Popular non-Poles of Polish descent

I know about singer Pat Benatar and actresses Jane Kaczmarek and Julie Piekarski (she looks more mixed with Germanic/Czech fenotypes though). Also Indian actress Claudia Ciesla & German actresses Natalia Avelon and another which name now escapes me.

Wow, I first heard about Benatar in 1980s but nobody said she had Polish descent.

Lol ppl what's the matter? Yes, there seems to be way many Polonia people that Polish media somehow ignores apparently? (on the contrary media here in Bulgaria brags with the successes of ppl that have BG descent and succeed abroad). Of course Maria Curie was 100% Polish born and bred yet France took all the credit somehow. I remember finding an old record with a beautiful blonde called Alex (Alexandra Naumik), a Norwegian-based, Vilnius-born woman with Polish parents.

Oh also Jane Krakowski, it's obvious. Madeline Zima as well.

How about Iron Mike Ditka? Chicago legend.

Or the 'Polish Prince"Bobby Vinton

youtu.be/tfnBxbDz77U

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@pawian


Pat Benetar's maiden name Andrzejewska (but of course she's Andrzejewski outside Poland/Eastern Europe)

There are loads.

Harvey Keitel, Peter Falk, Charles Bronson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Paul Newman, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, Meg Ryan, Nicholas Cage, to name but a few.

Perhaps it would be more obvious that Pat Benatar is of Polish descent if she used her real name.
I had to google her anyway.
However, Sambora doesn't sound particularly Polish but it is apparently a Polish surname and Richie Sambora is also of Polish descent.
Johnny Galecki and Simon Helberg from TBBT also have some Polish ancestors.
And there's this comedy actor Danny Pudi who is half Polish and half Indian. Here's a video of him singing Płynie Wisła

youtu.be/cNFkIoSbvx0

As for alleged hatred towards the Polish diaspora, Moja droga ja Cię kocham seems to be quite well known here.

Yes, I know it now.

I wonder why her Polish origin wasn`t revealed when she became known also in Poland. I only remember a scandal with the cover of one of her albums - she posed naked behind an instrument. I didn`t see it, only read the description and her comment in which she said that such controvercy was neccessary to promote her music and added that whoever wanted to sell anything successfully, needed to use female nudity in ads. Sad.

Mayim Bialik too. One grandparent was from Poland.

@kaprys

Yeah, I was surprised with Richie Sambora, I assumed he was of Italian descent like John Bon Jovi.

Here are a few more Rock musicians with roots in Poland;

Cory Wells - Three Dog Night
Geddy Lee - Rush
Jack White - The White Stripes
Michael Anthony - Van Halen, Chickenfoot
Paul Stanley - Kiss
Pete Steele - Type O Negative
Peter Cetera - Chicago
Ric Ocasek - The Cars
Rik Fox - Steeler,Wasp

Yes Ditka was half Polish half Ukrainian I think. I don't know if some of his players would have sat out the anthem - Richard Dent or Wilbur Marshall - would be good to imagine that conversation

Of musicians then Ray Manzarek of the Doors - real name Manczarek

One I forgot;

Janick Gers - Iron Maiden

No way! He was a good actor.. Hard Times is my fav:)


Now, he looks Polish!

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Apparently John Bon Jovi had a maternal grandfather of Polish descent.


Actually, I think he was of Lithuanian descent. Some sources say Polish ( I always thought he was ), but most sites say Lithuanian. His surname was Buchinsky.

What?? Even Jon Bon Jovi was Polish? Unbelievable. If you tell me John Paul II and Columbus were Polish too, I will admit I am the last, miraculously saved King of Polish Apes.

@Lenka
I've heard of her Polish roots as well. Though their ancestors might have come from what is now Ukraine. I remember her posting about her visit to Kiev. But I don't know really.

And there's the actress who plays Leonard's mother - Christine Baranski.

@Miloslaw
I also thought he was Italian. His surname looked kind of Italian to me. It turns out Sambor is an old Slavic first name. Oops.

@Chemikiem
I didn't know about Jon Bon Jovi though.

But apparently even Steven Tyler has some Polish ancestors.

@Joker
Some say his ancestors were Lipka Tatars.

And Bronson kind of reminded me of others. I have a biography of Lauren Bacall who was apparently friends with Kirk Douglas when they were teenagers - both of Polish Jewish descent.

Janick Gers certainly does!
His dad,Boleslaw, was in the Polish navy when war broke out and his ship sailed to the UK to fight the Germans.
He later joined the Royal Navy and settled in England.
He has extended family in Bydgoszcz.