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Serving as the Cuban prime minister from 1959 to 1976 and as president from 1976 to 2008, Fidel Castro was one of the most prominent Cuban leaders in the history. As the longest-reigning non-royal head of the 20th and 21st centuries, Castro was responsible for making Cuba a communist state.
A Spanish-Cuban actress, Ana de Armas worked in Spanish films and television shows before moving to Hollywood. Overcoming the obstacle of not knowing English, she established herself as a solid actress by working in films like Knives Out and Blade Runner 2049. She will play a Bond girl in No Time to Die movie and will portray Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix biopic Blonde.
Desi Arnaz was born wealthy but lost everything in the 1933 Cuban Revolution. He paired up with his first wife, Lucille Ball, in I Love Lucy, thus inventing the modern sitcom/syndicated show format, with live audiences. He owned a production company and was the bandleader of the Desi Arnaz Orchestra.
Widely considered one of the most athletic competitors ever in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Yoel Romero is often compared with the greats of the sport. A former freestyle wrestler, Romero earned Cuba a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
José Fernández was a Cuban-American baseball player who played for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball from 2013 to 2016. Renowned for his skills as a pitcher, José had four pitches in his armory: a four-seam fastball, a slurve, a changeup, and a sinker. He died at the age of 24 when a speedboat, which he was piloting, crashed.
Fulgencio Batista was the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944. He formed the constitution of Cuba. He later became a dictator through a coup. He was finally ousted by Che Guevara at the Battle of Santa Clara, as part of Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement.
Actor and comedian, Jorge Garcia, is best known for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the TV series, Lost. An alumnus of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), he also studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse acting school. Besides acting in TV shows and films, he performs as a stand-up comedian as well.
Assata Shakur is a former member of the revolutionary organization 'Black Liberation Army'. Sentenced to life for murder, Shakur escaped from the 'Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women' and was eventually granted political asylum in Cuba. She is the first woman to be added to FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list. Her life inspired the documentary film Eyes of the Rainbow.
French-Cuban-American diarist, essayist, and novelist Anais Nin wrote several volumes of journals, erotica, novels, critical studies, essays, and short stories. Her journals and diaries are among her most studied works. She had a deep interest in psychoanalysis and studied it extensively with René Allendy and Otto Rank. Critics consider her one of the finest writers of female erotica.
Cuban-American TV personality Daisy Fuentes became MTV's first Latina VJ and Revlon's first global Latina spokesperson. She also hosted America's Funniest Home Videos and later launched a clothing and haircare line. She has worked for cancer research and other charitable causes, too. She is married to singer Richard Marx.
Faizon Love is a Cuban-American comedian and actor known for playing important roles in films like Friday, Torque, and Couples Retreat. In 2014, he was caught up in a controversy when he made a series of contentious comments on Twitter pertaining to the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby. In 2017, he was arrested after being accused of misdemeanor assault.
Miguel Díaz-Canel is a Cuban politician and the current president of Cuba. As president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel has made several international trips, visiting places like India, Azerbaijan, and Russia. He has also interacted with presidents and prime ministers of several countries. In 2018, he was honored with the prestigious Order of the Liberator by the government of Venezuela.
Son of Spanish immigrants, Jose Marti spent his childhood in a strife-torn Cuba and attended high school on financial aid. Marti’s poems, essays, and articles were laced with his patriotic vigor to free Cuba from the Spanish rule. He died battling on the field at Dos Ríos.
Anabelle Acosta is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Natalie Vasquez in the thriller drama TV series, Quantico. Born in Havana, Cuba, Acosta went on to establish herself as an actress in the American film and TV industry. She is also known for playing Annabella in the comedy-drama television series, Ballers.
Cuban-American actor Georg Stanford Brown of The Rookies fame had worked as a janitor to pay for his drama school. He incidentally met his wife at the same school. He won an Emmy for his direction in Cagney & Lacey and was nominated for two more for Hill Street Blues.
Vida Guerra is a Cuban-born American model. As a young woman, she entered several fashion shows and started bagging modeling assignments. She became internationally famous after appearing in a lingerie spread for FHM in December 2002 and has since worked with many international brands. She has also appeared in a few TV shows.
Selenis Leyva is best known as Gloria Mendoza from the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. The Cuban-born actor was raised in The Bronx and is thus considered a prominent Afro-Latina icon. She has also penned a book and is a vocal supporter of the LGBT community, too.
Xavier Cugat was a Spanish musician and bandleader. He studied classical violin as a child and began working in silent films to support his family. He grew up to become a successful musician and played a leading role in the spread of Latin music. Besides music, he was also a cartoonist and a restaurateur. He was married five times.
Lili Estefan is a model who achieved popularity in 1986 when she was chosen to appear as a model on the Spanish-language TV show, Sábado Gigante. She then went on to become a popular model, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Premios TVyNovelas in 2015. She is one of the judges on a reality show titled Mira Quien Baila.
Steven Bauer is a Cuban-American actor best known for playing Cuban drug lord, Manny Ribera, in the American crime drama film, Scarface, a film which gave him an opportunity to work with actors like Al Pacino. Bauer received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the film. He then went on to establish himself as a serious actor.
