Israeli Americans

Debuting at the age of thirteen, Israeli American actress Natalie Portman is today one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood. Her movie list is impressive with successful projects like Black Swan, Jackie, Star Wars, Closer and Thor. While pursuing her passion for acting, the Academy award winning actress also ensured to complete her studies and graduated from Harvard University.

Co-founder of the rock band Kiss, Gene Simmons is also known by his stage persona, The Demon.  With his band, he has over 25 gold-certified albums. A devoted philanthropist, he has donated to charities related to underprivileged children. He created an animated series and owns a magazine and a label.

Marcia Clark is best known as the lead prosecutor of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. She has also written several books, including novels from the Rachel Knight series and the Samantha Brinkman series and a non-fiction about the Simpson case. She has also written crime articles for The Daily Beast.

Lorne Michaels is a Canadian-American television producer, comedian, and screenwriter. He is credited with creating and producing one of the most popular American TV sketch comedy and variety shows, Saturday Night Live. With 91 nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards under his belt, Lorne Michaels holds the record for having the most nominations by an individual in the award show's history.

Daniel Kahneman is an Israeli economist and psychologist. He was honored with the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on behavioral economics. In 2011, Kahneman was named among the top global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine. In 2015, Daniel Kahneman was ranked seventh in the most influential economist in the world list published by The Economist.

Odeya Rush is an Israeli model and actress best known for playing lead roles in American films like The Giver, The Bachelors, and Let It Snow. In 2016, Rush was honored at the Young Artist Awards with the Best Performance in a Feature Film award. In 2017, she received the Awards Circuit Community Award for her performance in Lady Bird.

Jemima Kirke is an English-American artist, actress, and director best known for her role as Jessa Johansson in the HBO series Girls. She is the daughter of Simon Kirke and was introduced to show business at a young age. After acting for a few years, she made her directorial debut in 2019. She is a reproductive rights activist as well.   

Domino Kirke was scouted by producer Andres Levin while performing at a pub and later released her own music. She is also the girlfriend of Penn Badgley, better known as Joe Goldberg from the Netflix series You. She is a doula, too, and co-owns the doula agency Carriage House Birth.

Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan. He was kidnapped when he visited Pakistan to investigate the alleged links between Al-Qaeda and British citizen Richard Reid. Since his death, several institutions and schools have been named after him. His parents formed the Daniel Pearl Foundation in 2002 to continue his mission.

Israeli televangelist Benny Hinn gained fame with his Miracle Crusades held in stadiums across major cities and broadcast worldwide on his show This Is Your Day. He incorrectly predicted twice that the world would end. He has also authored several books, such as Lord, I Need a Miracle.

Rahm Emanuel served as the Chicago mayor from 2011 to 2019 and as the White House chief of staff, under Barack Obama, from 2009 to 2010. He has also been a U.S. representative from Chicago earlier. His aggressive and no-nonsense style has earned him the nickname "Rahmbo.”

Avi Arad is an Israeli-American businessman and film producer. He became a prominent business figure as the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s. He then proceeded to become the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment and founded Marvel Studios. In 2006, he resigned from his Marvel positions and formed his own production company, Arad Productions. 

Vince Offer is an Israeli-American writer, director, infomercial pitchman, and comedian. He is credited with directing the 1999 comedy film The Underground Comedy Movie, which is widely regarded as one of the worst films ever. Vince Offer owns and produces several household products like kitchen utensils and liquid cleaners. He also appears in commercials, promoting his products.

Alona Tal is an Israeli actress known for playing supporting roles in popular American TV series like Veronica Mars and Supernatural. Tal is also known for her singing skills; she has recorded a song with popular Haitian rapper and musician Wyclef Jean. She has also appeared in several American films like Half Past Dead 2, Broken City, and Opening Night.

Judith Resnik was an American software engineer, electrical engineer, pilot, biomedical engineer, and NASA astronaut. She was the fourth woman and the first Jewish woman in space, logging 145 hours in orbit. Resnik, who died during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, received several posthumous honors. Judith Resnik’s life and career inspired the 1990 TV movie Challenger.

Haim Saban is an Israeli-American investor, media proprietor, and film producer. He is credited with founding Saban Entertainment which produces children's television programs like Power Rangers. For his achievements in the TV industry, Saban was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also a philanthropist, Haim Saban donated $14 million for the completion of a children's hospital.

Brian George is an Israeli-British actor who gained much fame for playing the role of Pakistani restaurateur Babu Bhatt in the TV series Seinfeld. He is of mixed descent and often plays characters from India and Pakistan. As a young man, he joined the improvisational comedy enterprise, The Second City, and soon made his foray into TV and cinema as well. 

Sophie Simmons is a singer, model, and TV personality. The daughter of an actress and a musician, she was introduced to show business at an early age. She began her career as a teenager. As a model, she promotes body positivity and launched a body-positive clothing line. She has released many singles, including the super hit Black Mirror. 

Etan Cohen is an American film director and screenwriter. He is credited with writing scripts for many popular films like Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Tropic Thunder, and Men in Black 3. In 2007, his short film My Wife Is Retarded won the Comedy Festival Award for Best Short Film at the US Comedy Arts Festival.

The Phil of the Future star Raviv Ullman irked netizens when, in 2017, he posted an old picture of him kissing Kim Kardashian, from an unsold pilot, adding the hashtag #kanyegotmysloppyseconds. Ullman is also a skilled musician, has been part of several bands, and hosts a podcast, too.