5 Famous Actors and Musicians from Miami

You don’t need us to tell you that Miami is a city brimming with opportunity. That’s why we’re here, right?

Over the years, Miami has been home to a host of athletes, entertainers, scientists, adventure-botanists and political figures who have all gone on to do amazing things in the world. Here are just a few musicians and actors who came from right here in Miami and who changed the scenes of their industries.

5 celebrity entertainers born in South Florida

Anya Taylor-Joy

You may recognize this famous actress from her roles in film and television series, including the horror movies “The Witch,” “Glass” and “Last Night in Soho,” as well as the award-winning series “The Queen’s Gambit.” 

Though raised in Argentina, then in England, by her Scottish-Argentine father and English-Spanish mother, Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy was born right here in Miami on April 16, 1996. She’s been all over the world since then, and has continued to grow her film career higher than ever!

Eva Mendes

Actress Eva Mendes is well known for her roles in “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Ghost Rider,” “Hitch” and “Training Day,” as well as a host of other action-adventure films since her career took off in 2001. Though she grew up in Los Angeles and attended university in California, she was born right here in Miami on March 5, 1974 to Cuban parents. Her connection to the Magic City remained strong through her early career, evident through her featured appearance in Will Smith’s single “Miami” in 1998. 

Mendes’ final film appearance was in 2014 in husband Ryan Gosling’s first directorial endeavor “Lost River” in 2014, and since then has appeared occasionally in several television roles. 

Lil Pump

Rapper Lil Pump is best known from his single “Gucci Gang,” which was released in mid-2017, though he was a popular name in South Florida’s underground rap circles and in the SoundCloud rap scene. 

Born Gazzy Garcia in Miami on August 17, 2000, Lil Pump’s troubled childhood pushed him to enter the music scene at a young age, where he began producing freestyle tracks with friends and uploading them to SoundCloud. 

His success on SoundCloud made Lil Pump an internet sensation and a recognizable name in the South Florida rap scene, and soon he had signed deals with record labels like Warner Bros. Records. Though his climb up the ladder of stardom has slowed since 2018, Lil Pump is still well-known for his studio album and his collection of hit singles. 

Pitbull

Mr. Worldwide himself is from right here in Miami, believe it or not!

Born to Cuban parents who emigrated to Miami, Armando Christian Pérez was born on January 15, 1981 and lived in Florida for the first three years of his life before moving to Atlanta, Georgia.

It was in his early childhood that he first heard of and listened to the poetry of famous Cuban hero Jose Marti, from whom he found an early appreciation of the spoken word. Pitbull pursued music straight out of high school and began collaborating with artists in the Crunk genre of pop music. He had his first rapping break in 2002 on Lil Jon’s album “King of Crunk,” and two years later he had released his first studio album “M.I.A.M.I. (Money is a Major Issue). 

In 2009, the City of Miami presented Pitbull with a key to the city to honor his contributions to the music world.

Sidney Poitier

Critically acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier was born in Miami on February 20, 1927, while his Bahamian parents were visiting the United States on vacation. His parents were farmers who, as Sidney grew up, decided to send him to live with his uncle in New York City in order to receive a better education. 

Poitier never went to school, but instead learned to read from a waiter who worked at the restaurant where he washed dishes. He was interested in theatre and the arts from a young age, and he joined the American Negro Theater where he worked on singing, acting and performing.

Poitier’s hard work paid off, and by the 1950s he was a successful Broadway actor and was receiving multiple offers to appear in films. His big break came in 1955 when he played the social commentary film “Blackboard Jungle,” and in 1963 he received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film “Lilies of the Field.” He was the first black actor to win that award, and his continued work in social commentary films brought him wide acclaim.

In 1997, he was appointed as the Bahamian ambassador to Japan, which he held until 2007 while also serving as the Bahamian ambassador to UNESCO. 

Who knows, maybe one of you living in our South Florida apartments will be added to this list one day! If you do, though, give us a shout-out, will-ya?

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/MustangJoe