The Hungarian Connection

1. Bela Lugosi

Bela Lugosi was born Béla Ferenc Dezsö Blaskó on October 20, 1882, Lugos, Hungary, Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), to Paula de Vojnich and István Blaskó, a banker. He was the youngest of four children. During WWI, he volunteered and was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant, and was wounded ...

Born as "Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó"; emigrated Hungarian.

2. Peter Lorre

Actor | M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder

Peter Lorre was born László Löwenstein in Rózsahegy in the Slovak area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the son of Hungarian Jewish parents. He learned both Hungarian and German languages from birth, and was educated in elementary and secondary schools in the Austria-Hungary capitol Vienna, but did ...

Born as "László Löwenstein"; emigrated Hungarian.

3. Harry Houdini

Actor | The Man from Beyond

The great American escape artist and magician Houdini (immortalized by a memorable performance by Tony Curtis in the eponymous 1953 film) was born Erich Weiss on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary, though he often gave his birthplace as Appleton, Wisconsin, where he was raised. One of five ...

Born as "Erik Weisz"; emigrated Hungarian.

4. Adolph Zukor

Sullivan's Travels

Adolph Zukor was a poor Hungarian immigrant when he arrived in the United States in 1889. He tried his hand in the fur trade (starting as a sweeper for $2 a week pay) and proved his entrepreneurial acumen by steady advancement, eventually setting up successful businesses in New York and Chicago. By...

Born as "Adolf Zukor"; emigrated Hungarian.

Founder of Paramount Pictures.

5. William Fox

Producer | 7th Heaven

Starting at the age 8 he had a series of jobs before starting his own business in 1900, which was sold to buy a Brooklyn nickelodeon in 1904. As the new owner with an empty house, Fox hired a coin manipulator and a barker to attract patrons into the dark 146-seat theatre. Once audiences adequately ...

Born as "Vilmos Fried"; emigrated Hungarian.

Founder of Fox Films (which merged with 20th Century Pictures in 1935, and is now known as 20th Century Fox).

6. Joe Pasternak

Producer | Peter

The son of an out-of-work bookkeeper, Pasternak arrived in the U.S. from Hungary in 1921. After working in a belt factory in Philadelphia, he moved to New York where he plucked chickens and worked in a cafeteria. Becoming increasingly infatuated with the film business, it didn't take him long to ...

Born as "Paszternák Jakab", emigrated Hungarian.

7. Michael Curtiz

Director | Casablanca

Curtiz began acting in and then directing films in his native Hungary in 1912. After WWI, he continued his filmmaking career in Austria and Germany and into the early 1920s when he directed films in other countries in Europe. Moving to the US in 1926, he started making films in Hollywood for Warner...

Born as "Kaminer Manó", later known as "Mihály Kertész"; emigrated Hungarian.

8. Jolie Gabor

Black Jack

Jolie Gabor was born on September 30, 1896 in Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Budapest, Hungary). She is known for Captain Blackjack (1950), The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) and All Star Revue (1950). She was married to Count Edmond de Szigethy, Peter Howard Christman and Vilmos Gabor. She ...

Born as "Janka Tilleman"; emigrated Hungarian. Mother of Magda, Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

9. Magda Gabor

Actress | Mai lányok

Magda Gabor was born on June 11, 1914 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. She was an actress, known for Mai lányok (1937), Tokaji rapszódia (1937) and The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950). She was married to Tibor Heltai, George Sanders, Tony Gallucci, Sidney R. Warren, William ...

Born as "Magda Gábor"; emigrated Hungarian. Daughter of Jolie Gabor, sister of Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

10. Eva Gabor

Actress | Green Acres

Eva Gabor was born on February 11, 1919 in Budapest, Hungary, to Jolie Gabor (née Janka Tilleman) and Vilmos Gabor (born Farkas Miklós Grün), a soldier. Her older siblings were Magda Gabor, an actress, and Zsa Zsa Gabor, an actress and socialite. Her parents were both from Jewish families. She went...

Born as "Éva Gábor"; emigrated Hungarian. Daughter of Jolie Gabor, sister of Magda and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

11. Zsa Zsa Gabor

Actress | A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Undoubtedly the woman who had come to epitomize what we recognize today as "celebrity," Zsa Zsa Gabor, is better known for her many marriages, personal appearances, her "dahlink" catchphrase, her actions, gossip, and quotations on men, rather than her film career.

Zsa Zsa was born as Sári Gabor on ...

Born as "Sári Gábor"; emigrated Hungarian. Daughter of Jolie Gabor, sister of Magda and Eva Gabor.

12. Vilma Bánky

Actress | The Son of the Sheik

Vilma Bánky appeared in Hungarian, Austrian and French movies between 1920 and 1925, the year in which Samuel Goldwyn signed her, in Budapest, to a Hollywood contract. In Hollywood she was billed as the "The Hungarian Rhapsody". In the mid and late 1920s she was Goldwyn's biggest money maker, ...

