10 Hollywood Celebrities with Russian Roots

And there are countless actors and actresses whose roots stem from either Russia or former Soviet republics.

Here's a list of 10 Hollywood stars with Russian roots:

Natalie Portman: Her mother is of partial Russian ancestry. Portman's parents moved to Jerusalem (where she was born) from Kishinev, Moldova.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leonardo DiCaprio: His maternal grandparents were Russian immigrants. Perhaps that influenced the actor's decision to play famed Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin in an upcoming movie.

 

 

  

 

 

 

Mila Kunis: She is a Ukrainian-born actress who speaks fluent Russian. Her full name is Milena Markovna Kunis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa Kudrow: Her ancestors were of Belarusian descent. The name Kudrow means "curly hair” in Belarussian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harrison Ford: His maternal grandparents were immigrants from Belarus, when it was part of the Russian Empire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yul Brynner: Brynner, whose original name was Yuliy Borisovich Briner, was born in Vladivostok, Russia. A statue of him stands in the city with an inscription that reads: "Yul Brynner—king of theater and film”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natalie Wood: Born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko, Wood’s parents were immigrants from Russia. She also spoke Russian, and once stated, "I'm very Russian, you know."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joan Rivers: Born to Russian immigrants, Rivers' given name was Joan Alexandra Molinsky.

 

 

 

 

 

Milla Jovovich: Milica Nastasha Jovovich, the actress and model, was born in Kiev, Ukraine, when it was part of the Soviet Union. She, too, speaks Russian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Douglas: His famous father Kirk, whose original full name was Issur Danielovich-Demsky, is of Belarussian ancestry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RIA Novosti