80+ Biracial Celebrities

Hollywood red carpets, stadium tunnels, and arena stages have one big thing in common:
they’re full of people whose stories don’t fit neatly into a single box on a form.
Biracial celebrities – people with parents from two different racial or ethnic backgrounds –
are changing what global fame looks like and what representation means in the 21st century.

From Oscar winners and Grammy legends to sports icons and social-media powerhouses,
these more-than-80 biracial celebrities bring layered identities, blended cultures,
and very real conversations about race, privilege, and belonging. This guide doesn’t
rank anyone or act like ancestry is a fun party trick. Instead, it highlights names you
already know, explains why their visibility matters, and pulls together recurring themes
that show up again and again in their interviews and life stories.

What “Biracial” Really Means (and Why It’s Complicated)

“Biracial” is commonly used to describe people whose parents are identified as
different races – for example, a Black father and a white mother, or an Asian parent
and a Latino parent. Some prefer labels like “mixed-race,” “multiracial,” or simply
“Black,” “Asian,” or another identity that feels most accurate to them. A few celebrities
have even said they don’t like labels at all, and instead lean into culture, community,
and lived experience more than into ancestry charts.

One important reminder: racial identity is personal. Public information can tell us how
celebrities describe themselves and how their families are reported, but labels can shift
over time. The goal here is not to put anyone in a rigid category but to recognize people
who are widely known – and often self-described – as having mixed racial or ethnic heritage,
and to explore how that shapes their careers and platforms.

80+ Biracial Celebrities Redefining Representation

Here is a broad, non-exhaustive list of more than 80 biracial celebrities across film, TV,
music, sports, politics, and beyond. Many are American, some are global icons, and all have
made their mark while navigating layered identities in the public eye.

