St. Patrick's Day is an annual Irish holiday celebrated on March 17th. The festival is celebrated in honor of Saint Patrick, the most important patron saint of Ireland. With St. Paddy's Day just days away, here are five famous people you didn't know were of Irish descent:
Emily Ratajkowski
Emily Ratajkowski and Tom Cruise are of Irish origin {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Supermodel and actress Emily Ratajkowski has often been vocal about her strong connection to Ireland. She has claimed Irish heritage through her two grandmothers. The 32-year-old spent summers in Ireland during her childhood. “I absolutely love Ireland. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world and I have a strong connection here,” Ratajkowski once told the Irish Independent.
Tom Cruise
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Tom Cruise's Irish heritage dates back to the 12th century. The Mission Impossible star, whose paternal family is Irish, was amazed to learn about his roots. When told about his heritage, Cruise said: “I am very proud to be Irish. In America there is pride in being Irish. I can’t wait to come back and I want to visit the land of my ancestors and the castle they owned.”
Robert DeNiro
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Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro's little-known Irish heritage gained attention in 2019 when he portrayed the titular gangster in the Netflix film The Irishman. Both De Niro's Italian and Irish ancestry comes from his father's family. The 80-year-old actor's father and Robert Sr.'s mother were Irish on both sides of their family.
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman's thick Australian accent often obscures her diverse ancestry. The Expats star is of Irish, Hawaiian, Scottish and Australian descent. Of her connection to Ireland, Kidman once said: “We definitely have a strong Irish leaning on our father's side. We come from the Callaghor line and of course, the way I look, I have Irish skin.”
Meryl Streep
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The Devil Wears Prada icon Meryl Streep is surprisingly of Irish descent. Although she is known for having one of the most authentic “fake” Irish accents in the industry, her ties to Ireland are even stronger. Streep's maternal great-great-grandparents, Manus McFadden and Grace Strain, belonged to the Horn Head district of Dunfanaghy in Donegal before emigrating to Pennsylvania around 1864.
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