Celebrities Abroad: These Stars Have Dual Citizenship
There are plenty of perks of being a celebrity. When you're not on set shooting a show or movie, you get to travel the world. Many stars even end up falling in love with the places they visit and decide to lay down roots there, as Tom Hanks did in Greece. Others come from overseas to the United States and want to live here permanently. Having dual citizenship is nothing new in the world of superstar celebrities. Read on to find out all of the famous actors, actresses, singers, and performers who have dual citizenship!
Kim Cattrall Calls Canada And Britain Her Homes
Born in Liverpool, Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actress Kim Cattrall holds dual citizenship in Britain and Canada. As a young girl, Cattrall moved back and forth between her two homes until she moved to New York at 16 years old for her first acting gig.
Despite working in the United States for her most prominent film and television roles, Cattrall has never applied for American citizenship. She currently resides in Canada where she maintains a working relationship with HBO, among other production outlets.
Tom Hanks And Rita Wilson Made It Official With Greece In 2020
In 2019, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were given honorary Greek citizenship by the country after the couple helped bring awareness to deadly fires that raged in 2018. In 2020, the couple made their relationship with Greece official, becoming dual citizens of the United States and Greece.
The decision was easy for the couple, who already visit the island frequently and own land there. They shared the big news with a post on social media just weeks after being declared Covid-19 free.
Charlize Theron Became An American Citizen In 2007
Born in South Africa, critically-acclaimed actress Charlize Theron has lived all over the world, but until 2007 was only loyal to her home country. It was then that she finally become a dual citizen of South Africa and the United States.
Interestingly enough, Theron first lived in the United States in 1994 when her mother bought her a one-way ticket to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. In 2019, it was reported that Theron was earning $23 million per film role.
Jim Carrey Is A Proud Canadian Who Also Loves America
Jim Carrey, like many famous celebrities, was not born in the United States. The comedian and Golden Globe-nominated actor was raised in Canada before moving to America in 1979 to pursue his career dreams.
In 2004, Carrey officially became a dual citizen, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "My upbringing in Canada made me the person I am. I will always be proud to be a Canadian." He then remarked about the United States, "This country has helped define me and make my dreams come true."
Michael J. Fox Became An American Citizen So He Could Vote
Like Jim Carrey, Michael J. Fox moved to the United States in 1979 to pursue his dreams but did not become an American citizen. Born and raised in Canada, the Back to the Future star finally got his dual citizenship in 2000.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained how it bothered him that despite living in the United States for so long he was unable to vote. The issue became increasingly important to him as he became a health research advocate.
Salma Hayek Celebrated Her Dual Citizenship By Singing The National Anthem
Salma Hayek came to the United States from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, in 1991. For a brief period of time, she even admitted to living in the United States illegally after her work visa expired. Of course, that brief moment in her life didn't last for very long.
In 2013, Hayek was awarded her American citizenship, making her a dual citizen. To celebrated the momentous occasion, she sang the National Anthem on The Late Show with David Letterman
Natalie Portman Moved To The United States When She Was Three
While she might seem as American as they come, Natalie Portman was actually born in Jerusalem, Israel. Her family moved to the United States when she was just three years old, making her a dual citizen in the process.
Her father moved the family so he could further pursue his own medical training. In 2018, Portman declined the "Jewish Nobel," because she did not want it to appear that she endorsed the country's government.
Angelina Jolie Is A Citizen Of America And Cambodia
A natural-born American, Angelina Jolie also happens to be a Cambodian citizen. The Oscar-winning actress was awarded her second citizenship through a royal decree of King Norodom Sihamoni.
Before becoming a dual citizen, Jolie had focused her humanitarian and conservation work in Cambodia. It was this work that led to the royal decree. She even wrote and directed They Killed My Father in 2017, an adaptation of a novel by Cambodian author Loung Ung.
Kirsten Dunst Wanted To Be An "International Lady"
Born in the United States, Kirsten Dunst always dreamed of being an "international lady." In 2011, she made her dreams come true when she became a dual citizen of the United States and Germany.
Dunst chose Germany because that is where her family is originally from. She said, "I'm now a real international lady, one who can film in Europe without a problem. I would prefer to buy an apartment in Berlin. It's such a young city, and right now so much is happening in Berlin."
Samantha Bee And Jason Jones Took The American Plunge In 2014
Samantha Bee and her husband Jason Jones both hail from Canada and first moved to the United States in 2003. The move came as Bee was offered a job on The Daily Show, which would become a major launching point for her career.
