18 famous people born on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Jeremy Strong

Actor Jeremy Strong, born December 25, 1978, has been a familiar face in the awards race in recent years. He won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role as Kendall Roy in Succession, and a Tony Award for his performance in the 2024 Broadway revival of The People’s Enemy. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2025 for his role as New York lawyer Roy Cohn in The Apprentice (2024), and will co-star with Anne Hathaway and Adam Driver in James Gray’s new crime drama Paper Tiger.

Taylor Zakhar Perez

Taylor Zakhar Perez, named one of PEOPLE’s 2024 Sexiest Men Alive, arrived in Chicago on December 24, 1991, just in time for the holidays. “I was born on Christmas Eve, hours after Christmas Day,” the Red, White, and Royal Blue star shared in a 2020 GQ video responding to fans online. “But I was so happy because I got to wear a Santa Claus suit and walk him home.”

alabama barker

Born on Christmas Eve 2005, Alabama Barker is the daughter of musician Travis Barker and actress Shana Moakler, and is carving her own path. The TikTok sensation will follow in her father’s footsteps and pursue music, debuting as a rapper in 2023.

ryan seacrest

Ryan Seacrest made his debut on Christmas Eve in 1974 and continues to give gifts when it comes to entertainment. In addition to hosting American Idol, the former Live with Kelly and Ryan co-host replaced Pat Sajak as host of Wheel of Fortune in September 2024. Seacrest’s other hosts include the radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Ava Gardner

Actress and singer Ava Gardner was the star of her family’s Christmas Eve show when she was born in 1922. Gardner was well known in Hollywood for films such as Mogambo (1953), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), and On the Beach (1959), as well as for her high-profile relationships, including her turbulent marriage to Frank Sinatra. The actress died of bronchial pneumonia on January 25, 1990.

jimmy buffett

Jimmy Buffett was born on Christmas Day in 1946 and the “Margaritaville” legend passed away on September 1, 2023 at the age of 76. This sunny anthem from his 1977 album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes skyrocketed Buffett’s career and led to a business of the same name that sells everything from resorts and restaurants to apparel and beverages.

The “Cheeseburger in Paradise” singer has released more than 30 albums during his career, raised millions of dollars for his annual shows with the Coral Reefer Band, and turned heads at major concerts.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin was born in Puerto Rico on December 24, 1971 and has been “Livin’ La Vida Loca” ever since. Martin started out as a member of the boy band Menudo before hitting the Billboard charts, but came out as gay in 2010. In 2008, he became a single father to twins Matteo and Valentino, who were born through a surrogate mother.

In 2017, Martin married artist Jwan Yosef, and the following year they had two children, daughter Lucia and son Len, through surrogacy. In July 2023, Martin and Joseph announced that they were divorcing after six years of marriage. The following year, the singer returned to acting in the Apple TV+ drama series Palm Royale.

CCH Pounder

Born Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder in Guyana on December 25, 1952, CCH Pounder has had a long career playing powerful roles in law enforcement and the medical field, including The Shield, Law & Order: SVU, NCIS: New Orleans (and, more recently, the more humorous remake of The Naked Gun). Her voice can also be heard in the highest-grossing film series of all time, Avatar.

Annie Lennox

Former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox was born on Christmas Day 1954. The singer of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” “Walking on Broken Glass,” and “Here Comes the Rain Again” is also an activist for women’s empowerment. In 2008, she founded The Circle, a charitable non-governmental organization that fights for a more just world for women and girls around the world.

sissy spacek

Actress Sissy Spacek was born in Texas on Christmas Day 1949. The actress who starred in Carrie (1976) was nominated for six Academy Awards and won an Oscar in 1981 for her role as Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter.

The three-time Golden Globe winner also has two daughters, Skylar and Madison Fisk, with her longtime husband, production designer Jack Fisk.

Helena Christensen

Model Helena Christensen was born on Christmas Day 1968 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and walked the catwalk for the first time. The popular ’90s supermodel, who appeared in Chris Isaak’s 1991 music video for “Wicked Game,” has appeared in fashion campaigns for Chanel, Versace, and Valentino, and was also a Victoria’s Secret Angel.

Christensen’s son Mingus, with ex Norman Reedus, followed in his mother’s footsteps as a model.

Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was born on Christmas Day in 1971. Prime Minister Trudeau, who has served as prime minister since 2015, announced his separation from his wife Sophie Grégoire in 2023 after 18 years of marriage. The couple have three children: Xavier James, Hadrian, and Ella-Grace.

Amaury Nolasco

Amaury Nolasco was born in Puerto Rico on December 24, 1970 (just in time for the island’s legendary Noche Buena celebrations), and rose to fame with her breakout role in 2005’s Prison Break, before returning in the 2017 revival of the show. According to his social media, he frequently appears on TV shows (most recently on “Hightown”) and runs a production company, with plans to produce the next Woody Allen film in 2026.

On his 54th birthday in 2024, Nolasco wrote on Instagram: “Today I woke up and felt a new appreciation for the life I lived. So many beautiful memories fill my heart. I’m grateful for the love of my family and the friends life has given me.”

dido

British singer Dido was born on Christmas Day in 1971. Dido (née Florian Claude de Bouneviard O’Malley Armstrong) moved to the United States in 1999 to coincide with the release of her debut album, No Angel, and her popularity skyrocketed after Eminem sampled her ballad “Thank You” in his 2000 hit “Stan.” She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and released her fifth studio album, Still on My Mind, in 2019.

barbara mandrell

Country music singer Barbara Mandrell made her debut on Christmas Day 1948. Known for hits like “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “When Country Wasn’t Cool, It Was Country,” Mandrell won back-to-back CMA Entertainer of the Year awards in 1980 and 1981.

She also won the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1981, beating out Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, and became the first woman to win the Tripp Crowne Award, winning Top New Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist in 1972 and 1979, respectively.

Humphrey Bogart

Of all the birthdays in the world, Humphrey Bogart had to be born on December 25, 1899. One of Hollywood’s great leaders, Bogie was known for his iconic roles in films such as Casablanca (1942) and The African Queen (1951), for which he won a Best Actor Oscar.

Bogart met his future wife Lauren Bacall while filming the 1944 film To Have and Have Not. Their relationship was considered one of Tinseltown’s legendary love stories. Bogart died of esophageal cancer on January 14, 1957.