Can you name the Armenian actors in America? There are thousands of Armenians in America today. A report shows over 460,000 Armenians are living in the United States of America, with more than half in California.
Armenia is a landlocked country in Transcaucasia. The country’s current population is 2,777,792 (September 16, 2023). So, imagine a small country having a population of around half a million in another country. It shows how much Armenians love America and what the country has been through.
In this post, we shall discuss the Armenian actors doing exploits in Hollywood so that you can quickly identify them. Keep reading to learn more!
Armenia Actors In America You Should Know
Here are Armenian actors in the US who are making their presence felt in the entertainment industry. Check out their names, date of birth, and other crucial information about them.
1: Alexandra Hedison: Actor
Have you watched “The L Word,” “Prey,” or “The Hard Truth?” If you have watched any of these movies, you know who Alexandra Hedison is. Unfortunately, many don’t know she’s an Armenian, as she doesn’t look like one.
Hedison was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 10, 1969. She’s a director and actress and has featured in several top-rated movies.
Alexandra Hedison’s father, David Hedison, was an actor. So, she’s from a family of entertainers and followed the same path her father followed before his demise.
2: Kim Kardashian:
If you don’t know who Kim Kardashian is, you most likely don’t watch reality TV shows or know a thing about Kanye West. Though the couples are now separated, Kanye and Kim were love birds. Their union produced four lovely kids: North, Chicago, Saint, and Psalm West.
Kim is a famous TV star, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and author of “Kardashian Konfidential,” a New York Times best-seller. “Her father, Robert Kardashian, was of Armenian descent, while her mother, Kris Jenner, is an American born in San Diego, California, United States of America.
Kim’s mother also has English, Irish, Scottish, German, and Dutch ancestry.
3: Edgar Damatian:
Not every actor you see on the big screen studied acting. In other words, some didn’t go to the university to study the craft. But Edgar did. He’s one of the most talented Armenian-American actors in Hollywood.
Edgar Damatian is an Armenian-American actor and a good-looking young man. He studied acting at the prestigious University of Massachusetts.
Edgar acted in movies like Little Women, The Great War, and Patriot’s Day. Edgar’s rating was as low as 17 percent in the Great War.
He also starred in the 2022 movie “Operation Seawolf.”
4: Eric Bogosian:
Eric Bogosian is an Armenian actor who doesn’t need much introduction. He’s one of the Armenians with an exciting career in film and theater.
Bogosian is a multi-talented actor. He can write scripts, direct, and even star in the movie. That is how good and talented Bogosian is. He has worked with prominent filmmakers in Hollywood and abroad. These include Oliver Stone, Atom Egoyan, and Steven Spielberg.
Here are some of the movies portraying Eric Bogosian’s master classes.
- Talk Radio
- Ararat
- High Incident
- Wonderland
He’s a multi-talented playwright and screenwriter who’s also a novelist.
5: Arlene Francis:
Arlene’s love for theater is second to none. She appeared in numerous plays and made her Broadway debut in 1936.
Even though her biggest hit was the 1942 movie “The Doughgirls,” Arlene holds the credit for the movie, “All that Glitters.” She starred in the movie in 1938, and from then on, her career moved to the next level.
Arlene’s talent and contribution to the movie industry was marked with a raise in her salary. She became the highest-paid woman on TV in the 1950s and a permanent panelist on the famous CBS TV show “What’s My Line?”
The show aired for 25 years, and Arlene played a significant role. She also hosted top shows such as “Blind Date” on the radio, and was later adopted as a TV series.
6: Angela Sarafyan:
Another Armenian-American who has been doing exploits in Hollywood is Angela Sarafyan. She was born in Armenia but moved to the United States by her parents at age 4.
Her father, Grigor Sarafyan, was an actor. So, it’s easy to predict that she would join the movie industry at some point in life. Having a dad who’s an actor makes things easier. However, Angela didn’t start her career in acting.
Instead, she started by playing the piano and doing ballet. She only started her acting career after high school. She featured in several movies such as “Kabluey,” “The Immigrant,” “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy,” in no particular order, and featured in part of the Twilight movie.
7: Akim Tamiroff:
Akim Tamiroff is an Academy Award nominee. He was born on October 29, 1899.
He was born in Tiflis or Baku, Russian Empire.