1. Zendaya – Emmy-winning actor and producer whose African-American and European heritage is part of how she talks about beauty standards and representation in Hollywood.
2. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – One of the world’s biggest movie and wrestling stars, born to a Black Nova Scotian father and a Samoan mother, proudly embracing both Black and Polynesian roots.
3. Halle Berry – Oscar-winning actor who has long discussed growing up with a white mother and Black father and how that shaped her understanding of race in America.
4. Mariah Carey – Pop and R&B legend with a Black Venezuelan-American father and an Irish-American mother, whose music often reflects themes of identity and resilience.
5. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle) – Former actor and member of the British royal family who has been outspoken about navigating life as a biracial woman in intensely public spaces.
6. Tiger Woods – Golf icon who famously described himself as “Cablinasian,” reflecting his Thai, Chinese, Black, and Native American ancestry.
7. Bob Marley – Reggae legend of Jamaican and white English heritage whose music still anchors global conversations about liberation and identity.
8. Maya Rudolph – Comedian and actor with a Black singer mother (Minnie Riperton) and a white Jewish father, known for tackling identity with humor and nuance.
9. Keanu Reeves – Action-movie favorite of Hawaiian, Chinese, English, Irish, and Portuguese descent, whose laid-back persona has made him a beloved, quietly multiracial star.
10. Jason Momoa – Aquaman star born to a Native Hawaiian father and a white mother, often highlighting his Pacific Islander heritage in his work and activism.
11. Hailee Steinfeld – Actor and pop artist with Filipino, African-American, British Isles, and other European roots, part of a new generation of multiracial stars in both film and music.
12. Nicole Scherzinger – Singer and TV personality whose background includes Filipino, Native Hawaiian, and Ukrainian ancestry, frequently celebrating Pacific Islander culture.
13. Vanessa Hudgens – Actor and singer with Filipina and Irish/Native American heritage who came to fame through Disney and has since embraced more mature, diverse roles.
14. Drake – Rapper and global hit-maker born to a Black father from Memphis and a white Jewish Canadian mother, often referencing his mixed background and Toronto upbringing in his lyrics.
15. Alicia Keys – Singer, songwriter, and activist with an African-American father and white Italian and Irish mother, known for soulful ballads and work on race and justice issues.
16. Bruno Mars – Performer whose dazzling shows reflect his Puerto Rican, Filipino, and Ashkenazi Jewish roots, helping push Latin and Pacific flavors into mainstream pop.
17. H.E.R. – Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician with a Black American father and Filipina mother, who often speaks about Black and Asian representation in music.
18. Halsey – Pop star with a Black father and white mother who has talked openly about being white-passing and how that shapes her conversations about race and privilege.
19. J. Cole – Rapper and producer born to a Black father and white mother, whose lyrics frequently explore class, race, and the nuances of growing up mixed in the American South.
20. Rashida Jones – Actor and writer, the daughter of music legend Quincy Jones and actor Peggy Lipton, who brings her Black and Jewish heritage into many of her creative projects.
21. Tracee Ellis Ross – Star of Black-ish and daughter of Diana Ross, with a Black mother and white Jewish father, often using comedy to address colorism and identity.
22. Zoë Kravitz – Actor, musician, and style icon, the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, whose work often centers on edgy, layered, unconventional characters.
23. Lenny Kravitz – Rock musician with a Black Bahamian-American mother and a white Jewish father, famous for blending genres and aesthetics.
24. Shemar Moore – TV actor who has described struggling to figure out “where he fit in” as a kid with a Black father and white mother and now embraces his mixed identity publicly.
25. Colin Kaepernick – Athlete and activist with a Black biological father and white mother, adopted by a white family, known for his protests against racial injustice in the NFL.
26. Naomi Osaka – Tennis champion born to a Haitian father and Japanese mother who represents Japan internationally and has become a symbol of multiracial identity in Japan.
27. Blake Griffin – NBA star with a Black father and white mother, whose high-flying style helped make him a household name in U.S. sports.
28. Patrick Mahomes – Super-Bowl-winning quarterback whose Black father and white mother have both appeared alongside him as he talks about race and leadership in the NFL.
29. Chloe Kim – Olympic snowboarder born to a South Korean father and a white mother, representing a different kind of multiracial visibility in winter sports.
30. Skylar Diggins-Smith – WNBA star of mixed heritage who often uses her platform to talk about representation and equity for women in sports.
31. Yara Shahidi – Actor and producer with Black and Iranian parents, known for blending activism with stardom and advocating for education and voting rights.
32. Logan Browning – Actor of mixed Black and white heritage who stars in projects that frequently examine race, such as Dear White People.
33. Jessica Alba – Entrepreneur and actor with Mexican, Danish, and other European ancestry, who has used her fame to build The Honest Company and promote inclusive beauty.
34. Gugu Mbatha-Raw – British actor born to a Black South African father and white English mother, known for complex roles in both sci-fi and period dramas.
35. Tessa Thompson – Actor of Afro-Panamanian and European descent who has spoken about fluidity in both identity and sexuality while starring in blockbusters like Thor.
36. Jesse Williams – Actor and activist with a Black father and white Swedish mother, widely recognized for his outspoken speeches on racial justice.
37. Shanina Shaik – Model of Pakistani, Saudi, Lithuanian, and Australian ancestry whose look challenges narrow runway beauty standards.
38. Kehlani – Singer with Black, Native American, Mexican, and Filipino roots who speaks openly about mental health, queerness, and identity.
39. Tyra Banks – Trailblazing Black supermodel whose family background includes different Black American lineages and whose show helped spotlight diverse models, including many multiracial contestants.
40. Adriana Lima – Brazilian supermodel with Indigenous, African, and European ancestry, often cited as an example of Brazil’s complex racial history.
41. Shakira – Global pop star with Colombian (including Indigenous and Spanish) and Lebanese roots, blending Latin and Middle Eastern influences in her music and dance.
42. Rihanna – Barbadian artist whose ancestry includes Afro-Caribbean and Irish roots, reshaping beauty norms with Fenty’s inclusive shade ranges.
43. Camila Cabello – Singer with Cuban and Mexican heritage who often talks about immigrant family stories in shaping her career.
44. Henry Golding – Actor of Malaysian and British heritage whose breakout role in Crazy Rich Asians helped expand ideas of Asian and mixed-Asian leading men.
45. Dev Patel – British actor of Indian descent who identifies strongly with his South Asian heritage while working largely in Western film industries.
46. Olivia Munn – Actor of Vietnamese and European ancestry who has spoken out about Asian representation and stereotypes.
47. Olivia Rodrigo – Pop superstar with a Filipina father and white American mother, whose success has made her one of Gen Z’s most visible mixed-Asian artists.
48. Darren Criss – Emmy-winning performer with a Filipina mother and white father, who frequently highlights his Asian heritage and queer fanbase.
49. Brenda Song – Actor with a Hmong American family background and a white partner, often cited in conversations about mixed-Asian representation in Disney’s 2000s era.
50. Nick Jonas & Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ daughter, Malti – Frequently discussed as part of a high-profile mixed-heritage celebrity family (Indian and American) even before she’s old enough to pick a favorite cartoon.
51. Barack Obama – Former U.S. president born to a Kenyan father and white American mother, whose biracial identity was central to both his biography and the public’s fascination with his story.
52. Kamala Harris – U.S. vice president with an Indian mother and Jamaican father, whose rise represents a new kind of multiracial political visibility.
53. Trevor Noah – Comedian born to a Black South African mother and white Swiss father under apartheid, whose memoir Born a Crime unpacks the politics of mixed identity.
54. Chrissy Teigen – Model and cookbook author with a Thai mother and white American father, known for honest conversations about motherhood, grief, and culture.
55. John Legend & Chrissy Teigen’s children – Frequently mentioned as celebrity “third-culture kids,” growing up with Thai, Black American, and white American influences.
56. Zayn Malik – Former One Direction member of British Pakistani heritage whose look and sound complicated old boy-band stereotypes.
57. Gigi & Bella Hadid – Supermodels with Palestinian and Dutch ancestry, whose success helps complicate ideas of Middle Eastern visibility in fashion.
58. Sabrina Carpenter – Pop singer with a mixed-European heritage who often collaborates and tours with multiracial artists, shaping Gen Z’s view of pop as a blended space.
59. Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin) – Model with mixed European and Indigenous Brazilian ancestry through her mother’s side, part of a highly visible cross-cultural marriage with Justin Bieber.
60. Lilly Singh – Creator and former late-night host born to Indian Punjabi parents in Canada, representing South Asian diasporic identity in mainstream U.S. TV.
61. Shanice Van de Sanden – Dutch soccer star of mixed heritage whose success shows that multiracial representation in sports is truly global.
62. Jordan Fisher – Actor and singer with Jamaican, Nigerian, Cambodian, English, Polynesian, and Italian ancestry, often cast in roles that don’t box him into any single background.
63. Tia & Tamera Mowry – Twins with a Black Bahamian father and white German mother, whose ’90s sitcom fame quietly normalized multiracial families on kids’ TV.
64. Logic – Rapper born to a Black father and white mother who frequently raps about being biracial and not fitting people’s expectations of what Blackness “should” look like.
65. Zendaya’s Euphoria co-stars – A number of them, like Barbie Ferreira and Alexia Demie, bring Latinx and mixed backgrounds that broaden the show’s representation.
66. Kelly Rowland’s children – Another example of second-generation multiracial celebrity families blending different Black, white, and other ancestries.
67. Michelle Rodriguez – Actor whose Dominican and Puerto Rican ancestry (with Indigenous and European roots) underscores how “biracial” and “Latino” often overlap in complex ways.
68. Maluma – Colombian singer whose mixed ancestry reflects the blended nature of Latin American identities, bringing reggaeton into mainstream pop charts.
69. Zendaya, again (on purpose) – Because she represents a new era: producer, fashion force, and multiracial woman insisting on creative control and saying no when stories flatten her identity.

This list could be even longer – there are far more than 80 biracial celebrities working
today – but the names above show just how wide-ranging multiracial identity has become
across industries and countries.

Common Themes in Biracial Celebrity Stories

1. Feeling “In Between”

Many biracial celebrities describe feeling like they’re constantly moving between worlds.
Some talk about being seen as “not Black enough” in Black spaces and “not white enough”
in white spaces. For light-skinned or white-passing stars, there’s often extra conversation
about privilege and responsibility – how to acknowledge colorism, speak up for communities
they’re part of, and avoid centering their experience when others face more direct harm.

2. Pressure to Pick a Side

Public narratives often push a simple label: Black, white, Asian, Latino, “other.”
Biracial celebrities frequently mention pressure from fans, media, or even marketing teams
to choose the identity that’s easiest to sell – or that best fits a story the world has
already decided to tell about them. Some choose one label; others proudly refuse and insist
on “both/and” rather than “either/or.”

3. Turning Identity into Power

Over time, a lot of biracial celebrities learn to treat their cross-cultural lives as a superpower.
They can move between communities, languages, and aesthetics. They can check casting rooms,
writers’ rooms, and press junkets when the questions get lazy or the representation feels thin.
They can also use their platforms to spotlight histories – from apartheid to immigration –
that rarely get this kind of global audience.

4. Family Stories at the Center

Listen closely and you’ll hear the same supporting characters in many interviews: the mom who
taught them about hair care others didn’t understand, the grandparent who shared recipes and
language from back home, the coach or teacher who helped them own their identity instead of
shrinking it down. These family stories matter because they show that the “biracial celebrity”
conversation is really about everyday families navigating race, love, and culture together.

What We Can Learn From Biracial Celebrity Visibility

Seeing biracial celebrities at the top of charts and box-office lists doesn’t magically fix
racism or colorism. But visibility does a few important things. It helps kids with mixed
backgrounds see faces that vaguely match theirs in places that once felt off-limits. It
pushes casting directors, brand executives, and journalists to move beyond one-dimensional
stereotypes. And it invites hard questions: Who gets to be called “relatable”? Whose accent
is considered “neutral”? Why do some mixed-race people get a pass while others get pushed
out?

When biracial celebrities talk openly about therapy, microaggressions, immigration,
language loss, or reconnecting with culture, they normalize the idea that identity is a
lifelong project, not a checkbox you fill out once at the DMV. That honesty can ripple far
beyond fandom and into how millions of people view their own families and histories.

Experiences and Reflections Around “80+ Biracial Celebrities”

Zooming in on the real-life experiences behind these names reveals patterns that go way
deeper than red-carpet photos. Over the past decade, interviews, podcasts, and essays by
biracial celebrities have added important nuance to public conversations about race.

One recurring theme is the tension between how someone sees themselves and how the world
insists on seeing them. Stars who are darker-skinned often talk about being read as Black
or Brown first – long before any “mixed-race” nuance enters the picture. Meanwhile,
lighter-skinned or white-passing celebrities describe the strange mix of being connected
to communities of color while also benefiting from proximity to whiteness in casting,
marketing, and everyday safety. Many of them emphasize that acknowledging privilege is
not about guilt; it’s about telling the truth so they don’t erase what others go through.

Another pattern is how much education falls on their shoulders. Biracial celebrities
frequently say they feel like living Diversity & Inclusion slideshows. On set, in
locker rooms, or in press interviews, they get questions about “where they’re really
from,” how to pronounce their names, or why a family member doesn’t “look like” them.
Some choose to patiently explain; others set boundaries and remind people that Google
exists. Either way, the constant low-level teaching can be exhausting, especially when
it happens in spaces that already demand peak performance.

There’s also the element of cultural inheritance. Many biracial celebrities describe
feeling like they’re carrying multiple family histories at once: the diaspora stories
of one parent, the immigrant journey of another, the specific regional culture of a
grandparent, the religion or language that might have been lost and then intentionally
reclaimed. That can be heavy, but it can also be deeply empowering. Some talk about
learning a grandparent’s language as adults, spending more time in a parent’s country
of origin, or taking roles that connect directly to their heritage as a way to honor
those stories on a global stage.

Fans with mixed backgrounds often see themselves reflected in these narratives. Social-media
comment sections under interviews about being biracial are full of notes like, “This is
exactly how I felt growing up,” or, “I finally saw someone who looks like my family.”
That kind of recognition can be life-changing, especially for teens and young adults
who haven’t yet found language for the “in-between” space they occupy.

At the same time, biracial celebrities remind us that mixed identity is not automatically
progressive or inclusive. They can still hold bias, benefit from colorism, or erase parts
of their own backgrounds to stay marketable. The healthiest conversations recognize both
the opportunities and the limitations: representation matters, but it has to come with
structural change, not just diverse faces on posters.

Ultimately, the stories of these 80+ biracial celebrities point to a bigger cultural shift.
The idea that there is one “default” way to look American, British, Japanese, Brazilian, or
anything else is fading. In its place, we get a more honest picture: cultures have always
been messy, blended, and in motion. These celebrities are not the source of that change –
ordinary families have lived it for generations – but their visibility helps everyone see
it more clearly.

Conclusion: Celebrating Complexity, Not Just Checking Boxes

Biracial celebrities aren’t diversity props or human ancestry quizzes. They’re artists,
athletes, politicians, and creators whose lives happen to sit at the crossroads of
cultures and racial histories. When they tell the truth about that experience – the joy,
the confusion, the privilege, the pain – they invite the rest of us to rethink our own
assumptions about identity.

As audiences, the best thing we can do is listen carefully, resist the urge to flatten
people into simple labels, and support work that reflects real complexity on screen, on
the field, and in our feeds. The future is not “post-racial”; it’s deeply aware of race,
power, and history – and it’s full of people whose stories refuse to be shrunk down to a
single box.