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Celebrities you didn’t realize were from South Africa

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Celebrities you didn’t realize were from South Africa

434041890_851297Contrary to what we learned at the 2010 World Cup, Shakira is not actually South African. But there are famous people who are. Whether they claim their South African heritage or it was just a place where they were born before they moved, the country can still call them its own. And as you’ll see, the Rainbow Nation has managed to produce some pretty impressive people.

Steve Nash
Although Steve Nash moved to Canada when he was only 18 months old, he was born in Johannesburg to a Welsh mother and an English father. He didn’t start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13 (like all good Canadians, he focused more on hockey) but told his mother that one day he would play in the NBA and would be a star. Pretty good prediction, given that he now plays for the Lakers and is a two-time NBA MVP and an eight-time NBA All-Star.

J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State (now Free State Province) and lived there until he moved to England at age 3 after his father’s death. Best known for authoring the Lord of the Rings series written between 1937 and 1949, Tolkien also addressed societal issues in other works, expressing his opposition for Stalinism, socialism, and his disgust of racism. He even wrote a fairly well-read piece about racism in South Africa at the time.

Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is one of the few people on this list who actually grew in South Africa (her first language is Afrikaans). Born in Benoni in the then-Transvaal Province, she grew up on her parents’ farm outside Johannesburg. At 13, she was sent to boarding school and began studying at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg until she moved to Los Angeles at 19 to join the movie business.

Dave Matthews
Born in Johannesburg, Dave Matthews moved around between New York and England from age 2 to 10, but returned to Johannesburg with his family. After graduating from high school in 1985, he was conscripted into the South African military but left the country to avoid service. A Quaker, he considered himself a pacifist and unable to fight. Fun fact: Matthews worked for IBM for a short time before he joined the music world and became the rocker we all know and love today.

Sienna Miller
Although she was born in New York City, Miller’s mother is a South African-born former model, so she gets South African status even though she is widely considered British-American. An actress, model and fashion designer, she recently spent a considerable amount of time in her mother’s country while on set filming The Girl, set in Cape Town.

Ernie Els
“The Big Easy,” or Ernest “Ernie” Els grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was one of the top golfers in the world. He had 65 career victories including two U.S. Open victories in 1994 and 1997. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, he is one of only six golfers to win both the U.S. Open and the Open Championship twice. Els has a charitable foundation that helps low-income kids in South Africa learn to play golf.

Sasha Pieterse
Seventeen-year-old Sasha Pieterse, now known for her role as Alison DiLaurentis on Pretty Little Liars, was born in Johannesburg before moving to the U.S. Currently the youngest actress on the CW Network show, she began acting at age 6. Pieterse is also working on a country music album and has released several singles. Apparently they start ‘em young over in Joburg.

Orlando Bloom…sort of
OK, so this one gets a bit tricky. During Orlando Bloom’s childhood, he was told that his father, Harry Saul Bloom, was his mother’s husband – a Jewish South African-born anti-Apartheid novelist. Nine years after Harry’s death, Orlando learned at age 13 that his biological father was actually Colin Stone, a family friend, who became Orlando’s legal guardian. So he can be considered South African for 13 years at least.

Dean Geyer
The newest “Gleek,” Dean Geyer was relatively unknown to American audiences until he landed the role as Brody Weston on the fourth season of Glee. However, before that, he finished in third place on Australian Idol and briefly had a band named “Third Edge.” Geyer also calls Johannesburg home, although he moved to Australia when he was young (he even wrote a song entitled “Change” about the move).

Barack Obama
Just kidding! But wouldn’t that be funny?

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