Akim was the first big Armenian-American in the movie industry. He featured in several series in his time, such as Naked City, including the Tales of the Vikings.
8: Gregoire Aslan:
Gregoire Aslan is a Swiss-Armenia actor and musician. He’s one of the finest in the country. Gregoire was born on March 28, 1908 in Switzerland.
He’s an excellent example of how talented Armenians are. He started as a vocalist, then a drummer, and later a trumpeter. He later dived into the movie industry and established himself as one of the finest actors of his time.
Gregoire played foreign characters in several British and American movies. He featured in major stage productions, too.
9: Ken Davitian:
If you have watched the movie “Borat,” you’ll respect Ken Davitian even more. He displayed his talent in “Borat” and other movies he featured in.
Ken began his fantastic career in acting around the 1990s. He starred in TV series such as “The Shield” and the 2001 drama series, “Six Feet Under.”
In addition to acting, Ken Davitian is a businessman. He owns a restaurant in Los Angeles, popularly known as “The Dip.”
10: Cherilyn Sarkisian:
Movie fans all over the world love Cher. We do, too! This screen diva has contributed immensely to the music and film industry. She’s a talent born to entertain.
Cher is popularly known as the “Goddess of Pop.” Though born in California, her father was an Armenian-American who worked as a truck driver.
Cher entered the entertainment industry in 1956 with her hit song “I Got You Babe.” What made it even more special was that she did the song with her lovely husband, Sonny Bono.
In addition to her music, Cher showed the world she was one of the most outstanding TV personalities. She hosted popular TV shows like “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.”
Her musical career was marked with several awards. She won a Grammy, Emmy, Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a CFDA Fashion Award, and a Cannes Film Festival Award.
11: Roman Mitichyan:
Roman is an Armenian-American actor, mixed martial artist, and stuntman. He was born September 4, 1978, in Vanadoz, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Roman has had a great career in the movie industry. He’s a highly talented actor featured in top-rated TV shows like “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra.” Other movies Roman has starred in include John Wick, Furious 7, Argon, and John Wick 3: Parabellum.
12: Andy Clement Sarkisian (Serkis):
Andy’s real name is “Sarkisian.” However, he’s popularly called “Serkis.” He’s one of the most prominent Armenian actors in Hollywood.
Andy Clement has featured in several blockbusters in Hollywood, including the award-winning movie, “Lord of the Rings.” He acted as Gollum in the movie. He also starred in “The Hobbit” and “Black Panther.”
He was born to an Armenian father and a British father. His talent and hard work earned him a BAFTA award for his Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema.
13: Mark John Geragos:
Mark is another famous Armenian actor and criminal defense lawyer. He was born in Los Angeles, California, on October 5, 1957.
In addition to being a lawyer, make is a famous producer and actor. He is known for movies such as “Motherland,” “Notorious,” and “You Be The Judge.”
Mark has worked for top celebrities, such as Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Winona Ryder, Jussie Smollett, and many others. His father and mother are both Armenians.
14: Victor French:
Victor French had roots in Armenia. His mother was Armenian. Victor is a producer and actor. He featured in several TV productions at the peak of his career.
Victor was a stuntman’s son, so he’s from a family of entertainers. He first debuted in the 1954 movie, “Lassie,” in a small role. His first major role was in a western film, including “Little House on the Prairie,” a 1974 movie.
15: Rowan Blanchard:
Rowan Blanchard is a famous American actress whose paternal grandfather was half Armenian. She played the role of Riley in the 2014 movie Girl Meets World.
Other movies she has starred in include The Goldberg (2013) and Showpiecer (2020).
16: Mike Connors:
Mike Connors is an actor who doesn’t need much introduction. His father and mother are both Armenians, and he was born in Fresno, California.
Mike’s joke describing calling himself “a frustrated song-and-dance man” is the most beautiful thing you’ll ever see. But his handsomeness is even more remarkable.
17: Ross Bagdasarian
Ross is an Armenian, though he was born in Fresno, California. His father and mother are Armenians. He was a multi-talented entertainer.
Ross Bagdasarian was an actor, author, impressionist, composer, and prolific songwriter. He produced several records, including the famous “Chipmunk Song” and “Witch Doctor.”
