FAMOUS BRITISH
PEOPLE
ADELE
SINGER (1988–)
Adele was born in North London, England, on May 5,
1988, eventually attending the performing arts BRIT
School. Her first two albums, 19 and 21, earned her
critical praise and a level of commercial success
unsurpassed among her peers, with the artist selling
millions of albums worldwide and winning multiple
Grammys. She also received a songwriting Oscar for
the James Bond track "Sky fall." After becoming a
mom, Adele returned to the charts in autumn 2015
with the ballad "Hello," the lead single from what was
dubbed her comeback album 25. In 2017, she won
five Grammys for her work on 25 including album,
record and song of the year for "Hello."
ZAYN MALIK
SINGER (1993–)
Zayn Malik was born on January 12, 1993, in
Bradford, England, to a family of EnglishPakistani descent. He had an early love for
singing and performing, and at the age of 17 he
competed in the television competition The X
Factor. He was teamed up with four other male
contestants to form the group act One
Direction, who went on to become one of the
most popular boy bands in music history. Malik
left the group in March 2015. The following
year, he released his first solo album.
ELTON JOHN
SONGWRITER, SINGER
(1947–)
Born on March 25, 1947, in England, Elton John's
unique blend of pop and rock styles turned him into
one of the biggest music icons of the 20th century.
He excelled in music from a young age, and released
his first self-titled American album in 1970, making
him a huge international star. Some of his most
famous hits include "Crocodile Rock," "Philadelphia
Freedom" and "Candle in the Wind." He also found
success on Broadway, composing the score for Billy
Elliot (2008), which went on to win 10 Tony Awards.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in 1994 and was knighted in 1998.
AMY WINEHOUSE
SONGWRITER, SINGER
(1983–2011)
Born in London, England, on September 14,
1983, Amy Winehouse broke into the music
business when, at age 16, a classmate passed on
her demo tape. She signed her first record deal
as a jazz vocalist, and her music later blossomed
into an eclectic mix of jazz, pop, soul and R&B.
Winehouse won five Grammy Awards
connected to her 2006 album Back to Black, and
earned acclaim for songs like the title track,
"Rehab" and "Love Is a Losing Game."
Winehouse died tragically on July 23, 2011, at
the age of 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning.
FREDDIE MERCURY
SONGWRITER, SINGER
(1946–1991)
Singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury was
born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5,
1946, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. He studied
piano in boarding school in India and
befriended numerous musicians at London's
Ealing College of Art. The music of
Mercury's band, Queen, reached the top of
U.S. and British charts. Mercury died of
AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia on
November 24, 1991, at age 45.
JOHN LENNON
SONGWRITER, SINGER
(1940–1980)
John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940,
in Liverpool, England. He met Paul
McCartney in 1957 and invited McCartney
to join his music group. They eventually
formed the most successful songwriting
partnership in musical history. Lennon left
the Beatles in 1969 and later released albums
with his wife, Yoko Ono, among others. On
December 8, 1980, he was killed by a crazed
fan named Mark David Chapman.
GORDON RAMSAY
CHEF, TELEVISION
PERSONALITY (1966–)
Born in Scotland in 1966, Gordon Ramsay left
behind an early athletic career to become a
renowned chef in London. By the early 2000s he
was making his mark on British TV as the
temperamental host of Ramsay's Kitchen
Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen, shows that made a
successful transition to American audiences.
The award-winning chef has since expanded his
celebrity brand via such programs as Master Chef
and Hotel Hell and opening more restaurants
around the globe.
ROBERT PATTINSON
FILM ACTOR (1986–)
Born on May 13, 1986 in London, England,
Robert Pattinson began acting in school but first
became widely known for his role as Cedric
Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Soon after, his turn as the vampire Edward
Cullen in the movie Twilight catapulted him to
heart-throb status. Also a musician, he
contributed songs to the Twilight, soundtrack as
well as that of his 2008 film, How to Be.
Pattinson's other notable films include 2010's
Remember Me, 2011's Water for Elephants and
2012's Cosmopolis.
KRISTIN SCOTT
THOMAS
FILM ACTRESS (1960–)
Kristin Scott Thomas landed her first lead in
an English film, in A Handful of Dust. Her
role in Four Weddings and a Funeral gained
her international attention. Two years later,
she appeared in The English Patient. Next
to she was in The Horse Whisperer. In
2001, she was in My Life As a House and
Gosford Park. Her starring turn in I've
Loved You So Long (2008) brought her rave
reviews.
Profile
COLIN FIRTH
FILM ACTOR (1960–)
Born in England in 1960, Colin Firth made
his film debut in Another Country in 1984,
later taking several roles on television
miniseries and movies. In 1996, Firth
appeared in Shakespeare in Love, which went
on to great acclaim. He starred in several
box office successes, including Bridget Jones’
Diary and Love Actually before finding more
acclaim in 2009’s A Single Man and winning
an Oscar for his role in The King’s Speech.
