Priyanka Chopra and more celebs who are international stars

By Mariel Turner 8:30am PDT, Jul 16, 2018

Now more than ever, entertainment has become a global industry. To celebrate the birthday of one of the biggest international stars around, Priyanka Chopra, Wonderwall.com is taking at look at celebs who have a global following — starting with the Indian actress. Priyanka — who turns 36 on July 18, 2018 — first came to fame starring in hit Bollywood films such as "Aitraaz," "Krrish" and "Don" after she was crowned Miss World in 2000. After establishing herself as a star in India, she made the transition to Hollywood in 2015 when she was cast as Alex Parrish on the ABC drama "Quantico." Priyanka's global impact continues to grow with roles in the "Baywatch" movie and the upcoming rom-com "Isn't It Romantic." She even has prominent international friends (Duchess Meghan, anyone?) and an internationally beloved pop star boyfriend (Nick Jonas). Keep reading to see which other celebs are big international stars!

Penelope Cruz began her career in her native Spain in the early '90s hosting the teenage talk show "La Quinta Marcha." The Spanish beauty followed up her hosting gig with roles in Spanish projects including "Abre Los Ojos," "Jamón, jamón" and "La Niña de tus Ojos." Penelope hit it big in Hollywood when she was cast as Sofia Serrano in "Vanilla Sky" opposite the man who would soon become her first high-profile boyfriend — Tom Cruise — and the rest is history. Today, Penelope is an Academy Award winner and Emmy nominee who's starred in major Hollywood projects including "Nine," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story."

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Jackie Chan is the definition of an international superstar. The Hong Kong actor and martial artist has appeared in more than 150 American and Chinese films and has a huge following in both markets. Jackie, who's received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, began his career in the 1960s as a stuntman for Bruce Lee. Fast-forward a few years and he became a huge A-lister in China. In 1998, he broke into the Hollywood market with a leading role in the action-comedy "Rush Hour." Today, he's a globally renowned icon who also happens to be one of the highest paid actors in the world.

Shakira is a superstar who is loved around the world. The Colombian singer first made waves in her native Latin America with her super-successful albums "Pies Descalzos" and "Dónde Están los Ladrones?" before debuting in the English-language American market with "Whenever, Wherever" in 2002 (who can forget that song?!). Shakira, who lives in Spain with soccer-star partner Gerard Piqué and their two kids, is now a huge celebrity with chart-topping hits around the world such as "Hips Don't Lie" and "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)."

Lupita Nyong'o is an international star in more ways than one. The Kenyan actress was actually born in Mexico, raised in Kenya and educated in America, where she graduated from Hampshire College and the Yale School of Drama. She first found fame starring in the hit Kenyan show "Shuga" then broke into Hollywood when she was cast in "12 Years a Slave," a performance that earned her an Academy Award. She's now globally recognized thanks to her work in international hits like "Black Panther," "The Jungle Book" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

Aishwarya Rai is one of the most popular and influential stars in India and she's also made a name for herself in global markets. The stunningly gorgeous Indian actress won Miss World in 1994 and began acting in several successful Bollywood films. She achieved global recognition in 2004 when she was cast in the British film "Bride and Prejudice." Aishwarya has since appeared in the epic Hollywood film "The Last Legion."

Alicia Vikander came to fame starring in Swedish short films and TV series, such as "Andra Avenyn" and "Pure." The ballerina-turned-actress — who was born and raised in Sweden but in 2018 told Vogue that she and Irish-German husband Michael Fassbender had decided to live in Portugal — broke into Hollywood in 2012. Alicia gained international recognition starring as activist Vera Brittain in "Testament of Youth," playing a humanoid robot in "Ex Machina" (for which she was nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA awards) and taking on the role of painter Gerda Wegener in "The Danish Girl," for which she won a best supporting actress Oscar.

Marion Cotillard is globally recognized for her work in French and American films. The Oscar-winning actress — who was born and raised in Paris — starred in a number of French movies in the '90s and early 2000s, such as "Les Jolies Choses" and "La Guerre dans le Haut Pays." In 2003, the mother of two (with partner Guillaume Canet) began starring in English-language films and by 2007, she was an international name, thanks to her award-winning performance in "La Vie en Rose." Today, Marion's resume includes a long list of successful and respected films including "Nine," "Public Enemies," "Rust and Bone" and "The Dark Knight Rises."

