Ice Cube played an important role in contributing to gangsta rap's popularity. His lyrics for N.W.A's album Straight Outta Compton redrew boundaries and shaped West Coast rap's identity. Because of his lyrics, that explain black nationalism and black struggle, Ice Cube went on to influence a host of rappers and is considered one of the greatest rappers ever.
Born into a family of mixed ancestry in Texas, actor Matthew McConaughey had an interesting childhood. He played sports as a young boy and aspired to become a lawyer. However, he ultimately changed course to venture into acting, a field where he was able to make a mark with his brilliant performances. He is also a producer.
Comedy films like This is 40, The 40-year-old virgin, Wanderlust and The object of my affection made Paul Rudd a bona fide comic actor. He has also acted in some serious films like The cider house rules and The great Gatsby and has been part of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s popular Ant-Man franchise and the highest-grossing film of all time Avengers: Endgame.
American Actor, Jack Black is known for his comedic performances. His notable films include High Fidelity, Shallow Hal, School of Rock and Bernie. His voice acting in animated film series Kung Fu Panda and video game Brütal Legend have also earned him accolades. Additionally, he has co-founded Grammy Award winning rock band, Tenacious D and launched his You Tube channel.
With seven Formula One championship under his belt, Michael Schumacher is the most successful racer of Formula 1 and one of the greatest motor sports driver in the world. The retired German racer was the face of Ferrari for a decade and with his tremendous on track success also became one of best paid athletes in the sport’s history.
Jay-Z is an American rapper and songwriter and is one of the world's best-selling music artists. His debut album Reasonable Doubt was hugely successful in 1996 and since then he has gone on to release many more acclaimed and successful albums. He has been charged with assaulting a record executive and was given a three-year probation sentence in January 2000.
From being a licensed physician, Korean-American actor Ken Jeong went on to do stand-up comedy and eventually ventured into acting. He got his breakthrough role with film Knocked Up but he garnered widespread fame with The Hangover film franchise and the acclaimed sitcom Community. His other notable films include Pineapple Express, Crazy Rich Asian and a recent Netflix stand-up special.
Gerard Butler is one of the most popular and successful actors from Scotland. He came into prominence with the portrayal of King Leonidas in the fantasy war film 300. Apart from acting, he participates in fundraising events and charity programs. Interestingly, Butler tried his hand at acting only after being fired a week before becoming a qualified lawyer!
The amazingly talented, Tyler Perry, is an American actor who topped Forbes list of highest-paid man in entertainment in 2011. Perry is most known as the creator of the boisterous, African-American grandmother character, Madea, which he himself performs with great skill and artistry. From a homeless playwriter to having his own studio, Perry has surely achieved the evasive American dream.
Peter Dinklage is an American actor who gained international recognition after playing Tyrion Lannister in one of the most popular TV series of all time, Game of Thrones. Over the years, Peter Dinklage has portrayed important characters in popular films, serving as an inspiration to those suffering from dwarfism, a condition which caused his short stature.
The son of a popular actor, Jason Bateman was exposed to Hollywood at a young age and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. He began acting as a teenager and matured as an actor over the years, taking up a variety of roles. He made his feature film directorial debut in 2013.
Brett Favre is a former American football player who spent the majority of his National Football League career with the Green Bay Packers. Apart from being a retired player with several achievements and records under his belt, Favre is also a philanthropist; in 1996, he set up the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation, which has donated over $2 million to charities.
Former professional wrestler, Dave Bautista, is a four time World Heavyweight Champion and two time WWE Champion. The WWE legend has also ventured in the entertainment industry and proved his acting capabilities with blockbuster movies like Guardians of the Galaxy film series and Avengers: Infinity War. His other notable films include House of the Rising Sun and Blade Runner 2049.
Norman Reedus is an American multi-talented personality who established himself as a model and actor after working as a painter, photographer, video artist, and sculptor. He still displays his artwork in places like New York City, Frankfurt, and Berlin. An animal lover, Reedus urged to end cosmetic tests on animals by participating in a Cruelty Free International advertisement in 2015.
Regarded as one of the most popular and influential rock musicians of the 1990s and 2000s, Dave Grohl is best known for his association with the famous rock band Nirvana, for which he was the drummer. Also a singer-songwriter, Dave Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Michael Sheen is a Welsh actor and started his career as a theatre artist. He rose to fame in the 2000s as a screen actor after working in various biographical films. He starred in television films like The Deal, The Queen and The Special Relationship. Some of his notable films are The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Midnight in Paris.
Often considered the best wrestler in North America, Triple H played an important role in the World Wrestling Federation's Attitude Era as part of the influential D-Generation X stable. From being a professional wrestler, he went on to become a part of WWE's management team after marrying CEO Vince McMahon's daughter Stephanie. Triple H is a WWE Hall of Famer.
Amongst the most talented actors of his generation, Edward Norton won a Golden Globe Award for his debut film Primal Fear. The formidable actor later went on to work in movies like The Illusionist, The Incredible Hulk, The Birdman and American History X. Norton ventured into film direction with Keeping the Faith. He also supports various environmental and social causes.
