Famous Cuban Film & Theater Personalities

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.

Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American singer who achieved popularity in Cuba as a singer of guarachas during the 1950s. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most famous Latin artists, Cruz was nicknamed the Queen of Salsa. She is also revered for popularizing Latin music in the USA. Celia Cruz also won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Konnan is an American Cuban former professional wrestler who wrestled for national and independent promotions in Mexico and the USA. He held 15 title belts in nine promotions during an illustrious career that spanned almost 30 years. Konnan is also known for his involvement in the creation of Lucha Underground.

Jon Secada is a singer, voice actor, and songwriter. Having sold more than 15 million records, Secada is often counted among the best-selling Latin music artists. Apart from recording his own songs, he has also contributed as a songwriter for songs recorded by artists like Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and Gloria Estefan. Secada has received two Grammy Awards so far.
 

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.

La Lupe was a Cuban singer best remembered for her energetic and controversial live performances. She had a prolific and successful career throughout the 1960s and 1970s, during which she was one of the most acclaimed Latin singers in the United States. One of La Lupe's recordings was featured in the 1996 American comedy film The Birdcage.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a Cuban-born American politician and lobbyist. She is best known for representing Florida's 27th congressional district at the U.S. House of Representatives from 29 August 1989 to 3 January 2019. The first female Republican to be elected from Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is also the first Cuban-American politician elected to Congress.

Tomas Milian was a Cuban-born singer and actor best remembered for starring in European genre films. He also played important roles in non-genre films like La Luna, which earned him the Nastro d'Argento under the Best Supporting Actor category. Tomas Milian is also remembered for appearing in many Spaghetti Western films in the late-1960s and early-1970s. 
 

Born to journalist parents, who were both part of the Cuban intellectual sphere, Carmen Herrera received elite art education in Paris. The political unrest in Cuba forced her to leave her architecture studies incomplete and move to the U.S. She later established herself as a master painter of abstract art.

Leonardo Padura Fuentes is a Cuban journalist and novelist. One of the best known Cuban writers to have achieved international fame, Padura was honored with the prestigious National Prize for Literature in 2012. In 2015, he received the Princess of Asturias Award, one of the most prominent literary prizes in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Raquel Olmedo is a Cuban-born Mexican actress who achieved popularity during the last few years of Mexican cinema's Golden Age. She is best known for her portrayal of Doña Ramona González in the telenovela Abismo de pasión, which earned her the TVyNovelas Award. In 1984, Olmedo was inducted into the Paseo de las Luminarias for her television work.
 

Jesús Díaz was a Cuban writer and screenwriter best remembered for his books, The Initials of the Earth and That's Not the Way It Was. As a screenwriter, he contributed immensely to several films such as Alice in Wondertown and Polvo rojo.