Famous People Born On December 8th

Amongst the most influential female rap artists of all time and one of the bestselling artists, Nicki Minaj came to limelight after her collaborations with Dirty Money Record and Young Money Entertainment. With subsequent release of her four albums, Minaj firmly established herself as a chart-topping artist. The Queen of Rap has also dabbled in acting and ventured into business.

Ian Somerhalder is a successful actor, model, and director. He is also known for his activism; he is an ardent supporter of St. Tammany Humane Society, which aims at providing shelter to animals. In 2010, he founded the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which aims at educating people about the importance of safeguarding animals and the environment.

Considered the prototypical rock star, Jim Morrison remains one of the most influential singer-songwriters, almost five decades after his death. Jim influenced the counterculture of the 1960s as he embodied the hippie counterculture rebellion. Due to his erratic performances and wild personality, he is regarded as one of the most iconic frontmen in rock history.

Mary, Queen of Scots was the ruler of Scotland till 24 July 1567. After an uprising against her, Mary sought protection from her first cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. However, the Queen perceived her as a threat and kept Mary in confinement for eighteen and a half years. Ultimately Mary was beheaded for plotting to assassinate the Queen.

A shy schoolgirl, Kim Basinger grew up to become a successful model, actress and singer. After appearing in numerous advertisements, Kim began acting on television. Her breakthrough role came with movie Never Say Never Again where she played the Bond girl. Later, she won accolades for her performance in movies like The Natural, Batman, L.A. Confidential and Fifty Shades Darker.

Professional footballer Raheem Sterling currently plays as a winger and attacking midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City. He also plays for the England national team. Born in Jamaica, he moved to England as a child and started playing professional football when he was a teenager. He was named the FWA Footballer of the Year in the 2018-19 season.

AnnaSophia Robb is an American model, actress, and singer. Robb started her acting career as a child artist before establishing herself as a successful actress. A multi-talented personality, AnnaSophia Robb quit gymnastics and dancing at a young age to focus on her career as an actress. She serves as an inspiration to young and aspiring actresses.

Nicknamed “Mister Show Business,” posthumous Grammy-winner Samuel Davis Jr. was a multifaceted performer who excelled in dancing, singing, and acting. From delivering vaudeville performances as a child, Samuel graduated to creating Billboard charters and performing with Frank Sinatra as part of the Rat Pack. Sadly, he died in debt.

American professional basketball player, Dwight Howard, is known for his athleticism and his powerful physique. He is in the Los Angeles Lakers team of the National Basketball Association. He has also played for NBA’s Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. He was part of the US men’s national basketball team which won the 2008 Olympics gold medal.

A young rising actor, Tanner Buchanan is known for his work in television series Cobra Kai, Designated Survivor, The Fosters and Game Shakers. His talent was recognised by his parents early and after professional training, he made his debut with television series Modern Family in 2010. Since then, he has regularly appeared in more television series, films and short films.

The quintessential American on-screen martial artist, David Carradine specialized in playing martial arts roles in an illustrious acting career that spanned more than 60 years. Regarded as the bad boy of Hollywood, Carradine was arrested several times throughout his life for offenses involving substance abuse. He died in Bangkok, Thailand due to accidental autoerotic asphyxiation at the age of 72.

Gregg Allman was an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is credited with co-founding the rock band The Allman Brothers Band along with his brother Duane Allman. Dubbed the Southern rock pioneer, Allman was recognized for his distinctive, soulful voice; Rolling Stone magazine named him in its 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list.

Moroccan-Dutch kickboxer Badr Hari, also known as Bad Boy and The Golden Boy, has won the K-1 Heavyweight and Showtime Heavyweight championships. He represented the Netherlands until his loss to Stefan Leko, after which he began playing for Morocco, due to aggressive criticism from his Dutch fans.

Matthew Labyorteaux is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Albert Ingalls in the popular Western historical drama TV series Little House on the Prairie, for which he received a couple of Young Artist Awards in the 1980s. Also a voice actor, Matthew Labyorteaux has voiced characters in popular video games, such as Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Dharmendra is considered to be one of the most successful, popular and handsome actors in the history of Indian film industry. Though he is known for his action roles, he has done a wide range of Hindi films. Sholay, Bandini, Anupma, Phool Aur Paththar, Seeta Aur Geeta, Chupke Chupke, Satyakam and Azaad are some of his notable films.

Jean Sibelius was a Finnish violinist and composer. Widely regarded as Finland's greatest composer, Sibelius' music is credited with having kindled nationalism in Finland during the country's struggle for independence from Russia. His work has inspired other important composers like Douglas Lilburn. The International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, which is held every five years, is named after him.

Horace was a Roman lyric poet who was influential during the time of Augustus. Renowned for his Odes, Horace's ode-writing style was imitated by a number of aspiring poets in England during the 17th and 18th centuries when ode-writing was considered highly fashionable.

Lee J. Cobb was an American actor best remembered for playing intimidating, arrogant, and abrasive characters. He received two nominations for the prestigious Academy Award under the Best Supporting Actor category. Also renowned for his theatre work, Lee J. Cobb was inducted posthumously into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981. 

A Belgian actor, film producer and graffiti artist, Matthias Schoenaerts debuted at the age of 13 and attained star status with his 2008 film Loft. Later, his films Bullhead and Rust and Bone further increased his fame and brought him multiple awards. In 2015, the French Ministry of Culture named him the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. 

Maximilian Schell was an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hans Rolfe in the 1961 courtroom drama film, Judgment at Nuremberg. Remembered for his versatility, Schell received the Golden Globe Award for playing Vladimir Lenin in the 1992 TV film, Stalin. A multi-talented personality, Schell was also an accomplished conductor and pianist.

Utkarsh Ambudkar is an American rapper, actor, and singer. Apart from releasing extended plays, such as The Gold Tusk and Members Only, Ambudkar has also played interesting roles on stage, in films, and in TV series. Owing to his Indian origin, Utkarsh Ambudkar has often played characters of Asian background.

French sculptor Camille Claudel is also popularly known as legendary sculptor Auguste Rodin’s student, mistress, and muse. Claudel also contributed to many of Rodin’s masterpieces but never got any credit for it. After her relationship with Rodin soured, she became alienated and eventually died in an asylum.

Racing driver Ryan Newman, or Rocket Man, is best known for his association with the NASCAR Cup Series. Apart from being honored with awards such as the Sunoco Rookie of the Year, he has had seven wins in the Xfinity Series and one in the Camping World Truck Series.

Former finance minister of Malaysia Lim Guan Eng was no stranger to politics as a child, being the son of politician Lim Kit Siang. Educated in Malaysia and Australia, Eng had initially begun his career as a banker. He has faced a number of legal issues, including charges of corruption.