Born as "Vilma Koncsics"; emigrated Hungarian. Sister of Viktor Bánky.

13. Viktor Bánky

Director | Bors István

Viktor Bánky was born on January 17, 1899 in Nagydorog, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. Viktor was an editor and director, known for Bors István (1939), Ma, tegnap, holnap (1941) and Boldoggá teszlek (1944). Viktor was married to Panni Kéry and Pókay, Magda. Viktor died on March 13, ...

Born as "Viktor Koncsics"; emigrated Hungarian. Brother of Vilma Bánky.

14. Charles Vidor

Director | Gilda

Hungarian-born Karoly Vidor spent the First World War as a lieutenant in the Austro-Hungarian infantry. Following the armistice, he made his way to Berlin and worked for the German film company Ufa, as editor and assistant director. In 1924, he emigrated to the U.S. and, for several years, earned ...

Born as "Károly Vidor"; emigrated Hungarian.

15. Pál Fejös

Director | The Last Moment

Budapest-born director Paul Fejos first called attention to himself in Kecskemét, Hungary, as a student actor. During World War I he was a soldier in the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and after the war he became a student of chemistry. His artistic inclination, however, drew him to the ...

Born as "Pál Fejős", also known as "Paul Fejos"; emigrated Hungarian.

16. Mártha Eggerth

Actress | La chanson du souvenir

From the day she was born Martha lived in a world of music. For sure her father was a banker but he was also an amateur pianist. As for her mother, she was a housewife but also a very talented opera singer who had given up her career for the joys of matrimony and motherhood. It does not come as a ...

Born as "Márta Eggerth"; emigrated Hungarian.

17. László Kardos

Director | The Man Who Turned to Stone

László Kardos was born on October 8, 1905 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was a director and writer, known for The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957), Dark Streets of Cairo (1940) and Small Town Girl (1953). He was married to Lenka Pasternak. He died on April 11, 1962 in Los Angeles, ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

18. S.Z. Sakall

Actor | Casablanca

Hungarian-born S.Z. Sakall was a veteran of German, Hungarian and British films when he left Europe because of the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi movement. In Hollywood from shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Sakall began appearing in comedies and musicals, often playing a lovable if ...

Born as "Sándor Gärtner", also known as "Jenő Gerő"; emigrated Hungarian.

19. Paul Lukas

Actor | Watch on the Rhine

Oscar-winning actor Paul Lukas was born in Hungary and graduated from the School for Dramatic Arts. In 1916 he went to Kosice (Kassa) to be an actor; in 1918 he became an actor specializing in comedy. For ten years he was the most popular character player and romantic lead of the company. In 1918 ...

Born as "Pál Lukács"; emigrated Hungarian.

20. Joe Eszterhas

Writer | Basic Instinct

Joe Eszterhas was born on November 23, 1944 in Csakanydoroszlo, Hungary. He is a writer and producer, known for Basic Instinct (1992), Showgirls (1995) and Sliver (1993). He has been married to Naomi Baka since July 30, 1994. They have four children. He was previously married to Geraldine Javer.

Born as "Jószef Esterhas"; emigrated Hungarian.

21. Vilmos Zsigmond

Cinematographer | The Black Dahlia

Along with László Kovács, a fellow student who fled Hungary in 1956, Zsigmond rose to prominence in the 1970s. He is known for his use of natural light and vivid use of color on features such as The Long Goodbye (1973) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

Emigrated Hungarian.

22. László Kovács

Cinematographer | Easy Rider

László Kovács was born on May 14, 1933 in Cece, Hungary. He is known for his work on Easy Rider (1969), Five Easy Pieces (1970), Ghostbusters (1984) and Copycat (1995). He won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the ASC in 2002. He was married to Audrey. He died on July 22, 2007 in Beverly Hills, ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

23. Mihaly 'Michu' Meszaros

Actor | Waxwork

Diminutive 2'9" actor and circus performer Mihaly 'Michu' Meszaros was born in 1939 in Budapest, Hungary. Meszaros performed for the Hungarian National Circus prior to coming to America in the 1970s. Not surprisingly, he portrayed circus midgets in both "Big Top Pee-wee" and "Warlock: The ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

24. Gabor Csupo

Writer | Rugrats

Gábor Csupó is a Hungarian animator, film director, and producer. He has had a long career, but he is better known as the co-founder of animation studio Klasky-Csupo, Inc., a graphic design and animation studio based in Hollywood. The other major co-founder was his business partner and wife Arlene ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

25. Endre Hules

Actor | Apollo 13

Endre was born and raised in Hungary. He studied music and acting at the famous Cellar Theatre in Budapest, and started writing plays, composing and directing there at the age of 17. He visited regularly Jerzy Grotowski's Laboratory Theatre in Poland, Eugenio Barba's International School of ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

26. Ava Cadell

Actress | Gigi Does It

Dr. Ava's personal brand is "Sexual Empowerment". She is a media therapist, author of ten books, global speaker and founder of Lovelogy University.

