List of Famous people born in Lithuania
Romain Gary
Romain Gary, born Roman Kacew, was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator of Jewish origin. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt under two names.
Zhanna Badoeva
Zhanna Iosifovna Badoeva - is a Ukrainian TV personality and producer. Most known as an author and onscreen moderator of the TV travel program “Oryol i Reshka”.
Jonas Valančiūnas
Jonas Valančiūnas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. At the 2019 trade deadline he was traded to the Grizzlies.
Clara Rockmore
Clara Reisenberg Rockmore was a Lithuanian classical violin prodigy and a virtuoso performer of the theremin, an electronic musical instrument. She was the sister of pianist Nadia Reisenberg.
Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to South Africa at an early age, before later settling in the United Kingdom after World War II. In a career that spanned a quarter of a century, Harvey appeared in stage, film and television productions primarily in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Savik Shuster
Savik Shuster is a journalist and Ukrainian political TV shows anchor. He presented The Freedom By Savik Shuster and starting in 2005 Svoboda slova on ICTV. From December 2015 he produces and lead political talk shows on his independent 3S.tv, after he has been cancelled from several tycoon-owned TVs. In December 2016 3S.tv announced cease of activity and on 1 March 2017 the channel stopped broadcasting. According to official statement the reason thereof is business being no longer viable due to several litigations and corresponding financial constraints. All court cases were subsequently closed due to lack of substance. In 2019 Shuster came back to Ukraine as anchor of "Svoboda Slova Savika Shustera" at "Ukraina" TV channel.
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė is а Lithuanian, Russian and British theatre and cinema actress, who plays mostly in Russian films. She is a winner of the prize "Nika" in 1994 for Best Actress.
Tobias Geffen
Tobias Geffen was an American Orthodox rabbi. He served as the leader of Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1910 to 1970. Geffen is widely known for his 1935 decision that certified Coca-Cola as kosher.
Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a Lithuanian retired professional basketball player and businessman. Recognized as one of the best European players of all time, he won the Euroscar six times, and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), in the United States. Playing the center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in South Korea, for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 Olympic Games and 1996 Olympic Games, while representing Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers, in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until the age of 30, in 1995.
Lena Valaitis
Lena Valaitis is a Lithuanian–German schlager singer who had her greatest success during the 1970s and 1980s. She finished second at the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest.