Robert De Niro. Stanley Tucci. Sylvester Stallone. When the conversation turns to celebrities with Italian heritage, it’s always the usual suspects that come to mind, isn’t it? But for every star with a clearly Italian surname, there’s another whose roots are much less apparent.
From music icons to cinema legends, here are 15 celebrities you probably didn’t know have a bit of Italy in their DNA!
1. Lady Gaga
Let’s start with an easy one. While we all know her as Lady Gaga, her birth name (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) clearly reveals her Italian heritage. Her roots trace back to Southern Italy: her paternal great-grandfather, Antonino Germanotta, emigrated from Naso, a small Sicilian village near Messina rumored to have been founded by a son of Aeolus, the God of Winds.
True to their background, the Germanotta family makes food the center of their household. They are so passionate about Italian cuisine that Lady Gaga’s parents opened their own restaurant, Joanne Trattoria, in New York, and her father even published a cookbook!
2. Bradley Cooper
While his surname comes from his Irish father, Bradley Cooper is half Italian thanks to his mother’s side of the family. His grandfather Angelo came from Naples, and his grandmother Assunta was born in Ripa Teatina, Abruzzo. Coincidentally, this tiny town is also where the family of boxing icon Rocky Marciano originated.
The actor grew up watching his grandmother cook, and his love for Italian cuisine runs deep. In fact, he once told the Italian magazine Amica that pastiera napoletana (the traditional ricotta and grain pie from Naples) would be his “last meal”!
3. Steve Carell
You might know him as Michael Scott from The Office, or perhaps as Olive’s Proust-loving uncle in Little Miss Sunshine (a personal favourite!), but Steve Carell hides a surprisingly Italian surname: his family’s real surname isn’t Carell at all… it’s Caroselli!
His father’s family originally comes from Bari, on the “heel” of the Italian boot. His great-grandfather worked as a butler in Naples before emigrating to the U.S. Then, in the 1950s, the actor’s grandfather changed the family name to Carell to make it sound more American.
4. Amy Adams
We’re heading north for our next star. Amy Adams’ connection to Italy goes beyond heritage—she was born here! She came into the world in Vicenza while her father was serving with the US military stationed in the city.
She then spent the first three years of her childhood in Aviano, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, before her family moved to the United States. It was a time she clearly holds dear, as she even named her daughter Aviana as a tribute to her Italian beginnings!
5. Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc’s Italian heritage is just as real as his character Joey Tribbiani’s in Friends. His mother, Patrizia Di Cillo, traces her roots to Arce, a medieval village south of Rome known for its archaeological park, which features the remains of an ancient Roman colony from the 2nd century BC.
With ancestry like that, it’s no wonder the actor could so perfectly capture the warmth, charisma, and legendary appetite of his famous character!
6. Madonna
Okay, the name is unmistakably Italian, but do you know why the queen of pop has such a strong connection to Italy? Born Madonna Louise Ciccone, she traces her paternal line to the village of Pacentro, in the heart of the Majella National Park in Abruzzo, from where her grandparents emigrated to the United States.
Pacentro is a lovely place to visit and is part of the Borghi più belli d’Italia circuit. If you go in early September, you might even catch the Corsa degli Zingari (literally, “Gypsy Run”), a centuries-old event where participants race barefoot down a rocky mountain slope to reach the Madonna at the altar of the local church
7. Sean Penn
Speaking of Madonna, her ex-husband (and two-time Oscar winner) Sean Penn also has a bit of Italian heritage. His mother, Eileen Annucci, was the daughter of Amerigo Giuseppe Annucci, an Italian dentist.
Rumors suggest that Amerigo originally came from the beautiful island of Sardinia, adding a unique twist to the actor’s background.
8. Alicia Keys
When you think of Alicia Keys, you think of New York City, soulful piano ballads, and R&B tunes. But a look at her birth name (Alicia Augello Cook) reveals a surprising connection to Italy. The name Augello comes from her mother, whose family roots are planted in Southern Italy, specifically Sciacca, Sicily, and Lamezia Terme, Calabria.