Dr. Ava, has appeared on hundreds of shows including The Doctors (2008), LA Shrinks (2013), Kendra on Top (2012), Cathouse: The Series (2005), and a ...

Born as "Ildikó Éva Csáth"; emigrated Hungarian.

27. Catherine Schell

Actress | On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Born in Budapest, Hungary, her true name is Katherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott, the scion of a once wealthy German patrician family. Her father, the Baron Paul Schell von Bauschlott, was a well-respected diplomat until the Nazis confiscated their estates during WWII, while her mother was ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

28. Miklós László

Writer | The Shop Around the Corner

Miklós László was born on May 5, 1903 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was a writer and actor, known for The Shop Around the Corner (1940), You've Got Mail (1998) and In the Good Old Summertime (1949). He was married to Florence Herrman. He died on April 19, 1973 in New York City, New...

Emigrated Hungarian.

29. Paul von Schell

Self | A Woman and a Half: Hildegard Knef

Born in Budapest, Hungary, his true name is Paul Rudolf Schell von Bauschlott, the scion of a once wealthy German patrician family. His father, the Baron Paul Schell von Bauschlott, was a well-respected diplomat until the Nazis confiscated their estates during WWII, while his mother was Countess ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

30. Käthe von Nagy

Actress | Ich bei Tag und du bei Nacht

Käthe von Nagy wanted to get married at the age of 16, therefore, her parents put her in the Santa Chrisitana Convent, near Vienna. After that, she worked in her father's office and besides started to secretly write short stories for newspapers. In Budapest, she studied acting, dancing and singing,...

Emigrated Hungarian.

31. Steffi Duna

Actress | Anthony Adverse

A vintner's daughter, she was trained as a ballet dancer at the Budapest Opera. While still in her teens, she began on stage in amateur theatricals. By the early 1930s, she performed professionally in Salzburg, Berlin and London, appearing in the plays 'Wonder Bar' and 'Words and Music' (with John ...

Born as "Stefánia Berindey"; emigrated Hungarian.

32. Eva Six

Actress | Beach Party

Eva Six was born in 1937 in Budapest, Hungary. She is an actress, known for Beach Party (1963), Operation Bikini (1963) and 4 for Texas (1963).

Born as "Éva Klein"; emigrated Hungarian.

33. Joe Penner

Actor | College Rhythm

Mostly forgotten today, radio comic Joe Penner was a major craze back in Depression-era 1933 and 1934. There was no heavy social significance to his work and certainly no subtlety -- just a lot of slapstick silliness that helped audiences forget their troubles and get happy.

Born József Pintér in ...

Born as "József Pintér"; emigrated Hungarian.

34. Ilona Massey

Actress | Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

Born on June 16, 1910, sultry, opulent, mole-lipped, Budapest-bred blonde singer/actress Ilona Massey survived an impoverished childhood in Hungary to become a glamorous talent both here and abroad. As a dressmaker's apprentice she managed to scrape up money together for singing lessons and first ...

Born as "Ilona Hajmássy"; emigrated Hungarian.

35. Eva Bartok

Actress | The Crimson Pirate

Eva Bartok was both a beautiful lady and a talented actor whose roots were in classical theater. Her first and only film in Hungary, Mezei próféta (1947) ("Prophet of the Fields"), was banned by communist censorship. Actually her life up to that point had been marked by confusion and ...

Born as "Éva Márta Szőke Ivanovics"; emigrated Hungarian.

36. Karl Hajos

Music_department | Summer Storm

Composer and songwriter, educated at the University of Budapest and the Academy of Music in Budapest. He wrote several operettas in Europe and the USA, including "The Black Pierrot", "The Red Cat", "Natja", "White Lilacs", and "America Sings". Joining ASCAP in 1929, his popular-song compositions ...

Born as "Károly Hajós"; emigrated Hungarian.

37. Miklós Rózsa

Composer | Ben-Hur

A child prodigy, Miklos Rózsa learned to play the violin at the age of five and read music before he was able to read words. In 1926, he began studying at the Leipzig Conservatory where he was considered a brilliant student. He obtained his doctorate in music in 1930. Moving to Paris the following ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

38. George Pal

Producer | The War of the Worlds

George Pal was born on February 1, 1908, in Cegled, Austria-Hungary. Later, when he was still a child, his stage-entertainer parents divorced, and he was raised by his grandparents.