CATHERINE ZETAJONES
ACTRESS (1969–)
Catherine Zeta-Jones was born on September 25,
1969, in Swansea, Wales. She began dancing when
she was 4 years old. At age 15, she quit school to join
a tour of The Pajama Game, and at 17, she had a major
role in a London production of 42nd Street. In 1998,
Zeta-Jones starred in The Mask of Zorro. More
Hollywood films soon followed, including Entrapment
(1999) with Sean Connery. The following year, ZetaJones appeared in the critically acclaimed Traffic,
where she starred with Michael Douglas. She later
won an Academy Award for her performance in
Chicago (2002). In 2010, she received a Tony Award
for her Broadway debut in A Little Night Music.
DANIEL RADCLIFFE
FILM ACTOR, THEATER
ACTOR (1989–)
Daniel Radcliffe’s parents initially refused to let
him audition for the role, but a chance meeting
with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone director
Chris Columbus led to an audition. Those
involved with the film were in overwhelming
agreement that Radcliffe would make the
perfect Harry, and the books' legions of fans
seemed to agree. He reprised his role in each of
the first film’s sequels. He went on to perform
on Broadway in plays such as How to Succeed in
Business Without Really Trying (2011). Radcliffe
also starred in the 2013 film Kill Your Darlings.
EMILIA CLARKE
ACTRESS (1987–)
Emilia Clarke was born in London,
England, in 1987. She developed an interest
in acting at a young age, and after graduating
from secondary school attended the
renowned Drama Centre London. After
landing various small roles on television,
Clarke's big break came in 2011 when she
was cast in the role of Daenerys Targaryen
in the HBO hit series Game of Thrones. Since
then she has appeared on Broadway and has
been cast in lead roles in several films.
ROGER MOORE
FILM ACTOR, TELEVISION
ACTOR, PRODUCER,
PHILANTHROPIST (1927–)
British actor Roger Moore was born on October
14, 1927, in London, England. He made his film
debut in 1945 and appeared on Broadway and in
television roles throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
He is best known for playing the dashing spy
James Bond, a role he mastered in seven films
from Live and Let Die (1973) to A View to a Kill
(1985). The Queen of England knighted him in
2003, and he was named a Commander in
France's National Order of Arts and Letters in
2008.
ORLANDO BLOOM
FILM ACTOR (1977–)
Born on January 13, 1977, in Canterbury,
England, Orlando Bloom studied acting as a
child before he was cast as the heroic
Legolas in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Bloom also
found major success starring in three films
of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with
Johnny Depp. He's landed other roles in
big-screen fare, including Troy, Elizabethtown
and The Three Musketeers.
JANE SEYMOUR
ACTRESS, WRITER (1951–)
Actress Jane Seymour was born on February 15,
1951, in Hayes, Hillingdon, England. At age 20, she
was cast in the James Bond film Live and Let Die. The
performance earned her continual TV and film work.
Her performance in the 1976 miniseries Captains and
the Kings earned her an Emmy nomination. From
1993 to 1998, Seymour held the title role on the TV
series Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, for which she
garnered two more Emmy nominations. She won her
first Emmy (outstanding supporting actress in a
miniseries or a special) in 1998 for her performance
in the TV movie Onassis: The Richest Man in the World.
In 2002, Seymour debuted her own clothing line.
DANIEL CRAIG
FILM ACTOR, THEATER
ACTOR (1968–)
Daniel Craig was born on March 2, 1968, in
Chester, England. He moved to London when
he was 16 to join the National Youth Theatre.
His film debut was in 1992's The Power of One,
with the actor later featured in the BAFTAwinning BBC miniseries Our Friends in the North.
Craig also worked with director Steven Spielberg
on the film Munich and in 2006 was seen as
James Bond in Casino Royale, reinvigorating the
franchise. Bond blockbusters Quantum of
Solace, Skyfall and Spectre have followed.
SAM CLAFLIN
FILM ACTOR,
TELEVISION ACTOR
(1986–)
Born on June 27, 1986, in Ipswich, England,
Sam Claflin pursued soccer before suffering
an injury. He then turned to acting, and
upon graduation from drama school starred
in the miniseries The Pillars of the Earth. He
has created buzz as an up-and-coming actor
with featured roles in Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides, Snow White and the
Huntsman, and The Hunger Games: Catching
Fire.
MARGARET THATCHER
PRIME MINISTER (1925–
2013)
Born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham,
England, Margaret Thatcher became
Britain's Conservative Party leader and in
1979 was elected prime minister, the first
woman to hold the position. During her
three terms, she cut social welfare programs,
reduced trade union power and privatized
certain industries. Thatcher resigned in 1991
due to unpopular policy and power
struggles in her party. She died on April 8,
2013, at age 87.
