By Jennifer Harrington
It’s no secret that the influence of Latino celebrities is growing every day (Latino celebrities have 600 million followers on Facebook and Twitter!). And with a new South American pope in office, Cinco de Mayo quickly approaching, and frequent news coverage of the growing Latino population in the United States, we figured it was a good time to look at the hottest Latino/Latina celebrities. Here’s Cupid’s opinion of who is sizzling!
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, and she’s been a staple in the entertainment world for years — as a dancer, actress, entrepreneur, fashion designer, singer, and American Idol judge. When J-Lo joined American Idol as a judge, it was seen as an important move because the show is very popular with Hispanic audiences, and she brought a kinder, more positive attitude to the show. While she’s moved on from the popular show, there’s no question she will continue to remain a staple in pop culture.
Related: Jennifer Lopez Still Believes in the Fairytale Marriage
Alex Rodriguez
Like Jennifer Lopez, Alex was born in New York City. He was raised in a Dominican family and currently plays baseball for his hometown team, the New York Yankees (although he grew up a Mets fan!). In addition to making plays on the baseball diamond, Alex has also been linked romantically to several major celebrities, including Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz, and Madonna.
Eva Longoria
Eva is a Mexican-American, and best known for her roles on The Young and the Restless and Desperate Housewives. Her role as the saucy Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives may have ended when the series wrapped last year, but Eva remains in the spotlight. Most notably, she was actively involved in President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, and she even spoke at the Democratic National Convention!
Mario Lopez
Mario is a close friend of Eva’s, and like Eva, he is of Mexican descent. Mario is best known for his role as A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell, and in recent years, he’s remained in the limelight with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars and as host of the daily entertainment program, Extra. Recently, it was announced that Mario’s family with dancer Courtney Mazza is expanding; the couple is expecting their second child in the fall.
Sofia Vergara
Sofia is a Colombian-born actress, television hostess, and model — and if you watch television, it’s hard to miss her. A star of ABC’s hit TV show Modern Family, Sofia is also featured in advertisements for Diet Pepsi and Cover Girl cosmetics. Sofia has also made a splash within the Latino community because many wonder if she takes the Latino stereotype too far with her portrayal of loud and boisterous Gloria on Modern Family and remarks she made in a 2012 interview with Esquire magazine about common Latino stereotypes.
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique was born in Spain, and his father was a well-known singer and entertainer. Enrique established himself as a singer in the late 1990s with songs such as “Bailamos” and “Hero”. He has performed at the Super Bowl, and has been dating tennis star Anna Kournikova for the past decade. Enrique is extremely private about his relationship with Anna, and has even remarked that marriage is not a priority for the couple as long as they are happy and committed to each other.
Penelope Cruz
Penelope was born in Spain, and is well-known worldwide for her work as an actress. She first burst on the scene with films such as Blow and Vanilla Sky (this movie also sparked her three-year romance with co-star Tom Cruise; the couple allegedly broke up because she refused to embrace his Scientology beliefs). She’s now married to Spanish actor Javier Bardem, and she is expecting the couple’s second child later this year.
Antonio Banderas
Antonio is also Spanish. He was in several high-profile movies in the 1990s, including Evita, Interview with the Vampire, Philadelphia, and The Mask of Zorro. He is married to fellow celebrity Melanie Griffith. Today, Antonio does voice work for movies such as Shrek and focuses on parenting his daughter, Stella. He’s spoken out about the importance he places on fatherhood by saying that he takes Stella out on “daddy-daughter” date nights once a week.
Shakira
Shakira is a Colombian singer-songwriter. She crossed over into the English market in 2001 (a native Spanish speaker, she’s fluent in English and Portuguese, and can speak some Italian, French, and Catalan) with hits like “Whatever, Whenever” and “Hips Don’t Lie”. Shakira is featured on this season’s installment of The Voice and recently welcomed her first child (son Milan) with her boyfriend, a Spanish football player.
Salma Hayek
Like Eva and Mario, Salma is Mexican-American. She’s known for her roles in films like Desperado, Dogma, and Frida and the television show Ugly Betty. She is married to French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, and the couple has a young daughter. Her charitable work over the years has increased, and she focuses her efforts on raising awareness of violence against women and discrimination against immigrants.
What do you think — who is your favorite Latin celebrity, and why? Share your comment below.