In 1928, Pal graduated from the Budapest Academy of Arts with a degree in Architecture and highly developed drawing ...

Born as "György Pál Marczincsak"; emigrated Hungarian.

39. Alexander Korda

Director | The Private Life of Don Juan

One of a large group of Hungarian refugees who found refuge in England in the 1930s, Sir Alexander Korda was the first British film producer to receive a knighthood. He was a major, if controversial, figure and acted as a guiding force behind the British film industry of the 1930s and continued to ...

Born as "Sándor László Kellner"; emigrated Hungarian, husband of María Corda.

40. María Corda

Actress | The Private Life of Helen of Troy

María Corda was born on May 4, 1898 in Deva, Hungary. She was an actress, known for The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927), Samson und Delila (1922) and Tragödie im Hause Habsburg (1924). She was married to Alexander Korda. She died on February 2, 1976 in Thonex, Switzerland.

Born as "Mária Antónia Farkas"; emigrated Hungarian, wife of Alexander Korda.

41. Zoltan Korda

Director | Cry, the Beloved Country

A one time Hungarian cavalry officer, Zoltan Korda started working in films as a cameraman then an editor before becoming a director with London Films run by his brother Alexander Korda. Zoltan had strong liberal/socialist ideals and often clashed with Alexander, who, despite their both being born ...

Born as "Zoltán Kellner"; emigrated Hungarian.

42. Vincent Korda

Art_director | The Longest Day

Hungarian born Vincent Korda came to Britain in the 1930s with his brothers Alexander Korda and Zoltan Korda. Vincent became a distinguished Art Director and Production Designer. Among his best works are Things to Come (1936), The Thief of Bagdad (1940) and The Longest Day (1962).

Born as "Vince Kellner"; emigrated Hungarian, father of author Michael Korda.

43. Lajos Biró

Writer | The Thief of Bagdad

Lajos Biró was born on August 22, 1880 in Nagyvarad, Austria-Hungary [now Oradea, Bihor, Romania]. He was a writer, known for The Thief of Bagdad (1940), The Last Command (1928) and Women Everywhere (1930). He died on September 9, 1948 in London, England, UK.

Emigrated Hungarian.

44. Janos Prohaska

Actor | Bewitched

Janos Prohaska was born on October 10, 1919 in Budapest, Hungary. He was an actor, known for Bewitched (1964), Star Trek (1966) and The Outer Limits (1963). He was married to Irene M . Knoke. He died on March 13, 1974 in Bishop, California, USA.

Emigrated Hungarian.

45. Paul Tabori

Writer | Spaceways

Paul Tabori was born on May 8, 1908 in Budapest, Hungary. He was a writer and producer, known for Spaceways (1953), Four Sided Triangle (1953) and Matinee Theatre (1955). He died on November 9, 1974 in London, England, UK.

Born as "Pál Tábori"; emigrated Hungarian.

46. Alexander Paal

Writer | Columbus entdeckt Krähwinkel

Alexander Paal was born on May 18, 1910 in Budapest, Hungary. He was a producer and writer, known for Columbus entdeckt Krähwinkel (1954), Four Sided Triangle (1953) and A Tale of Five Women (1951). He was married to Eva Bartok. He died on November 8, 1972 in Madrid, Spain.

Emigrated Hungarian.

47. Steve Sekely

Director | A Noszty fiú esete Tóth Marival

Steve Sekely was born on February 25, 1899 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was a director and writer, known for Boy, the Noszty (1938), Die große Sehnsucht (1930) and The Fabulous Suzanne (1946). He was married to Klára Makoldy and Irén Ágay. He died on March 9, 1979 in Palm ...

Born as "István Székely", and also kown as "Stefan Szekely" and "S. K. Seeley"; emigrated Hungarian.

48. László Vadnay

Writer | Easy to Love

László Vadnay was born on June 6, 1904 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was a writer and actor, known for Easy to Love (1953), Copacabana (1947) and Uncertain Glory (1944). He died on April 18, 1967 in Budapest, Hungary.

Emigrated Hungarian.

49. Sandor Elès

Actor | Love and Death

He spent 3 years studying at a Budapest theatre school then during the 1956 revolution he escaped from Hungry and after arriving in England he joined the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol. He also worked as a nightclub singer in London's West End clubs. Later he signed for Associated British Films ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

50. Peter Sasdy

Director | The Lonely Lady

Peter Sasdy was born on May 27, 1935 in Budapest, Hungary. He is a director and producer, known for The Lonely Lady (1983), Welcome to Blood City (1977) and Journey to the Unknown (1968). He has been married to Myrtill Nádasi since July 24, 1965. They have two children.

Emigrated Hungarian.

