20 American actors who are strangely famous in other countries

Nicolas Cage is super famous in China, but is it all that surprising? That man is very worldly. If any celebrity is going to be famous in another country, it’s Cage. 

Jessica Simpson hasn’t acted steadily since the mid-2000s. Her work was never taken well in the United States, but her film Blonde Ambition made her very famous in the Ukraine. 

David Hasselhoff is famous in the United States, and he’s famous in Germany. But this strangely makes sense. If someone were to tell you that Hasselhoff is actually a German actor, you might believe them. Something about the Hoff reads German. 

Chuck Norris is huge in Romania. After tapes of his films were smuggled into the country, he became a symbol of the country’s fight against communism in the 1980s. 

Halle Berry should be famous everywhere, and she is famous in many places. The Oscar winner has lots of fans in the United States and a huge following in China, where she’s even won awards. 

Bruce Lee is known as a Hong Kong-American actor, and while he’s famous in both China and the United States, he has another country that loves him. The action star is very famous in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He’s even got his own statue there. 

John Cusack might be more famous outside the United States than he is in it. While he’s had plenty of hit movies here, he’s also found huge success in China, which started with his work in the film Dragon Blade. 

Edward Furlong hasn’t quite moved past his reputation as the kid from Terminator 2, but he’s still found work in lots of projects since then. And his work has been appreciated somewhere. He’s beloved in Japan. 

Before his death, Jerry Lewis was quite the popular figure in France. He made an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival every year. In Paris, there was a film festival held in Lewis’ honor. 

Miranda Cosgrove is famous in Brazil. The citizens there campaigned to get iCarly in the country, even making social media accounts to declare their love for Cosgrove. 

Perhaps more interesting than the celebrities who make it big in other countries are the projects that become popular overseas. The King of Queens was huge in Germany during its run, making Kevin James very popular among the country’s citizens. 

Nick Jonas has lots of fans in India. The singer and actor’s fame there shouldn’t be too surprising, though, as his wife, Priyanka Chopra, is originally from the country and is still quite famous there. 

Clint Eastwood is an icon. He’s had a long and successful career in the United States, and he’s found plenty of success in Italy, too. The Italians have loved Eastwood since the ‘60s, thanks to the Dollars Trilogy. Eastwood’s popularity in Italy is part of the reason American Sniper performed so well over there. 

George Clooney had a huge following in Colombia in the 2000s. In defense of the Colombian people, the 2000s were a great decade for Clooney. 

Sylvester Stallone has a huge Soviet following. The Oscar nominee has garnered lots of fans in Russia, making the country responsible for some of the highest overseas earnings for multiple Stallone films, including Grudge Match and The Expendables. 

Sydney Sweeney has loads of fans in Australia. This is not quite as surprising as some celebs’ international followings, considering the cultural similarities between Australia and the United States, but it’s still interesting information. 

Trinidad and Tobago has lots of local artists who are famous in the country, but they’ve got a soft spot for some American celebrities, too. Denzel Washington is famous there, as are many Marvel and Fast and Furious alums. 

Okay, Tom Cruise might be famous everywhere because of his truly insane action-star prowess. But he’s also quite famous in Madagascar, which is interesting, if nothing else. 

Angelina Jolie also has a strong international presence, thanks to her acting work and humanitarian efforts. But she’s especially beloved in Cambodia as she adopted one of her children from the country and made her directorial debut with the film First They Killed My Father, which is about Cambodian history. 

You might be wondering, where isn’t Leonardo DiCaprio famous? He’s been in dozens of hit films, has an Oscar, and has been at this whole acting thing since he was a teenager. While many countries like the actor, some are more fond of him than others, including Taiwan. DiCaprio has a huge following in the Asian island nation.