21 Mixed-Race Celebs Who Clearly Won The Genetic Lottery
Love knows no color, but we certainly appreciate these diverse backgrounds.
Some celebrity families seem to have won the looks lottery before they even hit the spotlight. This list rounds up 21 mixed-race celebs whose features, style, and star power have kept fans talking for years.
Mixed-race representation has grown steadily in the United States, and entertainment has played a big part in making that diversity more visible. From singers and actors to models and TV personalities, these stars show just how wide and striking that mix can be.
Here are 21 famous faces who stand out for all the right reasons.
1. Christina Aguilera
The singer has Ecuadorian roots from her father’s side, while her mother has Dutch, Scottish, German, and Irish ancestry.
© shutterstock.com2. Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has Mexican roots from her father’s side and Irish roots from her mother’s side.
© shutterstock.com3. Wentworth Miller
This is complicated. He is German, English, African American, and Jamaican on his father’s side, and Swedish, Russian, Syrian, Dutch, and French on his mother’s side. Quite a mix.
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4. Angelina Jolie
Angelina is of Slovak and German descent on her father’s side and of French Canadian and Dutch descent on her mother’s side.
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5. Shay Mitchell
Shay's father is of Irish and Scottish descent, while her mother is of Filipino descent.
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6. Adriana Lima
She was born in Brazil and has Indigenous, Swiss, Japanese, African, West Indian, and Portuguese ancestry.
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7. Vin Diesel
Vin never met his biological father, but he knows he has German and English roots. Interestingly, since his adoptive father is African American, he identifies as “a person of color.”
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8. Jessica Szohr
Jessica is Hungarian on her mother's side and African American on her father’s side.
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It’s also worth noting Demi Lovato’s “unhealthy” relationship with Wilmer Valderrama, from age 18.
9. Nicki Minaj
Nicki is part African, Indian, and Japanese.
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10. Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex is part African American, Dutch, and Irish.
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11. Keanu Reeves
Keanu's name translates to “cool breeze over the mountains.” According to his heritage, he is Hawaiian, English, and Chinese.
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12. Olivia Munn
The famous actress has Chinese and Vietnamese roots on her mother’s side, as well as German and English roots on her father’s side.
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13. Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo is of Chinese and African American descent.
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14. Naomi Campbell
The famous model has Jamaican and Afro-Chinese origins.
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15. Cameron Diaz
Her last name, Diaz, raised many questions about her ancestry—she is actually of English, German, and Cuban descent.
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16. Dwayne Johnson
The Rock is Black Nova Scotian on his father’s side and Samoan on his mother’s side.
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17. Maya Rudolph
Maya is most famous for her role in The Good Place. She is African American on her mother’s side and Jewish on her father’s side.
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18. Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey has a mix of African American, Venezuelan, and Irish ancestry.
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19. Jesse Williams
Jesse Williams is of African American and Swedish descent.
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20. Shakira
She was born in Colombia, but she is Lebanese on her father’s side and Colombian on her mother’s side. Her name translates to “full of sunshine” in Arabic.
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21. Vanessa Hudgens
The actress who starred in High School Musical is Native American, Filipino, Irish, and Chinese.
© AFP/EAST NEWS
The likelihood of marrying a person from a different race is related to education. In 2015, newlyweds with at least some college experience were slightly more likely than those with only a high school education or less to marry someone of a different race or ethnicity.
While 14 percent of individuals with less education were married to someone of another race or ethnicity, this percentage jumped to 18 percent among those with some college experience and 19 percent among those with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Think genetic luck is rare? Meet the “secret twins” hiding in plain sight across Hollywood.