51. George Tabori

Writer | The Young Lovers

George Tabori was born on May 24, 1914 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was a writer and actor, known for Chance Meeting (1954), Frohes Fest (1981) and I Confess (1953). He was married to Ursula Höpfner, Ursula Grützmacher-Tabori, Viveca Lindfors and Hannah Freund. He died on July 23,...

Born as "György Tábori"; emigrated Hungarian, step-father of Kristoffer Tabori.

52. Stefania Koszti

Make_up_department | Emily the Criminal

Stefania Koszti is known for Emily the Criminal (2022), The Human Race (2013) and Legend of the White Dragon.

Emigrated Hungarian.

53. Andrew Marton

Assistant_director | Ben-Hur

Budapest-born Endre Marton began in the film industry as an editor and assistant director with Vita and Sascha Films in Vienna. Following a brief sojourn in Hollywood with Ernst Lubitsch in 1923, he returned to Germany, having being signed as chief editor by the Tobis company. He made his ...

Born as "Endre Marton"; emigrated Hungarian.

54. Katinka Faragó

Production_manager | Offret

Katinka Farago was literally the collaborator of Ingmar Bergman who was closest to him, as she sat right next to his chair for decades as his script girl (or in a less sexist term, continuity clerk.) She was born in Vienna in 1936 with her parents having fled from Hungary, her father Alexander or ...

Born as "Katerina Faragó"; emigrated Hungarian.

55. György Ligeti

Soundtrack | 2001: A Space Odyssey

1941-43 he began his study of composition under Ferenc Farkas; 1945-49 he continued at the Budapest Music Academy under the same teacher and Sándor Veress. 1950-56 he was lecturer in Harmony and Counterpoint at the Academy at Budapest. Left Hungary toward the end of 1956. 1957-59 freelance work at ...

Emigrated Hungarian.

56. M.J. Winkler

Producer | Alpine Antics

M.J. Winkler was born on April 22, 1895 in Hungary. She was a producer and editor, known for Alpine Antics (1929), Alice's Picnic (1927) and The New Champ (1925). She was married to Charles Mintz. She died on June 21, 1990 in Mamaroneck, New York, USA.

Emigrated Hungarian? Born on the territory of Austria-Hungary? Early cartoon producer, her partnership with Disney led to the foundation of Walt Disney Productions.

57. Cornel Wilde

Actor | The Greatest Show on Earth

Cornel Wilde was born Kornel Lajos Weisz on October 13, 1912 in Prievidza, Hungary (now part of Slovakia) to a Jewish family. In 1920, he immigrated to New York City with his parents, Rayna (Vid) and Vojtech Béla Weisz, and elder sister, Edith. His family Anglicized their names. Kornel took the ...

Born as "Kornél Lajos Weisz"; emigrated Hungarian.

58. Andrew G. Vajna

Producer | Evita

Andy Vajna was born in Budapest. In 1956 at the age of 12, he fled from Hungary and with the support of Red Cross he made his way alone to Canada. Vajna launched his career in the entertainment industry with his purchase of motion picture theaters in the Far East. He founded Panasia Films Limited ...

Born as "Vajna András György"; originally an emigrated Hungarian, later he became employed both in the US and Hungary.

59. Mickey Hargitay

Actor | Gli amori di Ercole

Mickey Hargitay was born on January 6, 1926 in Budapest, Hungary. He was an actor, known for The Loves of Hercules (1960), Delirium (1972) and Bloody Pit of Horror (1965). He was married to Ellen Hargitay, Jayne Mansfield and Mary Birge. He died on September 14, 2006 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Born as "Miklós Hargitay"; emigrated Hungarian. Father of Mariska Hargitay.

60. Bela Kovacs

Actor | Space Patrol

Actor, director, artist, sculptor, violinist and teacher, born in the USA but raised in Czechoslovakia from age five until age twenty. He was a child actor in a number of Hungarian productions. At his parents' direction he joined a Presbyterian clerical institution in Ontario to become a minister, ...

Of Hungarian descent (through both parents?). Born in the US, then returned to Europe with his family. Later, emigrated Hungarian.

61. George Cukor

Director | My Fair Lady

George Cukor was an American film director of Hungarian-Jewish descent, better known for directing comedies and literary adaptations. He once won the Academy Award for Best Director, and was nominated other four times for the same Award.

In 1899, George Dewey Cukor was born on the Lower East Side of...

Of Hungarian descent (through both parents).

62. Judith Barsi

Actress | The Land Before Time

The only child of Jozsef Barsi and Maria Benko, Judith Eva Barsi beat 10,000-to-1 odds when she was discovered at a San Fernando Valley skating rink at age 5 1/2 in 1983 and mistaken for a three-year-old. Her first commercial was for Donald Duck Orange Juice and she went on to appear in anywhere ...

Of Hungarian descent (through both parents).