JOHN MAJOR
PRIME MINISTER (1943–)
Born on March 29, 1943, in London,
England, John Major worked in banking
before being elected to Parliament as part of
the Conservative Party in 1979. He rose
through the ranks and was elected party
leader after Margaret Thatcher’s resignation
in 1990, thus becoming prime minister.
Though facing criticism over economic
policies, he remained in the position until
1997, succeeded by Tony Blair.
SIMON COWELL
REALITY TELEVISION
STAR, MUSIC PRODUCER
(1959–)
Simon Cowell was born on October 7, 1959, in
London, England. Cowell started his career in
the music industry working in the mailroom at
EMI Music Publishing. He worked as a record
producer, talent scout and consultant within the
music industry before producing the hit British
TV show Pop Idol and its U.S. counterpart,
American Idol. Cowell's scathing comments were
famous during his 10 seasons as a judge on
American Idol. He started judging The X Factor in
2011 and signed on to judge America's Got Talent
in 2015.
NAOMI CAMPBELL
MODEL (1970–)
Supermodel Naomi Campbell was born
in London on May 22, 1970. She began
modeeling at age 15, becoming the first
black woman on the cover of French
Vogue at 18, and the first black model on
the cover of Time. On a few occasions,
Campbell's hot temper got her in trouble
with the law. In addition to modeling,
Campbell launched a singing career and a
perfume.
JEAN SHRIMPTON
MODEL (1942–)
Jean Shrimpton was born on November
7, 1942 in Buckinghamshire, England.
After being discovered by fashion
photographer David Bailey, Shrimpton
became one of the world's first
supermodels and the highest-paid model
of her time. She is regarded today as the
face of "Swinging London," and for
popularizing the miniskirt.
Early Life
DAVID BECKHAM
SOCCER PLAYER (1975–)
Soccer star David Beckham was born on
May 2, 1975, in London, England. A
phenom almost from the moment he
could first kick a soccer ball, Beckham
began playing for Manchester United,
England's legendary soccer team, at age
18, and was a starter by age 20. In 2007,
he signed a five-year, $250 million
contract with the L.A. Galaxy. In May
2013, he announced plans to retire.
LEE WESTWOOD
GOLFER (1973–)
Golfer Lee Westwood was born on April
24, 1973, in Worksop, England. He
notched victories on both the PGA Tour
and the European Tour after turning
professional in 1993, though his career
was also marked by close losses.
Westwood was ranked No. 1 in the world
in late 2010 and briefly took over the top
spot again the following year.
LIAM TANCOCK
SWIMMER, ATHLETE
(1985–)
Born in 1985, Liam Tancock got his start as a
swimmer with the Exter City Swimming Club. He
won a gold medal at the 2003 European Junior
Championships in the 50-meter backstroke, and then
competed at the 2008 Olympics, coming in sixth in
his event. In 2009, he set a new record for the 50meter backstroke, and went on to win the 50-meter
backstroke event at the 2011 World Championships.
Tancock came close to winning an Olympic medal at
the 2012 Olympic Games in London, placing fifth in
the 100-meter backstroke (53.35 seconds) and
fourth—with Britain's men's swimming team—in the
4-by-100-meter medley relay.
PAULA RADCLIFFE
TRACK AND FIELD
ATHLETE (1973–)
Born in England in 1973, Paula Radcliffe is one
of the elite runners competing today, having set
and broken her own women's marathon record
at the 2003 London Marathon, finishing in
2:15:25—her best marathon time to date.
Radcliffe failed to place at the 2004 Olympic
Games in Athens, but did win the New York
Marathon that same year. Running the
marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing, she suffered a muscle cramp and
finished 23rd. She withdrew from competing at
the 2012 Olympics.
WAYNE ROONEY
FOOTBALLER (1985-)
Wayne Mark Rooney ( born 24
October 1985) is an English professional
footballer who plays for and captains
both Manchester United and the
England national team. He has played
much of his career as a forward, but he
has also been used in various midfield
roles. He is the highest goal scorer for
Manchester United.
EMMA FORREST
WRITER (1976–)
Emma Forrest was born on December 26, 1976,
in London, England. Set on a pattern of
destructive behavior at an early age, she also
evinced a precocious writing talent that landed
her articles and a column called "Generation X"
in national publications while still in her teens.
Novels and screenplays followed, and her bestselling memoir chronicling her self-harm, her
tempestuous affair with a Hollywood actor and
the therapist who set her on a healing path was
adapted into a film starring Emma Watson, Your
Voice in My Head.
NIGELLA LAWSON
WRITER (1960–)
Nigella Lawson was born in London,
England, on January 6, 1960, eventually
pursuing a career in publishing and
becoming a celebrated cookbook author
with titles like How to Eat. Renowned as
"Domestic Goddess," Lawson is also a
popular TV figure with shows like Nigella
Bites and The Taste. Her marriage to Charles
Saatchi made headlines when pictures
surfaced that appeared to be abusive.