Famous People Born Today

An Australian actor, Heath Ledger grabbed limelight in America with the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. However, it was role in Brokeback Mountain that made him a star and earned him comparisons with greats actors like Marlon Brando. The brilliant actor gave his last performance as Joker in The Dark Knight which became a massive success.

David Cross is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. Cross is credited with creating and developing popular TV series, such as The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and Freak Show. In 2013, the co-founder of Kickstarter, Yancey Strickler, revealed that David Cross was one of the first investors of Kickstarter, a public benefit corporation.

Hugo Weaving is a British actor best known for playing the roles of suave villains, such as Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy. Apart from being an actor, Weaving is also an animal rights activist; he serves as an ambassador for a non-profit animal protection charity called Voiceless. Over the years, he has played an important role in popularizing Voiceless.

Irish television and radio presenter, comedian, and actor, Graham Norton, is an eight-time BAFTA TV Award winner. He is best known for his comedy chat show The Graham Norton Show. His innuendo-laden dialogue and flamboyant presentation style have made him a fan favorite. He is openly gay and is the winner of one Gaytime Award.

Craig T. Nelson is an American stand-up comedian and actor. One of the earliest members of the popular comedy troupe The Groundlings, Nelson went on to form his own comedy team along with Rudy De Luca and Barry Levinson. Also an avid racer and motorsports fan, Nelson founded the Screaming Eagles Racing in 1992.

David Blaine is a one of the most popular magicians and illusionists globally who fascinates others with his magic tricks, endurance stunts and extreme performances. His famous stunts include Frozen in Time and Above the Below. He started as a street performer and later began doing television shows.

Nancy McKeon is an American actress known for researching her characters and roles. For instance, she spent several hours with a police force before playing Jinny Exstead in the police procedural drama TV series The Division. Also known for her skills as a dancer, McKeon competed in the 2018 season of Dancing with the Stars.

Andrei Tarkovsky was a Soviet and Russian writer, theatre director, filmmaker, and film theorist. Renowned for making movies that explored metaphysical and spiritual themes, Tarkovsky is often regarded as one of the most influential and greatest directors in the history of world cinema. The recipient of many prestigious awards, Andrei Tarkovsky's work continues to influence several filmmakers around the world.

Danish model Josephine Skriver, known for her work with Gucci and Armani, was discovered by an agent when she was in New York City with her school soccer team. Raised by a gay father and a lesbian mother, and conceived through IVF, she is also a prominent LGBT activist.

A pioneer of South African jazz, instrumentalist Hugh Masekela excelled in the trumpet and introduced South African music to countries such as the U.S. He was also a vocal anti-apartheid activist, played for the Jazz Epistles, and was known for his iconic albums such as Hope and Johannesburg.

Georg von Trapp, or Captain von Trapp, was an Austrian naval officer who led the Trapp Family Singers, the family that inspired the play and the film The Sound of Music. An able military man, he had also been part of World War II and was knighted by the Austrian government.

Gong Hyo-jin is a South Korean actress known for playing Yang Mi-sook in the film Crush and Blush, for which she won a couple of Best Actress awards. Thanks to her association with successful rom-com dramas, Gong is regarded as the queen of romantic comedies in Korea. She is also regarded as an influential fashion icon by young Korean women.

Dorothea Dix was an American advocate who fought for the welfare of the mentally ill. She helped create the first generation of mental asylums in the United States. Dix also played a key role during the Civil War, serving as a Superintendent of Army Nurses. In 1979, Dorothea Dix was made an inductee of the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Taiwanese actor Joe Chen, also known as the Queen of Idol Dramas, soared to fame with her roles in series such as The Queen of SOP, Swordsman, and Cruel Romance. She met her Malaysian boyfriend, Alan Chen, on the Chinese dating reality show Meeting Mr Right II.

Starting her music career as a background vocalist for singers such as Mariah Carey and George Michael, Kelly Price later made her mark in the industry with albums such as Soul of a Woman and Mirror Mirror. The Grammy-nominated singer is also known for her breast cancer activism.