63. Tony Curtis

Actor | Some Like It Hot

Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz, the eldest of three children of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz, Jewish immigrants from Hungary. Curtis himself admits that while he had almost no formal education, he was a student of the "school of hard knocks" and learned from a young age that the only ...

Born as "Bernard Schwartz"; of Hungarian descent (through both parents).

64. Kathleen Gati

Actress | Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462

Two time Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Actress (2020, 2016), and winner of seven Best Actress awards, a Best Supporting Actress Award and a Best Actress Nominee, Kathleen Gati is very well known as the stewardess on AMC's Fear The Walking Dead: Flight 462; for her role as Raisa on (CW) Arrow; eleven...

Of Hungarian descent (through both parents). Employed in the US, Canada and Hungary.

65. Irving Szathmary

Music_department | Get Smart

Irving Szathmary was born on October 30, 1907 in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. He was a composer, known for Get Smart (2008), Get Smart (1965) and I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962). He was married to Monica E Reighley, Irene Braun and Julia Cutter. He died on October 29, 1983 in London, England, UK.

Born as "Isadore Szathmary"; of Hungarian descent (through both parents? through his father?). Brother of Bill Dana.

66. Bill Dana

Actor | The Nude Bomb

Comedian, author and composer, educated at Emerson College. He served in the US Infantry during World War II. Later, he was part of the team Dana and Wood on television and in supper clubs. As a single, he appeared on television with Martha Raye and Imogene Coca and was a writer for Steve Allen, ...

Born as "William Szathmary"; of Hungarian descent (through both parents? through his father?). Brother of Irving Szathmary.

67. Francesca Hilton

Actress | The Gravy Train

Francesca Hilton was born on March 10, 1947 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Dion Brothers (1974), Forever Fabulous (1999) and A Safe Place (1971). She was married to Joseph Piche. She died on January 5, 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Of Hungarian descent (through her mother). Daughter of Zsa Zsa Gabor, born as "Constance Francesca Gabor Hilton".

68. Mariska Hargitay

Actress | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Mariska (Ma-rish-ka) Magdolna Hargitay was born on January 23, 1964, in Santa Monica, California. Her parents are Mickey Hargitay and Jayne Mansfield. She is the youngest of their three children. In June 1967, Mariska and her brothers Zoltan and Mickey Jr. were in the back seat of a car when it was...

Of Hungarian descent (through her father). Daughter of Mickey Hargitay.

69. Michael Pataki

Actor | Rocky IV

Excellent, prolific and versatile character actor Michael Pataki had a long, varied and impressive career in both movies and TV shows, alike, that spanned a little over 50 years. Pataki was born on January 16, 1938 in Youngstown, Ohio. He attended the University of Southern California as a double ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his father).

70. Ernie Kovacs

Actor | Bell Book and Candle

Author, actor, comedian, composer and producer. He was educated at the New York School of Theatre, and received the Sylvania Television Award. Joining the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1957, he composed a number of songs and themes, a number of which were used in ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his father).

71. Phyllis Nagy

Director | Call Jane

Phyllis Nagy was born on November 7, 1962 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a writer and director, known for Call Jane (2022), Carol (2015) and Mrs. Harris (2005).

Of Hungarian descent (through her father).

72. Adrien Brody

Actor | The Pianist

Adrien Nicholas Brody was born in Woodhaven, Queens, New York, the only child of retired history professor Elliot Brody and Hungarian-born photographer Sylvia Plachy. He accompanied his mother on assignments for the Village Voice, and credits her with making him feel comfortable in front of the ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his mother).

73. Marton Csokas

Actor | Æon Flux

Marton was born in Invercargill, Aotearoa (New Zealand), to Margaret Christine (Rayner), a nurse, and Márton Csókás, a mechanical engineer. His father is Hungarian and his mother is Australian (of English, Irish, and Danish origin). He inherited some of his talents from his father, who was also a ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his father).

74. Alanis Morissette

Soundtrack | Dogma

Alanis Nadine Morissette was born in Ottawa, Canada, on June 1st 1974. Alanis' Greek name is a feminine version of her father's name, Alan. Her mother's name's Georgia and she has two brothers: Chad and Wade (Alanis' Twin). She learned to play the piano at age 6 and the guitar at age 21. In 1986 ...

Of Hungarian descent (through her mother).

75. Drew Barrymore

Producer | Charlie's Angels

Since melting audiences' hearts at the tender age of six - in Steven Spielberg's beloved sci-fi blockbuster, E.T. (1982) - Drew Barrymore has emerged as one of the most endearing and talented actresses of her generation. Born in Culver City, California to actors John Drew Barrymore and Jaid ...

Of Hungarian descent (through her mother).