After establishing their lives in New York, the couple became citizens in 2014. One of their main motivations for becoming citizens was so that they could vote in American elections, which isn't surprising considering Bee's politically-motivated show on TBS.
Emily Blunt No Longer Calls England Home
Emily Blunt became a dual citizen of England and the United States in 2015. Born and raised in London, she admits to being conflicted about the decision: "It's better for tax. It’s cheaper being an American."
Shortly after she claims to have regretted the decision after watching a political debate, even joking, "This was a terrible mistake. What have I done?" We're pretty sure her husband, John Krasinski, is happy with her decision though.
Kumail Nanjiani Became An American Citizen After College
At 18 years old, Kumail Nanjiani moved to the United States from Pakistan to attend college in Iowa. He graduated with a degree in philosophy and computer science and became an official American citizen.
What followed was a meteoric rise to fame as Nanjiani took on bit roles before breaking out in Silicon Valley and writing and starring in the Amazon original film The Big Sick. The movie earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Sofia Vergara Studied Dentistry In Colombia Before Moving To The United States
Known best in the United States for her breakout role in Modern Family on ABC, Sofia Vergara grew up in Colombia before moving to the United States. In her home country, she was studying to be a dentist until she was discovered for her natural beauty.
After that, she moved to Miami to begin a modeling career, which led to acting jobs. In 2014 she officially became an American citizen, telling Jimmy Kimmel, "I got all [the citizenship test] questions perfect. Yes, all of them … I got all the questions!"
Rob Delaney Left The United States To Live In The UK
Rob Delaney, the American comedian who starred in Catastrophe, made his loyalty to the United Kingdom known in 2014 when he became a dual citizen. Delaney is particularly fond of the health care system in the UK, saying:
"[T]he NHS of this exact moment in 2017 is better than the private healthcare systems in the U.S. ... [T]here is, sadly, no one unified 'system' in the U.S., much to the detriment of so many millions of Americans."
Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Been An American Citizen Since 1983
Beginning his career as a bodybuilder, action movie legend Arnold Schwarzenegger first arrived in the United States in 1968. He was 21 years old and over a decade away from starring in his most iconic role as the T-800 in The Terminator.
After several decades of acting, Schwarzenegger took a break to pursue politics, even being named the Governor of California. Once his role in government was over, he made a triumphant return to the silver screen alongside Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables franchise.
Dave Matthews Is Originally From South Africa
We don't blame you if you didn't know Dave Matthews is originally from South Africa. He moved to the United States with his family when he was two years old and his father was offered a job in New York.
Matthews became a dual citizen in 1980. In the '90s, he became one of the biggest musicians in the world thanks to the success of such songs as "Crash Into Me" and "I Did It."
Michael Buble Lives In Canada And Italy
Soulful crooner Michael Buble might be popular in the United States, but he prefers to live in another place. Originally coming from Canada, Buble is also a naturalized citizen of Italy, the country his grandparents are from.
Before becoming a world-renowned singer, Buble had different life dreams. He wanted to be a professional hockey player. And can you guess what team he dreamed of playing for? If you said the Vancouver Canucks you're correct!
Ricky Martin Can Live In Spain And Puerto Rico
Known best for "Livin' La Vida Loca," Ricky Martin grew up in Puerto Rico, making him an American citizen by birth. In 2016, he doubled up on his citizenship, becoming a citizen of Spain.
Martin was named a citizen of Spain as an honor awarded to him by the nation because of his artistic talents. Most recently Martin made waves playing Antonio D'Amico in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.
Olivia Wilde Became An Irish Citizen For A Reason
Born Olivia Jane Cockburn, Olivia Wilde chose her stage name based on the name of her favorite poet -- Oscar Wilde. That love is also one of the reasons Wilde decided to become a dual citizen with Ireland.
Wilde made her big-screen debut in 2004 in The Girl Next Door playing Kellie. She has kept a steady acting career since most recently receiving critical acclaim for her role in Richard Jewell.
Pamela Anderson Became A Dual Citizen In 2004
One of the biggest stars of the '90s, it wasn't until 2004 that British Columbian actress and model Pamela Anderson became an American citizen. Like others on this list, she said the decision to naturalize was primarily political:
"I felt it was important to become a U.S. citizen in order to vote in the United States." She also admitted it made dating in America easier, "it's kind of difficult to have a relationship with somebody" who is a "prisoner.”
