It's no secret plenty of celebs who are American tend to have ancestry from pretty much all over the world. Today's list focuses on Slavic ancestry which includes east Slavic countries like Russia and Ukraine, west Slavic countries like Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as south Slavic countries like Bulgaria and Slovenia. While there are some celebs who probably won't be that big of a surprise as they definitely have Slavic last names — it's safe to say that there are some very big Hollywood stars whom plenty don't know have Slavic roots.
From celebs who are actually born in a Slavic country like Mila Kunis and Nina Dobrev to those stars one would never guess have Slavic heritage like Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio — keep on scrolling to find out just which stars made it onto today's list!
10 Angelina Jolie Has Slovakian Roots
Kicking the list off is Hollywood star Angelina Jolie who has Slavic roots on her father's side. Angelina's father Jon Voight — who is also a famous actor — has a Slovakian father whose last name was actually Vojtka, which later on turned into Voight. Angelina Jolie has starred in numerous successful and critically-acclaimed movies and is certainly one of the biggest stars of her generation.
9 Leonardo DiCaprio Has Russian Roots
Let's move on to actor Leonardo DiCaprio who also has Slavic roots. Two of the Hollywood star's late grandparents were actually Russian and Leonardo often mentions his grandmother Yelena Smirnova in interviews. Just like Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio — who currently has a $260 million net worth — has over the past three decades established himself as a staple in the movie industry.
8 Emily Ratajkowski Has Polish Roots
A celebrity that many certainly could have guessed has Slavic roots based on her last name is model Emily Ratajkoski. Emily — who also has English, Irish, and German roots — has a father with Polish heritage.
The pretty brunette rose to fame in the past decade and is nowadays one of the most famous and fashionable models in the industry.
7 Nina Dobrev Has Bulgarian Roots
Next on the list is actress Nina Dobrev who rose to fame for her portrayal of Elena Gilbert on the fantasy drama The Vampire Diaries. Nina — whose full name is Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva — was actually born in Sofia, Bulgaria to Bulgarian parents who ended up moving to Canada when the actress was two years old. After that, Nina was raised in Toronto until her breakthrough as an actress.
6 Paul Wesley Has Polish Roots
Speaking of The Vampire Diaries — next on the list of celebs with Slavic roots is Nina Dobrev's former co-star Paul Wesley. The actor — whose real name is Pawel Tomasz Wasilewski — was born in the United States to Polish parents and he even speaks some Polish as he used to spend a few months each year in Poland while growing up.
5 And So Does Jared Padalecki
Another famous actor who has Polish roots is Jared Padalecki. The star — who rose to fame as Sam Winchester on the fantasy drama Supernatural has Polish roots on his father's side, which certainly doesn't come as a surprise to his fans as Jared's last name definitely sounds Slavic.
4 Ashton Kutcher Has Czech Roots
Next on the list is Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher who many may not know actually has Slavic roots as well.
Besides having German and Irish ancestry, the actor — who rose to fame as Michael Kelso in the sitcom That '70s Show — also has Czech roots. Ashton is definitely one of the many successful Hollywood stars with a Slavic heritage.
3 Mila Kunis Has Ukrainian Roots
Speaking of Ashton Kutcher — next on the list is his wife Mila Kunis. Mila — who also rose to fame on the sitcom That '70s Show in which he played Jackie Burkhart — was actually born in Chernivtsi in Soviet Ukraine. At the age of seven, Mila — whose full name is Milena Markovna Kunis — moved with her family to the United States where she ended up pursuing a career in acting.
2 Helen Mirren Has Russian Roots
Let's move on to Hollywood legend Helen Mirren who also has Slavic roots. Helen's father Vasily Petrovich Mironoff was a member of an exiled Russian nobility — which also means that Helen's actual last name Mironoff. Helen, however, was born in England where she developed a love for acting by starring in plays at her school — and the rest is certainly history.
1 Joaquin Phoenix Has Russian Roots
Wrapping the list up is actor Joaquin Phoenix who was actually born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many may not know that besides having English, German, and French ancestry on his father's side — Joaquin Phoenix actually has Slavic ancestry from his mother's side. His mother Arlyn was born in New York City to Hungarian and Russian parents. Out of all the celebs on today's list, it's probably most surprising that Joaquin Phoenix has Slavic roots!