76. Rachel Weisz

Actress | The Constant Gardener

Rachel Hannah Weisz was born on 7 March, 1970, in London, U.K., to Edith Ruth (Teich), a psychoanalyst, and George Weisz, an inventor. Her parents both came to England around 1938. Her father is a Hungarian Jewish immigrant, and her mother, from Vienna, was of Italian and Austrian Jewish heritage. ...

Of Hungarian descent (through her father).

77. Chris Kattan

Actor | A Night at the Roxbury

Christopher Lee Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California, to model Hajni Joslyn and actor Kip King. Chris moved to Mt. Baldy when he turned five, and resided there until the age of fifteen, when he moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington for high school.

After he graduated from high school, Chris ...

Born as "Christopher Lee Kattan"; of Hungarian descent (through his mother).

78. Flea

Actor | Baby Driver

Michael Peter Balzary was born on the sixteenth of October 1962, in Melbourne, Australia. When he was four, his parents divorced and Michael, his sister Karen and his mother Patricia headed for New York; they didn't stay long and soon ended up in L.A. (in 1972), where his step-father, a jazz ...

Born as "Michael Peter Balzary"; of Hungarian descent (through his father?).

79. Michaela Bercu

Actress | Bram Stoker's Dracula

Michaela Bercu was born on March 31, 1967 in Tel Aviv, Israel. She is an actress, known for Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). She is married to Ron Zuckerman. They have four children.

Probably of Hungarian descent (through her mother). Speaks Hungarian.

80. Debra Winger

Actress | Terms of Endearment

Mary Debra Winger was born May 16, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Ruth (Felder), an office manager, and Robert Jack Winger, a meat packer. She is from a Jewish family (originally from Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire). Her maternal grandparents called her Mary, while her parents called her Debra...

Of Hungarian descent (through her paternal grandparents and her maternal great-grandparents).

81. Goldie Hawn

Actress | Private Benjamin

Goldie Jeanne Hawn was born November 21, 1945 in Washington, D.C. and raised in Takoma Park, Maryland to Laura Hawn, a jewelry shop/dance school owner & Rut Hawn, a band musician. She has a sister, Patti Hawn, and a brother, Edward, who died in infancy before her birth. She was raised in the Jewish...

Of Hungarian descent (through her maternal grandparents). Mother of Kate Hudson.

82. Sarah Michelle Gellar

Actress | Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Emmy Award-winning Sarah Michelle Gellar was born on April 14, 1977 in New York City, the daughter of Rosellen (Greenfield), who taught at a nursery school, and Arthur Gellar, who worked in the garment industry. She is of Russian Jewish and Hungarian Jewish descent.

Eating in a local restaurant, ...

Of Hungarian descent (through her maternal grandparents).

83. Jeffrey Tambor

Actor | Transparent

Jeffrey Tambor starred in Amazon Studios hit series TRANSPARENT, playing family patriarch "Mort Pfefferman," who over the course of the show becomes the unforgettable "Maura." Tambor's groundbreaking performance earned him two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award and a Critics' Choice ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his paternal grandparents).

84. Jamie Lee Curtis

Actress | Halloween

Jamie Lee Curtis was born on November 22, 1958 in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of legendary actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis. She got her big break at acting in 1978 when she won the role of Laurie Strode in Halloween (1978). After that, she became famous for roles in movies like Trading...

Of Hungarian descent (through her paternal grandparents). Daughter of Tony Curtis.

85. Jon Lovitz

Actor | Happiness

Jonathan Michael Lovitz is a American comedian and actor from Tarzana who is known for voicing Jay Sherman from The Critic and for being a Saturday Night Live cast member in the 1990s. He acted in a lot of Adam Sandler films such as The Wedding Singer, Little Nicky, Hotel Transylvania, Grown Ups 2 ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his maternal grandmother and maternal great-grandfather).

86. Paul Newman

Actor | The Hustler

Screen legend, superstar, and the man with the most famous blue eyes in movie history, Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, the second son of Arthur Sigmund Newman (died 1950) and Theresa Fetsko (died 1982). His elder brother was Arthur S. Newman Jr., named for ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his paternal grandfather).

87. Stephen Fry

Actor | Gosford Park

Writer, actor, comedian, doer of good works, excellent good friend to the famous and not, Fry lives in his London SW1 flat and his Norfolk house when not traveling. Famous for his public declaration of celibacy in the "Tatler" back in the 1980s, Emma Thompson has characterised her friend as "90 ...

Of Hungarian descent (through maternal grandfather).

88. Louis C.K.

Writer | Louie

Louis C.K. was born on September 12, 1967 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Louie (2010), American Hustle (2013) and Horace and Pete (2016). He was previously married to Alix Bailey.

Born as "Louis Szekely". Of Hungarian descent (through paternal grandfather).

89. Jerry Seinfeld

Producer | Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Betty (Hesney) and Kalman Seinfeld. His father was of Hungarian Jewish descent, while Jerry's maternal grandparents, Salha and Selim Hosni, were Syrian Jewish immigrants (from Aleppo). He moved with his family, including sister Carolyn, to ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his paternal grandfather).

