Hawaii is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and music, but it has also given the world many well-known names. Presidents, singers, actors, and athletes all began their lives on these islands.
Their stories show how growing up in Hawaii can shape a person’s talent and outlook. Here are eleven famous people who were born there.
1. Barack Obama, Honolulu
Few birth certificates have been discussed as much as the one from Kapiolani Hospital in Honolulu. Barack Obama was born there on August 4, 1961, and later became the 44th President of the United States.
He spent much of his childhood in Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School in 1979. He has often said that Hawaii’s mix of cultures shaped how he sees the world.
After college, he worked as a community organizer in Chicago, studied law at Harvard, and entered politics in Illinois. He won the presidency in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012.
Obama still visits Hawaii often, usually during the winter holidays. He enjoys family time, the beach, and local shave ice.
His Honolulu roots remain a strong part of his public story, and many residents proudly call him a hometown son.
2. Bruno Mars, Honolulu
Before he filled stadiums, a little boy in Waikiki was dressing up as Elvis. Bruno Mars, born Peter Gene Hernandez in Honolulu in 1985, started performing as a child in his family’s music group.
At age four, he appeared in a Hawaii-based Elvis impersonator act that even earned him a spot in a movie. Music was simply part of everyday life in his household.
He moved to Los Angeles after high school to chase a songwriting career. He first wrote hits for other artists before breaking out with songs like Just the Way You Are.
Today he has won many Grammy Awards and is known for lively shows and retro style. He often credits Hawaii for teaching him how to entertain a crowd.
3. Nicole Scherzinger, Honolulu
Picture a young girl in Honolulu who knows she wants a life on stage. Nicole Scherzinger was born there in 1978 and grew up with a mix of Hawaiian, Filipino, and Russian family roots.
She moved to Louisville, Kentucky, as a child, where she studied performing arts. Later she joined the pop group Eden’s Crush before finding fame with the Pussycat Dolls.
Her hit song Don’t Cha became a worldwide favorite in the mid-2000s. She also went solo and sang on many popular tracks.
Scherzinger has since worked as a judge on talent shows, including The X Factor, and as a stage actress. Her strong voice earned praise in London’s West End musicals, showing she can shine far beyond pop music.
4. Jason Momoa, Honolulu
Tall, strong, and famous for playing larger-than-life heroes, Jason Momoa began his story in Honolulu in 1979. He was raised mostly in Norwalk, Iowa, by his mother after his parents separated.
He came back to Hawaii as a teenager and worked as a model after winning a contest. That led to his first television role on Baywatch Hawaii.
His big break came when he played Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones. He later became Aquaman in the DC films, and he starred in the series Frontier and See.
Momoa is open about his pride in his Native Hawaiian heritage. He often speaks up for environmental causes and Hawaiian culture, using his fame to highlight issues that matter to the islands.
5. Bette Midler, Honolulu
Here is a fun twist: a Broadway legend with a famously sassy voice was named after a movie star. Bette Midler was born in Honolulu in 1945, and her mother named her after actress Bette Davis.
Her parents had moved to Hawaii for work, and she grew up in a mostly Asian and Pacific Islander neighborhood. She attended Radford High School and later studied at the University of Hawaii.
She found early success in New York, performing in clubs and later in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. Her song Wind Beneath My Wings became one of the most loved ballads of its time.
Midler has won Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and Golden Globe awards. Her humor and powerful voice have kept audiences cheering for decades.
6. Duke Kahanamoku, Honolulu
A swimmer who won Olympic gold and helped spread surfing around the world, Duke Kahanamoku was born in Honolulu in 1890. He grew up near Waikiki Beach, where he practiced in the ocean nearly every day.
At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics he won gold in the 100 meter freestyle. He went on to earn several medals across the 1912 and 1920 Games.
Kahanamoku also traveled to Australia and California giving surfing demonstrations. These visits helped turn a Hawaiian tradition into a popular sport worldwide.
He later served as sheriff of Honolulu for many years and appeared in Hollywood films. A statue of him stands at Waikiki, and he is often remembered as the father of modern surfing.
7. Tia Carrere, Honolulu
Many people first heard her voice in a hit comedy about two rock fans from the suburbs. Tia Carrere was born in Honolulu in 1967 and went on to become an actress and singer.
She started out on the soap opera General Hospital. Her film role in Wayne’s World in 1992 made her widely recognized.
She also starred in the action series Relic Hunter and voiced Nani in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch. Her Hawaiian roots are a clear part of her career, especially in her music.
In 2009, Carrere won a Grammy Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album as a producer and performer on the record Ikena. She remains active in both film and island music projects.
8. Maggie Q, Honolulu
Action fans know her for tough roles and careful stunt work. Maggie Q, whose full name is Margaret Denise Quigley, was born in Honolulu in 1979 and has Vietnamese, Polish, and Irish family roots.
She moved to Hong Kong as a young adult and became a model. There she also learned Cantonese and started acting in local films.
Her Hollywood break came with Mission: Impossible III in 2006. Later she led the television series Nikita and appeared in the Divergent films and Designated Survivor.
Away from the screen, Maggie Q is an advocate for animal rights and environmental causes. She supports a plant-based lifestyle and has worked with groups that raise awareness about these issues.
9. Kelly Preston, Honolulu
Born in Honolulu on October 13, 1962, Kelly Preston became a familiar face in American movies and television. Her family later moved around, and she spent part of her childhood in Australia.
She studied at the University of Southern California and started acting in the early 1980s. Her first roles were in teen comedies such as Christine and Mischief.
She became well known for films like Twins, Jerry Maguire, and Jerry’s friend roles in family comedies. She also appeared in What a Girl Wants.
Preston married actor John Travolta in 1991, and the couple raised three children. She passed away in 2020, and fans remember her for warm screen presence and charity work supporting children.
10. Keala Settle, Laie
When she sang This Is Me in a film about a circus, the world suddenly knew her name. Keala Settle was born in Laie, on Oahu’s North Shore, and grew up in a Polynesian community.
Her path to stardom began long before that moment. She performed in Broadway shows like Hairspray and Les Miserables, and she was nominated for a Tony Award for Hands on a Hardbody.
The Greatest Showman in 2017 gave her a worldwide stage. Her powerful performance of This Is Me became an anthem for confidence and self-acceptance.
Settle has also appeared on television, including the series Ordinary Joe and Matilda on stage. She often speaks about finding strength in her background and in her family.
11. Jack Johnson, North Shore, Oahu
Sandy beaches, big winter waves, and an acoustic guitar set the scene for this musician. Jack Johnson was born in 1975 on Oahu’s North Shore, where he grew up near the famous Pipeline surf break.
He was a talented young surfer and even competed in the Pipeline Masters at age 17. A surfing accident left him with facial injuries, and he turned more toward music and film.
After studying film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he released his first album, Brushfire Fairytales, in 2001. Songs like Banana Pancakes built his relaxed, friendly style.
Johnson also supports environmental causes. His Kokua Hawaii Foundation works on education programs about nature and sustainability for island schools.
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