He’s best known for the famous cartoon band “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
18: Atom Egoyan:
Atom is another Armenian actor and movie director who contributed massively to the movie industry. He was born in Egypt, though raised in Western Canada. His parents were Armenians, and both were painters.
19: Val Avery:
Val Avery was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1924. His birth name is Sebouh Der Abrahamian. Val’s parents were Armenians. He’s an actor prominent in the 1960s.
He featured in movies such as “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Amityville Horror,” and “Cobra.”
20: Adrienne Barbeau:
Adrienne is an author best known for her excellent role in the 1972 movie, “Maude.” She also featured in several horror movies.
Adrienne’s mother is Armenian, while her father has French, German, and Irish ancestry. She was born on June 11, 1945.
21: Albert Hughes:
Albert started making movies at 12. However, He and Allan Hughes, his brother, made their first film in Hollywood at 21. They loved working together as a team and were popularly known as the “Hughes Brothers.”
The twin brothers are regarded as one of America’s finest movie producers, screenwriters, and directors. While their father was African-American, their mother was Armenian.
22: Khloé Kardashian:
Khloé Kardashian is another screen diva that doesn’t need much introduction. If her family’s TV show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” were turned into a movie, people would still purchase it. That was how popular the show was.
Khloé’s father, Robert Kardashian, was a prominent attorney and Armenian. She is an actress, model, and businesswoman.
23: Kourtney Kardashian:
Kourtney Kardashian is another famous TV reality star. Born in Los Angeles, California, Kourtney is Kris Jenner’s eldest daughter of all four children she had for Robert Kardashian.
Her father is the same as Khloé’s, Robert Kardashian, an Armenian. Kourtney is also part of the family’s TV show.
24: Rob Kardashian:
Rob Kardashian’s father is Robert Kardashian, an Armenian and father to Khloe, Kim, and Kourtney. He was born on March 17, 1987.
Rob was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. He’s a producer and actor famous in the movies, “Raiding MLK,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and “Meow.”
25: Kirk Kerkorian:
Kirk Kerkorian’s father and mother are Armenians, though he was born in Fresno, California. Kirk was a producer famous for the movie, “The Promise,” including the 2008 movie, “Where I Stand: The Hank Greenspun Story.
Kirk was an eighth-grade dropout but lived a life many can only dream of. He became a successful businessman and philanthropist, accumulating a net worth of $18 billion.
Kirk owned prominent businesses. He owned the MGM studio for over 17 years and several major hotels in Las Vegas. In addition, he also owned a significant portion of General Motors, including Chrysler Corporation.
26: Andranik (Andy) Madadian:
Andy, “as he’s fondly called,” was born in Tehran, Iran. His father and mother are Armenians. He later moved to the United States of America and currently lives in Los Angeles.
Andy can sing and act. What impresses people the most about his talent is that he can sing in different languages, such as English, Persian, and Armenian.
He has also been featured in prominent movies such as “House of Sand and Frog,” Guardian Angel, and American Wrestler: The Wizard.
27: Joe Manganiello:
Since you know Sofia Vergara from AGT (America’s Got Talent), you know Joe Manganiello. He’s Sofia’s ex-husband, as the couple separated in 2023.
Joe Manganiello is a handsome man with a pretty face and a body built like that of a stature. He is an actor, author, director, and producer.
Joe was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has a younger brother called “Nicholas.” His father is Italian, while his mother is half Armenia. Thus, he has Armenian, Croatian, Italian, Irish and German ancestry.
28: Edward Rudolph Mekjian (Eddie Mekka):
Eddie Mekka’s parents are Armenians, though he was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
He’s an actor famous in movies such as “Laverne & Shirley,” “A League of Their Own,” and the 2006 movie, “Dreamgirls.”
29: Michel Legrand:
Michel was born in Paris, France, On February 24, 1932. He was a French composer, conductor, arranger, and jazz pianist. He wrote over 200 film and TV scores.
He was nominated thirteen times for Academy Awards and won three Oscars for his. His father was a French composer, while his mother was from Armenia.
Conclusion
These are Armenian actors in America. They are entertainers that kept us glued to the big screen with their talent and performances.
While some actors were born in the United States, others were born in Armenian. Those born abroad migrated to the United States of America to pursue their dreams.
Armenians are a lovely and highly talented race. They have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the movie industry worldwide. While some Armenian actors on the list may have passed on, their names are worth mentioning.