90. Robert Downey Sr.

Actor | To Live and Die in L.A.

Robert Downey Sr. served in the army, played minor-league baseball, was a Golden Gloves champion and off-off Broadway playwright, all before he was 22 years old.

Downey was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elizabeth (McLoughlin), a model, and Robert Elias, who worked in hotel/restaurant ...

Born as "Robert Elias, Jr."; of Hungarian descent (through his maternal grandmother). Father of Robert Downey, Jr.

91. Peter Falk

Actor | Columbo

Peter Michael Falk was born on September 16, 1927, in New York City, New York. At the age of 3, his right eye was surgically removed due to cancer. He graduated from Ossining High School, where he was president of his class. His early career choices involved becoming a certified public accountant, ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his maternal grandfather).

92. Michael Vartan

Actor | Alias

Michael Vartan came to international acclaim with his starring role as 'Agent Michael Vaughn' on the worldwide hit ABC series, "Alias," which ran for five seasons. With upcoming film and television roles, he continues to explore the different facets of his talent and versatility.

Vartan currently ...

Of Hungarian descent (through his paternal grandmother).

93. Alexandra Daddario

Actress | Baywatch

Alexandra Anna Daddario was born on March 16, 1986 in New York City, New York, to Christina, a lawyer, and Richard Daddario, a prosecutor. Her brother is actor Matthew Daddario, her sister is actor Catharine Daddario, and her grandfather was congressman Emilio Daddario (Emilio Q. Daddario), of ...

Of Hungarian descent (through her maternal great-grandparents).

94. Adrianne Palicki

Actress | G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Adrianne Palicki was born in Toledo, Ohio, to Nancy (French) and Jeffrey Palicki. Her father is of Polish and Hungarian descent, and her mother is of English and German ancestry. Adrianne graduated from Whitmer High School. She did not take the stage in her first play until she was a sophomore at ...

Of Hungarian descent (through her paternal great-grandparents).

95. River Phoenix

Actor | My Own Private Idaho

River Phoenix was born River Jude Bottom in Madras, Oregon. His mother, Arlyn (Dunetz), a Bronx-born secretary, and his father, John Bottom, a carpenter, met in California in 1968. They worked as itinerant fruit pickers, and later joined the Children of God religious group (John was originally ...

Born as "River Jude Bottom"; of Hungarian descent (through his maternal great-grandparents). Brother of Rain, Joaquin, Liberty and Summer Phoenix.

96. Rain Phoenix

Actress | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Rain Phoenix is the second child and first daughter born to Arlyn and John Bottom. At a young age, she and her brother River Phoenix were singing on the streets of South America for money for their growing family. As the years carried on, Rain became a big sister to brother, Joaquin, and sister, ...

Born as "Rain Joan of Arc Bottom"; of Hungarian descent (through her maternal great-grandparents). Sister of River, Joaquin, Liberty and Summer Phoenix.

97. Joaquin Phoenix

Actor | Walk the Line

Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Arlyn (Dunetz) and John Bottom, and is the middle child in a brood of five. His parents, from the continental United States, were then serving as Children of God missionaries. His mother is from a Jewish family from New ...

Born as "Joaquin Rafael Bottom"; of Hungarian descent (through his maternal great-grandparents). Brother of River, Rain, Liberty and Summer Phoenix.

98. Liberty Phoenix

Actress | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Liberty Phoenix was born on July 5, 1976 in Caracas, Venezuela. She is an actress, known for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982), Kate's Secret (1986) and Mercy for Animals Gala: Red Carpet (2022). She is married to Andy Lord. They have two children. She was previously married to Ernesto Asch.

Born as "Libertad Mariposa Bottom"; of Hungarian descent (through her maternal great-grandparents). Sister of River, Rain, Joaquin and Summer Phoenix.

99. Summer Phoenix

Actress | The Believer

Born on December 10, 1978. Summer Joy Phoenix is the fifth and youngest child of Arlyn Phoenix and John Bottom, a carpenter. Summer was raised in Southern California, but spent her teen years in Central Florida, where she was born. She is an active supporter of numerous charities and activist ...

Born as "Summer Joy Bottom"; of Hungarian descent (through her maternal great-grandparents). Sister of River, Rain, Joaquin and Liberty Phoenix.

100. Kate Hudson

Actress | Almost Famous

Almost everyone who has spent time with Kate Hudson -including directors, family members, co-stars and interviewers - is quick to comment on her ability to light up a room. Through some combination of a winning smile, solid work ethic, and good old-fashioned talent, the young actress has gone from ...

Of Hungarian descent (through her maternal great-grandparents). Daughter of Goldie Hawn.