Alicia has always been proud of her background, famously declaring on Facebook, “I am black and Italian, among other things mixed in.” And she seems keen to reconnect with the country in a big way, too: rumors have circulated that she was looking to buy a 16th-century property in the Oltrepò Pavese wine region in Northern Italy (here’s the article in Italian).
9. Steven Tyler
Another famous singer has roots in Calabria: Steven Tyler. The legendary voice of Aerosmith was actually born Steven Victor Tallarico. His grandfather, Giovanni, emigrated from Cotronei, a small village near Crotone nestled in the Sila National Park.
The singer visited the village back in 2013 to meet his relatives who had remained in Calabria. At one point, there were even ambitious plans to open a museum dedicated to the rock star inside the historic palace where his grandfather once lived, though, sadly, the project seems to have stalled for now.
10. Susan Sarandon
Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon boasts a fantastic Italian mix, having both Tuscan and Sicilian blood on her mother’s side. Her grandfather, Giuseppe Vincenzo Criscione, was from Ragusa in Sicily, while her grandmother, Anita Rigali, came from Coreglia, a village in the hills near Lucca in Tuscany.
Her bond with Italy remains very much alive today. She had a daughter, Eva, with the Roman director Franco Amurri. She’s also been trying to obtain Italian citizenship and appeared on the show Who Do You Think You Are?, traveling to Tuscany to uncover the mysterious story of her nonna Anita.
11. Nicolas Cage
Another actor hiding a strong Italian lineage behind a stage name is Nicolas Cage. Born Nicolas Kim Coppola, he is the nephew of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, with whom he shares ties to Bernalda, the town in Basilicata where part of the family originally came from.
Why the name change? When he started acting, he didn’t want to rely on his uncle’s fame to get roles. So, he dropped “Coppola” and adopted “Cage,” a tribute to the Marvel Comics hero, Luke Cage!
12. Jason Biggs
Who would have guessed that even American Pie star Jason Biggs has Italian roots? While famous for playing the awkward, quintessentially American teenager Jim Levenstein, the actor actually has a strong Southern Italian lineage. His mother’s family comes from Modica, the beautiful Sicilian town famous for its chocolate, while his paternal grandmother was originally from Naples.
He obtained his Italian citizenship, cementing his bond with the country. He also recently travelled to Italy to present his first film as a director, Untitled Home Invasion Romance, at the Torino Film Festival.
13. Bruce Springsteen
“The Boss” might be the ultimate American icon, but there is a distinct touch of Italy in his roots. His maternal grandfather, Antonio Zerilli, came from Vico Equense, a coastal town near Naples, where he once owned a bar called Gran Caffè Zerilli. The singer is incredibly proud of his Italian heritage, and during a concert in Naples’ Piazza del Plebiscito in 2013, he famously dedicated the song “My Hometown” to his grandfather’s village.
After years under different names, the historic bar in Vico Equense is back to its original title. So, you can now visit Gran Caffè Zerilli in Piazza Umberto I for an espresso and a toast to the rock star’s family.
14. Cyndi Lauper
As Cyndi Lauper once declared, she comes “from a line of great Sicilian women.” Her mother, Catrine Gallo, traces her roots to Sicily’s capital, Palermo. Her grandmother’s story is a glimpse into a different era: she arrived in the United States through a marriage arranged by her father.
The singer has always embraced her Italian heritage, even if she fought against the strict traditions and expectations she grew up with. And she credits those strong Sicilian women in her family with fueling her fighting spirit.
15. Michael Bublé
Canadian crooner Michael Bublé holds dual citizenship thanks to his Italian grandparents. His grandfather, Demetrio Santagà, was from Sambughè (near Treviso in the Veneto region), while his grandmother, Iolanda Moscone, came from Carrufo (near L’Aquila in Abruzzo).
The singer actually owes his career to his nonno. Demetrio was his grandson’s first fan and biggest champion, he would even fix pipes in local pubs for free just so young Michael could get on stage and sing a few songs. Amore di nonno!
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
