10 Celebrities Born in Hawaii

Hawaii is no stranger to having its fair share of born natives who've gone on to make a name for themselves in a great variety of fields and professions. From movies to politics to sports, the islands are responsible for being home to some of the most notable and acclaimed names known across the whole world. In this week's edition of the Mahalo Magazine, we take a look at 10 of these celebrities who hail from the Hawaiian islands.

1) Nicole Kidman

Born in Honolulu on June 20th, 1967, Nicole Kidman is a universally regarded and award-winning actress of the stage and screen with famous roles in films & television shows such as The Others (2001), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) & Big Little Lies (2017). Most recently, she can be seen in the A24 produced film Babygirl (2024) as well as in AMC theaters pre-shows in her now viral promo for the national theater chain.

2) Bette Midler

Born in Honolulu on December 1st, 1945, Bette Midler is a beloved actress, comedian & singer with award-winning performances across numerous films, plays and shows such as the Hocus Pocus series, Fiddler on the Roof (1967) and The Bette Midler Show. During her early upbringing, her family was one of few Jewish families to reside in the area. 

3) Barack Obama

Born in Honolulu on August 4th, 1961, Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America where he served from 2009 - 2017 as a member of the Democratic Party. During his two terms in office, Obama is most known for responding to the 2008-2009 financial crisis, passing the most significant healthcare reforms since the 1960s as well as being the first African American President.

4) Jason Momoa

Born in Honolulu on August 1st, 1979, Jason Momoa is an actor most known for his leading role in the Aquaman film series as well as in the hit series Game of Thrones where he portrayed the character of Khal Drogo across numerous seasons. Beyond his film roles, Momoa is instantly recognizable for his trademark masculine appearance and for his many tattoos, a prominent one of which is of his Aumakua, a Hawaiian "family god" or deified ancestor, as a half sleeve on his left forearm.

5) Auli'i Cravalho

Born in Kohala in 2000, Auli'i Cravalho is an actress who made her breakthrough as the voice of Disney's Moana in 2016 and has since taken on many roles in movies & television as well as in theater. Most recently, she reprised her role of Moana once again voice acting alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Disney's Moana 2 (2024).

6) Duke Kahanamoku

Born in Honolulu in 1890, Duke Kahanamoku was a legendary competitive swimmer who'd go on to popularize the sport of surfing, growing the status of the activity from a local pastime to an internationally known sport. Kahanamoku was born in Honolulu when it was still the Kingdom of Hawaii and lived to become a United States citizen after its statehood in 1959. Kahanamoku ultimately won five Olympic medals in swimming in his career.

7) Nicole Scherzinger

Born in Honolulu on June 29, 1978, Nicole Scherzinger is a pop musician and lead member of The Pussycat Dolls girl group and dance ensemble most known for the hit songs "Buttons" and "Don't Cha." Scherzinger would only spend her early childhood years in Hawaii before moving Louisville, Kentucky at the age of six and began pursuing the performing arts shortly after. She is of Native Hawaiian origin on her mother's side.

8) Maggie Q

Born in Honolulu on May 22, 1979, Margaret Quigley is an actress best known her roles in American & Hong Kong action films such as Gen-Y Cops (2000), Mission: Impossible III (2006) & Live Free or Die Hard (2007) where she's credited under her stage name Maggie Q. In high school, she participated heavily in athletics, eventually earning a scholarship off her achievements. She would later begin a modeling career in Japan before being taken under the wing of Jackie Chan, who trained her for roles in action films. Her stage name comes from her time in Japan & Taiwan, where she took on the Maggie Q name due to locals not being able to pronounce her last name Quigley.

9) B.J. Penn

Born in Kailua on December 13, 1978, Jay Dee Penn III is a retired mixed martial artist known for his decorated career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a former UFC Lightweight & UFC Welterweight Champion. Widely considered among the greatest to ever fight in the octagon, Penn is credited by UFC President Dana White for bringing greater prestige and visibility to lower-weight divisions in MMA. Penn began training at the age of 17 in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has progressed to being a 5th degree black belt. Penn's nickname "B.J." comes from his family who began calling him Baby Jay as a child before eventually shortening it to B.J.

10) Timothy Olyphant

Born in Honolulu on May 20, 1968, Timothy Olyphant is an actor best known for his roles in the television series Deadwood and the films Catch and Release (2006), The Crazies (2010) and as well as Live Free or Die Hard, where played alongside fellow Honolulu native Maggie Q. Olyphant is a descendant of the legendary Vanderbilt family of New York and really only spent the first year of his life in Hawaii before moving to California at the age of two.