Celebrities born in places that are no longer the places they were when the celebrity was born there

bienville · #1 11-19-2009, 07:44 AM

In a recent Thread, someone linked to Topol's Wiki Page and I did a double-take seeing his place of birth listed as Tel Aviv, British Mandate of Palestine.

Yes, it made sense on the double-take, but it tripped a double-take nonetheless since I am only used to seeing "British Mandate of Palestine" in an historical context. (Yes, I suppose Topol's birth is "historical", but the discussion was about the current guy.)

So, what other celebrities were born places that no longer exist?

To arbitrarily narrow the list*:

People currently alive and preferably active in their field- again this Thread was inspired by the still professionally active Topol, he'll be our model.
Leave out Political figures, just because, in the nature of changes of government/country name, those active through the change tend to become "political celebrities" by default. Just seems that allowing political figures broadens the discussion such as to change the nature of the Thread as intended by the OP.
Focus on Celebrities who have done some noteworthy work in English language projects. It seems there would probably be a lot of German actors who were born in East Germany, there are probably lots of Czech actors who were born in Czechoslovakia. So, again, it seems to broaden the discussion quite a bit.

To start the ball rolling, both singers of the duo pop group t.A.T.u were born in The Soviet Union.

*Parameters set to narrow the list are entirely arbitrary, if pressed I can't defend the parameters with any great passion, should those responding think my arbitrarty parameters are nonsense, feel free ignore them.

Marley23 · #2 11-19-2009, 08:49 AM

This appiles to plenty of Eastern European athletes. (And other Eastern Europeans but that goes without saying.) Martina Navratilova was born in Prague, which was part of Czechoslovakia but is now in the Czech Republic. Monica Seles was born in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia, and today that's in Serbia. And since you mentioned the Soviet Union, I realized Maria Sharapova was born there.

Edit: Oh, and Bruce Willis was born in West Germany.

Biffy the Elephant Shrew · #3 11-19-2009, 08:57 AM

Steppenwolf singer John Kay was born in Tilsit, East Prussia, which is now part of Russia.

Tapioca Dextrin · #4 11-19-2009, 09:19 AM

NFL player Ben Ishola was born in West Berlin

Sen. John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone

Krokodil · #5 11-19-2009, 09:44 AM

Gene Simmons of KISS has stated in numerous interviews that he was born in Palestine, pre-Israel. This is contradicted by his Wikipedia and IMDB entries (which list different cities as his birthplace), but on this matter I would tend to believe him.

Tapioca Dextrin · #6 11-19-2009, 09:52 AM

Chow Yung-Fat was born in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong

astorian · #7 11-19-2009, 10:04 AM

Any number of famous golfers (Nick Price, for one) were born in Rhodesia, which became Zimbabwe years ago.

Freddy Mercury was born in Zanzibar, which later merged with Tanganyika to become Tanzania.

astorian · #8 11-19-2009, 10:07 AM

What about Anglo-indians like Julie Christie? She was born to an English family in what's now India, before Indian independence.

bienville · #9 11-19-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krokodil

Gene Simmons of KISS has stated in numerous interviews that he was born in Palestine, pre-Israel. This is contradicted by his Wikipedia and IMDB entries (which list different cities as his birthplace), but on this matter I would tend to believe him.

Hmmmm, what does he offer as his birth year? Although wiki and imdb give different cities*, they both give his date of birth as August 1949. Unless he's suggesting he's older than they say he is, seems he was born in Israel.

*wiki says Haifa, imdb says Tirat Carmel. Maybe wiki is listing the larger city for more widely recognized reference while imdb is going for closer accuracy. Although, wiki says that Tirat Carmel became a city in 1992- so maybe Gene qualifies for the Thread after all.

Dewey Finn · #10 11-19-2009, 11:20 AM

Barry Goldwater was born in the Arizona Territory.

bienville · #11 11-19-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dewey Finn

Barry Goldwater was born in the Arizona Territory.

Wow! That's a great "Totally-Makes-Sense-Once-You-Think-About-It-But-When-First-Hearing-It-You're-Like-'Whahhh?'" example.

Dewey Finn · #12 11-19-2009, 12:10 PM

If you like that, Daniel Inouye (senator from Hawaii) was born in the Hawaiian Territory.

Push You Down · #13 11-19-2009, 12:29 PM

....so we CAN use political figures because I thought the OP said....

Oh...."nonsense."

Dewey Finn · #14 11-19-2009, 12:33 PM

Sorry. In that case, how about Don Ho?

TreacherousCretin · #15 11-19-2009, 12:42 PM

The title of this thread is fun to read out loud.

.

obfusciatrist · #16 11-19-2009, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biffy the Elephant Shrew

Steppenwolf singer John Kay was born in Tilsit, East Prussia, which is now part of Russia.

Also the birthplace of Armin Mueller-Stahl.

mbh · #17 11-19-2009, 01:19 PM

Mira Furlan, who played Delenn on Babylon 5, was born in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, which is now Zagreb, Croatia.

Lute Skywatcher · #18 11-19-2009, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marley23

Oh, and Bruce Willis was born in West Germany.

As were three current baseball players and one manager. One player, most recently with a Twins farm team last year, was born in South Vietnam.

Bryan Ekers · #19 11-19-2009, 02:11 PM

Do people born in Leningrad count?

dhkendall · #20 11-19-2009, 02:13 PM

"In Soviet Russia, dead countries are born in comedians!"

Morbo · #21 11-19-2009, 06:08 PM

Chang and Eng Bunker, born in Siam.

Sampiro · #22 11-19-2009, 07:48 PM

Victoria Principal claims to have been born the first child of American parents in Occupied Japan (which though it wasn't the actual name is how it was referred to then on some merchandise and on some maps). Some dispute her saying that either she was born before 1950 as she claims or she was not the first child born of American parents there, but she was born in Occupied Japan.

(Don't know if this counts, but several entertainers from Mississippi and Louisiana grew up in areas that were pretty much destroyed by Katrina and the buildings associated with their childhoods are not there anymore.)

Sampiro · #23 11-19-2009, 08:54 PM

Goran Visnjic (Dr. Luka from ER) "was born in the Dalmatian coastal city of Šibenik, Yugoslavia, now Croatia".

Elie Wiesel was born in the 20,000 person Jewish ghetto of Sighet village in Transylvania, then part of the Kingdom of Romania. The Kingdom of Romania ceased to exist when the last monarch (Michael) abdicated in 1947, Transylvania's borders have changed several times, Sighet's name has been changed to Sighetu Marmaţiei and the Jewish population is about 21 (which for perspective is only slightly more than the number of former synagogues that still stand in the city).

installLSC · #24 11-19-2009, 09:03 PM

There are a number of musicians born in the former USSR: Katie Melua, Regina Spektor, and Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello.
Noted Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent was born in Newfoundland when it was still a self governing British colony.