixed household typical of many Irish-Spanish American families. His heritage is European on both paternal and maternal lines.

Charlie Sheen

Born Carlos Irwin Estévez in New York, he shares the same Irish and Galician Spanish ancestry as his brother and father. He adopted “Charlie Sheen” for his stage name early in his career. Public documents and family biographies consistently cite European roots. The Spanish birth name sometimes leads to assumptions that differ from his documented heritage.

Lynda Carter

She was born in Phoenix to an Irish American father and a mother of Mexican heritage with Spanish ancestry. Carter has frequently referenced her Mexican family while also noting her European roots. She represented the United States in international pageants before moving into television. Her background places her within the white Latina category common to many Mexican families of Spanish descent.

Pedro Pascal

Born in Santiago, he left Chile as a child when his family received political asylum and settled in the United States. His parents are Chilean with documented European ancestry, including Spanish roots common in Chile’s population. Pascal trained in American performing arts schools and built his career in U.S. television and film. His heritage is tied to European migration to Latin America.

Oscar Isaac

He was born in Guatemala City to a Guatemalan mother and a Cuban father, both with European family lines. Isaac moved to the United States as a child and later attended the Juilliard School. Official biographies describe a Latin American upbringing alongside European ancestry. His background fits the white Latino category often used for families of Spanish and other European descent in Guatemala and Cuba.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Born in Miami, she spent her early years in Buenos Aires before moving to London. Her father is Argentine-British with Scottish and Spanish family lines, and her mother has Spanish and English ancestry. Taylor-Joy holds multiple national connections through birth and upbringing. Her documented heritage is entirely European despite her Latin American childhood.

Diego Luna

He was born in Mexico City to a set designer father of European Mexican background and a British mother. Luna’s family history reflects Mexico’s long Spanish and European immigration patterns. He began acting in Mexican productions before expanding to international film. His ancestry is European on both sides, including Spanish and English roots.

Gael García Bernal

Born in Guadalajara, he is the son of Mexican actors with family histories tied to European migration to Mexico. His early career included Mexican telenovelas and theater before international films. Biographical profiles note Spanish and other European ancestry in his family. He represents the many Mexican families whose heritage traces to Europe.

Eiza González

She was born in Mexico City and trained at Mexican performing arts schools before working in telenovelas. González’s family background is Mexican with European ancestry, including Spanish roots common in central Mexico. She later transitioned to roles in U.S. productions. Her documented heritage places her within Mexico’s European-descended population.

Penélope Cruz

Born in Alcobendas, Spain, she comes from a Spanish family with deep roots in the Madrid region. Cruz trained in classical dance before beginning a film career in Spanish cinema. Her move to international productions brought wider attention to Spanish performers. As a Spaniard, her ancestry is European.

Javier Bardem

He was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to a family of Spanish actors and filmmakers. Bardem’s heritage is Spanish European, and he comes from a long line of performers on his mother’s side. He gained prominence in Spain before expanding to international work. His background reflects Spain’s European cultural and familial networks in film.

Antonio Banderas

Born in Málaga, Spain, he studied drama and rose through Spanish theater and cinema before moving into Hollywood. Banderas comes from a Spanish European family with roots in Andalusia. He has frequently collaborated with Spanish directors while working internationally. His ancestry is European as a native Spaniard.

Cameron Boyce

Born in Los Angeles, he had a mother of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and a father from a family identified as African American and Caribbean with European lineage. Boyce often discussed his multicultural background along with documented European ancestry through his maternal line. He worked in film and television from a young age. His family history illustrates complex American identities that include European roots.

Sofía Vergara

She was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, to a family of European-descended Colombians, including Spanish and Italian ancestry. Vergara began as a model and TV host in Latin America before building a U.S. acting career. Her biographies consistently note European family lines common on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. She is a white Latina by ancestry while strongly associated with Colombian culture.

Paz Vega

Born in Seville, Spain, she comes from a Spanish family with roots in Andalusia. Vega studied at the Centro Andaluz de Teatro before moving into national television. Her breakout in Spanish cinema led to international roles in English and Spanish. As a Spaniard, her ancestry is European.

Elsa Pataky

She was born in Madrid to a Spanish mother and a father with Romanian and Hungarian family lines. Pataky trained at the CEU San Pablo University and worked in Spanish television before film. She later expanded her career to international productions. Her background is European through Spanish and Eastern European ancestry.

