Croatia might be a small country, but its influence stretches far beyond the Adriatic coast. From Hollywood to science, sports to music, many world-renowned figures have Croatian heritage – some of whom you probably never guessed!
Whether through family roots, birthplace, or ancestry, these 10 famous people carry a Croatian connection that’s part of their remarkable story.
1. John Malkovich
The Oscar-nominated actor paternal grandparents were Croatian immigrants from the vicinity of Ozalj; his other ancestry includes English, Scottish, French, and German descent.
2. Eric Bana
Eric Martin Andrew Banadinović AM (born 9 August 1968), known professionally as Eric Bana is an Australian actor. He began his career in the sketch-comedy series Full Frontal before gaining notice in the comedy drama The Castle (1997) and the biographical crime film Chopper (2000). Eric was born on 9 August 1968 in Melbourne, Victoria. His father Ivan was Croatian, born in Zagreb, and worked as a logistics manager for Caterpillar Inc., and his German mother, Eleanor, was a hairdresser, originally from near Mannheim in Germany. He has one older brother, Anthony. He has stated: “I have always been proud of my origin, which had a big influence on my upbringing. I have always been in the company of people of European origin.
3. Jenna Elfman
Jenna Elfman has Croatian heritage through her father, Richard Gregory Butala. Her paternal grandfather emigrated from Croatia, specifically from the Karlovac region, to the United States. She was born Jennifer Mary Butala and is known for her role as Dharma in the sitcom “Dharma & Greg“.
4. Frederic Enrico Rossovich
Born August 28, 1957, Frederic Enrico Rossovich is an American actor. Rossovich began acting in the early 1980s, first gaining recognition for portraying Ron “Slider” Kerner in the 1986 film Top Gun.
Rossovich has Croatian and Italian ancestry; his mother’s family originates from the Tuscany region of Italy, while his father’s family comes from Istria, Croatia.
5. Lorde
Lorde is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor was born on 7 November 1996in Takapuna, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, to poet Sonja Yelich (Croatian: Jelić) and civil engineer Vic O’Connor. Her mother was born to Croatian immigrants from the region of Dalmatia, while her father is of Irish descent.
6. Werner Herzog
The Iconic German director was born Werner Stipetić in Munich, German Reich, on 5 September 1942, the son of Elisabeth Stipetić and Dietrich Herzog. His mother was Austrian with Croatian ancestry, while his father was German. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusual talents in obscure fields, or individuals in conflict with nature.
7. Johnny Mercer
Johhny Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallichs.
Mercer’s father, George Anderson Mercer, was a prominent attorney and real-estate developer. Mercer’s mother, Lillian Elizabeth (née Ciucevich), was the daughter of a Croatian immigrant father and a mother with Irish ancestry.
8. Krist Novoselić
The bassist and co-founder of Nirvana has strong Croatian heritage. His parents, Kristo Novoselić and Marija Mustać, were Croatian immigrants. His father, Kristo, was from the island of Iž, while his mother, Marija, was from Privlaka near Zadar. Kristo’s original surname was Novaselić, but it was mistakenly changed to Novoselic when he was applying for a passport. Krist Novoselić even spent time in Zadar, Croatia, during his youth.
9. Guy Mitchell
The celebrated American singer became universally known since 1956 when his song Singing the Blues became the most popular in the USA.
His real name was Albert George Crnić, and both of his parents were from Croatia. His father Albert was born in the town of Mrkopalj in Gorski kotar (a part of Croatia), who as a young man arrived to the USA, working in Detroit. Guy Mithcell’s mother Mary Dobrotinić was born in St. Louis, and both of her parents are from the town of Bribir near the Croatian coast.
10. Tony Butala
He was the lead singer of the vocal group The Lettermen since 1958, although he has been retired since 2019. Butala is the last surviving of the original three members. The Lettermen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 2020.
Butala was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, of Croatian descent, the eighth of eleven children of Mary Ann (Ference) and John George Butala.
