# Celebrities born in places that are no longer the places they were when the celebrity was born there **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141 "2009-11-19T12:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/1 "2009-11-19T12:44:50Z")
In a recent Thread, someone linked to [Topol’s Wiki Page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_Topol) 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\*: [ul] [li]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.[/li][li]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.[/li][li]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.[/ul][/li]To start the ball rolling, both singers of the duo pop group [t.A.T.u](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/2 "2009-11-19T13:49:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/3 "2009-11-19T13:57:28Z")
Steppenwolf singer John Kay was born in Tilsit, East Prussia, which is now part of Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/4 "2009-11-19T14:19:15Z")
NFL player [Ben Ishola](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Ishola) was born in West Berlin [Sen. John McCain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain) was born in the Panama Canal Zone ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/5 "2009-11-19T14:44:52Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/6 "2009-11-19T14:52:44Z")
[Chow Yung-Fat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain) was born in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/7 "2009-11-19T15:04:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/8 "2009-11-19T15:07:09Z")
What about Anglo-indians like Julie Christie? She was born to an English family in what’s now India, before Indian independence. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/9 "2009-11-19T16:11:32Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/10 "2009-11-19T16:20:02Z")
Barry Goldwater was born in the Arizona Territory. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/11 "2009-11-19T16:30:44Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/12 "2009-11-19T17:10:39Z")
If you like that, Daniel Inouye (senator from Hawaii) was born in the Hawaiian Territory. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/13 "2009-11-19T17:29:46Z")
…so we CAN use political figures because I thought the OP said… Oh…“nonsense.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/14 "2009-11-19T17:33:02Z")
Sorry. In that case, how about Don Ho? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/15 "2009-11-19T17:42:24Z")
The title of this thread is fun to read out loud. . ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/16 "2009-11-19T17:43:21Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/17 "2009-11-19T18:19:12Z")
Mira Furlan, who played Delenn on _Babylon 5_, was born in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, which is now Zagreb, Croatia. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/18 "2009-11-19T19:04:05Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Oh, and Bruce Willis was born in West Germany. As were [three](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bakerje03.shtml) [current](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jacksed01.shtml) [baseball](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohmanwi01.shtml) players and one [manager](http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/gardero01.shtml). [One](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/graveda01.shtml) player, most recently with a Twins farm team last year, was born in South Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/19 "2009-11-19T19:11:59Z")
Do people born in Leningrad count? ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141/20 "2009-11-19T19:13:32Z")
“In Soviet Russia, dead countries are born in comedians!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-born-in-places-that-are-no-longer-the-places-they-were-when-the-celebrity-was-born-there/518141.md?page=2)