You would not believe these world-famous celebrities have Hungarian origins

It might not be obvious that some stars are of Hungarian origins, as their names are far from being Hungarian. However, many Hollywood stars and other world-famous celebrities are the descendants of Hungarians. Here is a list of some celebrities who have Hungarian ancestry.

Hungarian origins

Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein is an American fashion designer who founded the Calvin Klein Inc. company in 1968. He is best known for his clothing lines, including his iconic jeans and underwear collections, as well as his fragrances. As Hamu és Gyémánt notes, his name does not sound Hungarian, it has a German ring to it. However, he is, in fact, also connected to our small country, as his father Leo Klein was born in Hungary. Calvin Klein was born and raised in New York.

Rachel Weisz

Rachel Weisz is an actress known for her versatile performances in film, television, and theatre. She gained widespread recognition for her roles in various critically acclaimed movies. She starred in films such as Definitely, Maybe (2008), The Bourne Legacy (2012) and Black Widow (2021). Not many know that the actress has Hungarian blood flowing in her veins from her father’s side. Her father, György Weisz, was an engineer and inventor of Hungarian descent. The family fled to England in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution, and the actress was born there in 1970.

Peter Falk

Peter Falk was an American actor, best known for his iconic role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series “Columbo.” Aside from “Columbo,” Falk appeared in many notable films, including “Pocketful of Miracles” (1961), “The Great Race” (1965), “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974), and “Wings of Desire” (1987), among others. Falk was born in 1927 to American accountant parents. However, the family is of Eastern European-Jewish descent, including Czech and Russian. His maternal grandfather, Peter Hochhauser, was born in Budapest.

Drew Barrymore

As we wrote HERE earlier, Drew Barrymore’s mother, Ildikó Makó, was born in a camp for Hungarian refugees post-WWII. Later, she moved to the USA in hopes of a glamorous acting career. Thus, she changed her name to Jaid. Drew Barrymore was born in 1975 and she became an actress as well. She gained fame as a child actress for her role in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), playing Gertie. In addition, she is also known for her performances in a variety of genres, including romantic comedies, dramas, and thrillers.