10 surprising Latinx stars© Getty Images

10 Celebrities you didn't know were Latinx


JANUARY 17, 2019 5:40 PM EST
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Gina Torres

Gina Torres

Cuban-American actress Gina Torres was born in New York and grew up in the Bronx. She's had a prestigious Hollywood career and next up, she's slated to star in Pearson, the highly-anticipated Suits spinoff 

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Aubrey Plaza

There are some celebrities that you know are Latinx. Take, for example, Gina Rodriguez and Lin-Manuel Miranda. These two are beeming with that Latinx – glow. But you'd be surprised to learn just how many Latinx celebrities are making their mark in Hollywood. Scroll to learn who else has some Latinx in their genes.

Aubrey Plaza

That's right. Aubrey Plaza (or April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation) has some Latinx in her blood. The 34-year-old starlet is of Irish-English descent from her mother's side and Puerto Rican from her father's side. Last year, the actress called out the Oscars while accepting a National Hispanic Impact Award. She highlighted the fact that no Latinx actress has won the best actress award. 

“I’m going to accept the leading best actress award on behalf of the Oscars ceremony because I heard a fun fact tonight that I never knew before, which is that no Latina actress has ever won best actress at the Oscars,” Aubrey said. “Ever. So I’m going to accept that tonight to manifest that energy.”

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Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson was born in Los Angeles, California to an Afro-Panamanian father and a mother with European and Mexican ancestry. The Afro-Latinx actress has quickly become Hollywood's "It girl," starring in some of the industry's biggest blockbusters, including Creed and Thor: Ragnarok

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Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne

Annabella Avery "Bella" Thorne went from Disney star to cool chic who pushes the envelope, especially when it comes to fashion. But before her rise to stardom, she was just a small town girl from Pembroke Pines, Florida who comes from both Italian and Cuban descent.

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Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt was born to a Peruvian mother and a German/English father. The result? A smooth talking Latinx actor that starred in our favorite RomCom of the 2000s: Miss Congeniality.

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Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars

You know he's a multi-Grammy Award-winning artist, but did you also know that Bruno Mars is part Puerto Rican? The Uptown Funk singer was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to a Puerto Rican father. His mother was Filipino with some Spanish ancestry.

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Fergie

Fergie

The Black Eyed Peas singer has a little bit of everything in her blood. She's English, Irish, Scottish, Native American and Mexican. "I’m really just a mixed mutt, " Fergie told PEOPLE. "Our great, great grandmother was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and [then there’s] all the Scottish and Irish parts."

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Joanna Garcia

Joanna Garcia

You may recognize Joanna Garcia from Reba or Once Upon a Time. The 39-year-old actress was born in Tampa, Florida and is of Cuban descent. 

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Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o was born in Mexico City, Mexico. The Black Panther actress then moved to Kenya, but eventually returned to her Latin roots to learn Spanish. “I was born in Mexico because my father was teaching at a school in Mexico City,”  she told CNN en Español. "And when I was 16, I returned to Mexico to learn Spanish. I lived in Taxco, Guerrero and attended the UNAM, the Education Center for Foreigners. [I] lived there for seven months, and I loved it.” 

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Odette Annable

Odette Annable

The stunning Odette Annable was born in Los Angeles, California to a Colombian father and Cuban mother. Since then, she's risen to stardom, starring in hit movies and shows, including Cloverfield, House and Supergirl