Djimon Hounsou, who was born and raised in the African nation of Benin before moving to France at age 12, has made his mark in the entertainment industry on a global level. The two-time Oscar nominee began his career as a model in Paris before transitioning to acting and earned roles in high-profile films including "Gladiator," "In America," "Blood Diamond" and "Guardians of the Galaxy." Next up, the international star will be reprising the role of Korath the Pursuer in "Captain Marvel."

Sophia Loren is one of the very first international superstars. The octogenarian actress was born Sofia Villani Scicolone in Rome. She began starring in several successful Italian films, such as "Aida" and "The Gold of Naples," in the 1950s and by the 1960s, she was a Hollywood bombshell. Sophia went on to star in "The Pride and the Passion," "Houseboat," "It Started in Naples" and "Two Women." The Academy Award winner is now a certified movie icon and globally recognized acting legend who's still revered as a sex symbol.

Freida Pinto is an actress who has impacted both the Indian and Hollywood markets. The BAFTA Award nominee began her career as a model and TV host in India before getting her big break in 2008 when she was cast in "Slumdog Millionaire." She followed up the acclaimed film with other major movies including "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and "Desert Dancer." Freida is celebrated today as a globally recognized star who broke the stereotypical image of an Indian woman in foreign films.

The King of Latin Pop, better known as Enrique Iglesias, established himself as one of the biggest stars in the Hispanic and Latin American markets in the mid-1990s before crossing over into the American mainstream in 1999. Today, the Madrid-born music star — whose father is famed Spanish singer Julio Iglesias and longtime partner is Russian former pro tennis player Anna Kournikova (the mother of his twins) — has sold more than 170 million records worldwide and released mega-hits such as "Escape" and "Bailamos."

Stellan Skarsgard has been a longtime international star. The Swedish actor began his career with roles in Swedish and Danish productions in the '70s. By the 1980s, Stellan was working in Hollywood and gaining a global audience. Today, he is well-known for his roles in "The Hunt for Red October," "Mamma Mia!," "Angels and Demons," "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Thor" and "The Avengers." The father of eight (his kids include actors Alexander, Gustaf, Bill and Valter Skarsgard) still actively stars in Swedish films in addition to his Hollywood roster of movies.

Sofia Vergara has dominated both the Latin and Hollywood markets. The Emmy-nominated Colombian actress rose to fame co-hosting two television shows for Spanish-language TV network Univisión in the late 1990s. She transitioned to English-speaking roles and gained an international following when she started playing Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on "Modern Family," a show that has made Sofia — who's married to actor Joe Manganiello — one of the highest paid actresses on television.

Christoph Waltz has successfully acted in American, Austrian, British, French, Romanian and German movies! The Vienna native got his start starring in German and Austrian productions before breaking into Hollywood with his memorable role as SS officer Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" in 2009. The Academy Award winner has since starred in "Django Unchained," "The Zero Theorem," "Spectre" and "Big Eyes," solidifying his international star status.

Since her debut in the early '90s, Salma Hayek has become a globally celebrated star. The Mexican actress — who is also of Lebanese descent and now lives in Paris with her daughter and husband François-Henri Pinault, a billionaire whose company owns brands including Gucci — started her career on the telenovela "Teresa" before starring in a few Mexican films. By the mid-'90s, Salma was working in Hollywood with roles in "Desperado," "From Dusk till Dawn," "Dogma" and "Wild Wild West." She achieved international recognition for playing Frida Kahlo in 2002's "Frida" and today is still recognized as a Hollywood A-lister.

Much like wife Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem is a globally known superstar. The Spanish actor starred in a number of Spanish films including "Jamón, jamón" and "Carne trémula" before breaking into Hollywood. He's since starred in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," "Skyfall" and "No Country for Old Men" — a performance that won him an Oscar.

Zhang Ziyi has managed to build an equally successful career in both China and Hollywood. The Beijing native has starred in a slew of Chinese and American blockbusters including "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Rush Hour 2," "Hero," "House of Flying Daggers," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "The Grandmaster." Today, the Golden Globe nominee has a huge international following and lives with her husband, Chinese rock star Wang Feng, and their daughter in her native China.

Antonio Banderas has managed to make a name for himself in the Spanish and American markets. The actor, who was born and raised in Spain, began his career acting in Spanish films before transitioning to Hollywood in the early '90s. He's since starred in many Hollywood blockbusters including "Evita," "Interview with the Vampire," "Philadelphia" and the "Shrek" movies.

French actress Audrey Tautou was only a teenager when she began her career in cinema in her native France. Now in her 40s, she starred in several critically acclaimed French films before making her mark in Hollywood in the quirky 2001 film "Amélie." Years later, Audrey is a certified international star who's taken on roles in British, American and French movies.