Donnie Wahlberg is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Popularly known as the bad boy of New Kids on the Block band, Wahlberg faced up to 20 years in prison after he was charged with arson for setting The Seelbach Hilton on fire. The charge was later reduced and eventually dropped after he agreed to appear in public-service videos.
Christian Slater serves as an inspiration to many people who are trying to live sober. For someone who had difficulties with alcoholism and substance abuse, Christian Slater has come a long way as he now solely focuses on his career as an actor, producer, and voice actor. He also focuses on charity work.
Spanish actor, Javier Bardem, is an acclaimed artist and has worked in notable films like Skyfall, Love in the Time of Cholera, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Mother and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He has also acted in numerous Spanish movies. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the 2007 film No Country for Old Men.
David Boreanaz is an American actor, director, and television producer. He came into prominence after playing Angel on the popular supernatural drama TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He is also credited with co-founding Chrome Girl, a nail polish line, along with his wife Jaime Bergman and their friends Aaron Ravo and Melissa.
US comedian Zach Galifianakis is best known as Alan Garner from the movie The Hangover and has been mostly cast as weird and deranged characters. He is equally adept at stand-up comedy and is known for his charity work, too. He was nominated for an Emmy in the series Baskets.
Emmitt Smith is a former American footballer who helped the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League win three Super Bowl championships between 1993 and 1996. He remains NFL's all-time leading rusher and is the only running back to win a Super Bowl. A humanitarian, Smith is credited with founding a nonprofit organization called the Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities.
Wes Anderson’s movies mostly have eccentric narratives. BBC named his films The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel to their list of the greatest films made since 2000. He owns a production company and has won a Silver Bear for the animation film Isle of Dogs.
Actor Morris Chestnut is best known for his role in the film Boyz n the Hood. Beginning his career as a young man, he appeared in a few TV shows before venturing into films. He steadily evolved as an actor and went on to co-star alongside major actors in big-budget films. He has co-authored a book on health and fitness.
Trey Parker is an American animator, writer, composer, filmmaker, actor, and voice actor. Parker is credited with co-creating one of the most popular animated sitcoms of all time, South Park. He is also credited with co-developing The Book of Mormon along with Matt Stone.
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, actor, and rapper. This Grammy Award-winning musician garnered national attention when his efforts to raise relief funds to aid the victims of the 2010 Haitian earthquake through his charitable organization Yéle Haiti were questioned as reports suggested that Jean retained the money for his own benefit. The organization has been the subject of controversy.
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian-American former baseball player who played for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). A five-time World Series champion and thirteen-time All-Star, Rivera was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. He is also considered one of the most dominant relievers in the history of the major league.
Dabo Swinney is an American football coach. The highest-paid coach in college athletics history, Dabo Swinney helped the Clemson Tigers of the Clemson University win two national championships; he is the second-most successful head coach in Clemson history, only behind Frank Howard.
Best known for his role in the sitcom The King of Queens, comedian and actor, Patton Oswalt, has been active in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. From appearing in his own TV show in the 1990s to making it big as a film actor, he has had a fulfilling career. He loves dogs and has worked with PETA.
Best known as Patrick Jane from The Mentalist, Australian actor Simon Baker was an avid surfer in his younger days. He won a Logie Award for his role in the series E Street and had a leading role in The Guardian, too. He has also appeared in films such as L.A. Confidential.
An actor known for appearing in the film Deep Blue Sea, Thomas Jane has been active in Hollywood for more than 30 years. He dropped out of high school to pursue acting and struggled for a while. Eventually, he was able to make a name for himself in the entertainment world. Besides acting, he writes comic books.
Naveen Andrews is a British-American actor best known for portraying Sayid Jarrah in the popular TV series Lost, for which he received nominations for Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award and won the Screen Actors Guild Award. A multi-talented personality, Naveen Andrews can also play the guitar.
Rick Fox is a Canadian-Bahamian actor, businessman, former basketball player, and e-sports franchise owner. He is best known for representing the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After retiring from the sport, Rick Fox went on to establish himself as a media personality, appearing in TV shows like Dancing with the Stars.
Former American boxer Roy Jones Jr. was born to a boxer father. Despite his defeat in the gold medal match at the 1988 Seoul Olympics due to a faulty decision by the judges, he won the Val Barker Award. He was the second light heavyweight champion to earn a heavyweight title.
Iranian football legend Ali Daei has been one of the best strikers from his country. His international record of scoring 109 goals was broken by Cristiano Ronaldo later. Apart from serving the Iranian team for 13 years, he also represented teams such as Bayern Munich. Post-retirement, he coached several teams.
Born to Indian-origin parents in the U.S., Sanjay Gupta is an acclaimed neurosurgeon and medical writer. He has also had a successful stint as a medical reporter for CNN, covering medical issues at wars and disasters. He has played himself in the movie Contagion and is a skilled accordion player.