Colombian

Grammy award winning Colombian pop singer, Shakira is best known for hits like Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don't Lie. One of the most successful Latin American recording artists, she is also one of the world's best-selling music artists. Her first hit album was Pies Descalzos after which she entered the English music market with her big hit album, Laundry Service.

Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, also known as “Gabo,” is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the magic realism literary style. His novels One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera have achieved cult status. He previously worked as a journalist.

Sofia Vergara is a Colombian-American actress, model, and TV producer. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in American TV. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a TV host. She began gaining popularity as an actress in the 2000s and appeared in many TV shows and films. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including an NAACP Image Award.

A notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar was the founder and leader of the infamous Medellín Cartel. His drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade into the United States and he became one of the wealthiest criminals ever in history. Dubbed "The King of Cocaine", he left behind a controversial legacy upon his death at the age of 44.

James Rodríguez is a versatile football player adept at playing as a central midfielder, playmaker, and winger. At the initial stages of his career, he was counted among the best young international players. He made a major impact during the 2014 FIFA World Cup where he won the Golden Boot for scoring the most number of goals.

J Balvin is a Colombian singer whose genres include reggaeton, hip hop, and Latin pop. Known as the Prince of Reggaeton, Balvin is one of the highest-selling Latin music artists in the world. He was presented with the Global Icon Award for spreading Latin music worldwide. In 2020, he was named in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People.

Omayra Sánchez was a Colombian girl who died at age 13. After the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted in 1985, a massive lahar demolished her home and Sánchez was trapped in the water beneath the debris of her home. She died after struggling for 60 hours, and has remained a prominent figure in popular culture; she is remembered through music.

Carlos Valdes is a Colombian-American actor, dancer, and singer. Valdes is best known for playing Cisco Ramon / Vibe in the popular American superhero TV series, The Flash. He portrays the role in other Arrowverse-related projects as well. A multi-talented personality, Valdes is also an accomplished instrumentalist and songwriter; he plays the piano, guitar, ukulele, percussion, and bass.

Virginia Vallejo is a Colombian journalist and author. After Vallejo claimed that many Colombian politicians and presidents were benefiting from the leading cocaine cartels, she was granted asylum in the USA in order to help the DEA and the Justice Department in cases pertaining to the Colombian drug cartels. Her book, Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar, was made into a film.

Colombia-born American actor Isabella Gomez is best known as the lesbian character Elena Alvarez from the sitcom One Day at a Time. Being an only child of her parents, she mostly grew up watching TV shows and later plunged into acting. She has also appeared in Matador and Modern Family.

Maluma is a Colombian singer, actor, and songwriter. After developing an interest in music early in his life, Maluma started recording songs at age 16. He then went on to collaborate with many successful artists and is currently among the best-selling Latin music artists, with sales of more than 26 million records worldwide.

Colombian pop sensation Sebastián Yatra soared to fame with singled such as Traicionera and Robarte un Beso. Yatra was a promising soccer player in school. He was in the news for his relationship with Argentine singer Tini Stoessel, and their subsequent break-up announcement on Twitter broke their fans’ hearts.

Juan Manuel Santos is a Colombian politician who served as the 32nd president of Colombia. He is credited with co-founding the Social Party of National Unity, which he led to prominence. For his efforts to put an end to Colombia's more than 50-year-long civil war, Santos was honored with the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.

Carmen Villalobos is a Colombian actress best known for her role in the telenovela Sin senos no hay paraíso, for which she won a Your World Award. She started acting as a teenager and initially appeared in small roles in TV shows. As her career progressed, she was able to bag more substantial roles in both TV shows and films.

Colombian-born actor Zulay Henao made headlines for her relationship with Entourage actor Kevin Connolly, after an Instagram post in 2021 declared they were expecting a child. She had plunged into acting after serving in the U.S. Army for 3 years and later gained fame with series such as The Oath.

German-Colombian drug kingpin Carlos Lehder, co-founder of the Medellín Cartel, which smuggled cocaine into the U.S., formed the Muerte a Secuestradores, to fight against the kidnappings of his cartel members. He escaped from the kidnappers but spent a 33-year sentence in the U.S., following which he was released.

Juan Pablo Raba is a Colombian actor best known for his portrayal of Gustavo Gaviria in the American crime drama TV series, Narcos. Over the years, he has established himself in the American TV industry. Apart from being an actor, Raba takes an active part in the campaigns organized by several animal and human rights organizations.

Nina García is a Colombian-American fashion journalist. She is the current editor-in-chief of Elle and has been a judge on the Bravo/Lifetime reality TV program Project Runway. She has a degree in fashion merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and has worked with the prominent fashion designer Marc Jacobs. She is the author of four books. 

Two-time Tony-nominated actor Samuel E. Wright is best known for his performances in The Lion King and The Tap Dance Kid. Fans also know him as the voice of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, and his track Under the Sea, from the movie, won an Academy Award.