Maribel Verdú

Born in Madrid, she began acting as a teenager in Spanish television and films. Verdú built a sustained career across Spanish and international projects. Her family history is rooted in Spain, reflecting European ancestry. She is widely recognized for roles in Spanish-language cinema.

Blanca Suárez

She was born in Madrid and studied at King Juan Carlos University. Suárez gained attention through Spanish TV series before transitioning to film. Her family background is Spanish with European roots. She continues to work primarily in Spain and other European markets.

Adriana Ugarte

Born in Madrid, she studied philosophy while starting her acting career. Ugarte earned national recognition through Spanish television dramas. Her family heritage is Spanish European. She has continued to balance television and film work in Spain.

Cote de Pablo

Born María José de Pablo in Santiago, Chile, she moved to the United States during childhood. She trained at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. Her parents are Chilean with documented European ancestry common in Chile. She built a television career in the U.S. while maintaining Chilean ties.

Alice Braga

She was born in São Paulo to a family active in Brazilian film and theater. Braga’s ancestry includes Portuguese and Italian lines common in southeastern Brazil. She began acting in Brazilian productions before moving to international roles. Her background reflects European migration to Brazil.

Rodrigo Santoro

Born in Petrópolis, Brazil, he has family roots tracing to Portuguese and Italian immigrants. Santoro started in Brazilian television and progressed to international films. He has worked across Portuguese- and English-language projects. His ancestry is European through Brazil’s long history of immigration.

Wagner Moura

He was born in Salvador, Bahia, and studied journalism before acting. Moura’s family heritage in Brazil includes Portuguese lines typical of the Northeast and Southeast. He established himself in Brazilian cinema and international series. Biographically he is part of Brazil’s European-descended population.

Camila Mendes

Born in Virginia to Brazilian parents, she grew up speaking Portuguese at home. Her family background is Brazilian with Portuguese ancestry. Mendes studied at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts before booking American television roles. She identifies culturally with Brazil while having European lineage.

Diego Boneta

He was born in Mexico City and holds Mexican and American nationality. Boneta’s family history includes Spanish and other European ancestry. He began in Mexican television before moving into U.S. projects. His career spans Spanish- and English-language productions.

Luisana Lopilato

Born in Buenos Aires, she entered acting and modeling as a child. Lopilato’s ancestry reflects Argentina’s European immigration, including Italian roots. She built a television and film career across Argentina and international markets. Her background is European through her family lines.

Lali Espósito

She was born in Buenos Aires and launched her career in children’s television. Espósito’s family heritage in Argentina includes Spanish and Italian ancestry. She later transitioned to leading roles in TV and film while pursuing music. Her documented roots trace to Europe through Argentine immigration waves.

TINI

Born in Buenos Aires, she trained in performance from a young age. Stoessel comes from an Argentine family with European ancestry common in the capital region. She moved from television to film and music internationally. Her background reflects Argentina’s Spanish and Italian migration history.

Karla Souza

She was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and Chilean mother. Souza’s family background includes European ancestry present in both countries. She trained in acting in Mexico and Europe before building a career in the United States. Her biography reflects Latin American upbringing with European roots.

Kate del Castillo

Born in Mexico City, she is the daughter of Mexican actor Eric del Castillo. Her family heritage includes Spanish ancestry documented in Mexico’s historical records. She established herself in Mexican television before expanding to international productions. Her background ties to Europe through longstanding Spanish migration.

Aislinn Derbez

She was born in Mexico City into a family active in entertainment. Derbez’s ancestry includes European lines common in central Mexico. She studied visual arts and acting before taking on film and television roles. Her career spans Mexican and U.S. projects.

Ana Brenda Contreras

Born in McAllen, Texas, and raised in Mexico, she began her career in Mexican television. Contreras’s family background is Mexican with European ancestry typical of northern and central regions. She later moved into film and bilingual roles. Her work reflects a cross-border upbringing with European roots.

Belén Rueda

She was born in Madrid and began as a television presenter before acting. Rueda’s family history is Spanish with deep roots in the Madrid area. She transitioned to film and became a fixture in Spanish cinema. Her ancestry is European through her Spanish lineage.

Paz Padilla

Born in Cádiz, Spain, she started in comedy and television before acting roles. Padilla’s family background is Andalusian with European roots. She has appeared in Spanish films and series while hosting and performing on stage. Her biography reflects Spain’s cultural and European heritage.

Share your thoughts below and tell us which surprising backgrounds we should cover next in the comments.