Index » People » Famous Mexicans
There are many famous Mexicans and it is almost impossible to number them all.
Mexicans have contributed to world science, literature, sports, architecture, art, poetry, politics, beauty, fashion, film industry, food industry, clothing industry, music, civil liberties, etc.
This article is designed to give you a representative list of famous Mexican people that achieved world fame do to their hard work, courage, different talents, intellectual achievements or natural Mexican charisma and beauty.
Pancho Villa - The Mexican Revolution Leader. Doroteo Arango Arambula known as Francisco Pancho Villa (1878-1923) is the symbol for the revolution and struggle for human rights. He was the first and one of the most loved Mexican revolutionary generals about whom many legends are told, TV series and movies are made and novels are written.
Octavio Paz - The Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Octavio Paz Lozano was born in Mexico City and was a true Mexican that accomplished a lot for his lifetime. He was a great writer, passionate poet, noble diplomat but above all he was a big humanist. There can be no society without poetry, but society can never be realized as poetry, it is never poetic. Sometimes the two terms seek to break apart. They cannot. Octavio Paz
Salma Hayek - The Most Famous Mexican Actress. Salma Valgarma Hayek Jimenez is not just beautiful and sexy Mexican women but also a very smart, eloquent, elegant lady and fighter against the domestic violence and immigrant discrimination. Salma Hayek is very gifted and great actress. She is the first Mexican national to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and she won many other prestige national and international awards. A side from being the world famous actress Hayek is also a director and television and film producer.
Carlos Santana - The Guitar Wizard. Carlos Augusto Alves Santana born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico is a guitar wizard who pioneered a blend of rock, jazz and salsa fusion. His music touched numerous hearts and made this world a better place. There are many Santana's singles that the world was singing and dancing to and still does so. Some of them are: "Black Magic Woman", "Samba Pa Ti", "Evil Ways", "Smooth", "Maria Maria", "Put Your Lights On", and many other.
Frida Kahlo - Distinguished Mexican Painter. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon (1907-1954) was a world famous Mexican painter with the unique, self thought painting stile that produced shocking, breathtaking, and very striking paintings. She had a very exiting but challenging life and she used her painting to channel her pain, joy and sadness. It is for this reason that she has done many self portraits and other autobiographic paintings. "I paint self portraits because I am the person I know best." Frida Kahlo
Mario Molina - The Winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Jose Mario Molina-Pasquel Henriquez (born 1943 in Mexico City) is a world famous chemist who contributed greatly to the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole.
Nery Castillo - Mexican international soccer player. The representative list of the famous Mexicans cannot be complete without the Mexican world famous sportsmen especially the soccer players because soccer is a big part of everyday life in Mexico. Nery Alberto Castillo Confalonieri (born 1984 in San Luis Potosi) is nicknamed El Diablo because of his temper and destructive force on the soccer field against the opponent team.
Finally, another group of famous Mexicans that must be included in order to have a representative list of famous Mexican people are the beautiful famous Mexican women that take your breath a way.
Aracely Arámbula Jacques is a Mexican actress, model and singer. She is not just beautiful Mexican women but also intelligent, talented and hot blooded lady (she is related to Pancho Vila!).
Ninel Conde is a Mexican model, actress and singer that won many male hearts with her great looks and sophisticate sexuality.
Father Miguel Hidalgo - Leader of Mexican war for independence.
Ninel Conde - Famous Mexican actress and model.
Francisco Toledo - Famous Mexican graphic artist.
Jose Clemente Orozco - famous Mexican social realist painte.
Luis Miguel - One of the most famous Mexican singers. His countrymen call him "The Sun of Mexico"
Gilberto Aceves Navarro - Mexican painter
Elsa Benitez - Beautiful Mexican model
Danny Trejo - Great Mexican American actor.
Emiliano Zapata - Famous Mexican revolutionary leader.
Barbara Mori - Mexican model and actress.
Rodolfo Morales - Great Mexican surrealist painter.
Feliciano Bejar - Mexican sculptor and painter.
Mario Molina - Winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Luis E. Marimontes - Great Mexican inventor.
Nery Castillo - Mexican international soccer player.
Max Cetto - Famous Mexican architect, professor and historian.
Jorge Kahwagi - Mexican lawyer, businessmen, boxer, etc.
Belinda Peregrin - Mexican singer and songwriter.
Luis Herrera Estrella - Famous Mexican molecular biologist.
Eduardo Verastegui - Mexican singer, model and actor.
Gelsen Gas - Multitalented Mexican painter, film director, actor, inventor, etc.
Gabriel Soto - Mexican model and actor.
Lorena Herrera - Mexican model and actress.
Paulina Rubio - One of the most famous Mexican singers.
Jacob Bekenstein - Famous Mexican theoretical physicist.
Diego Rivera - Famous Mexican muralist and painter.
There are many other famous Mexicans that should be at least mentioned however in order to do so this article would be indefinite. That is why you should keep in mind that this is only a representative overview of the famous Mexican people and that if you are interested there is much more for you to find out on this subject.
Mexican celebrities are famous for numerous reasons.
Some Famous Mexicans enjoy the status of a Mexican (or world) celebrity due to their good looks; others are good sportsmen, charming and eloquent politicians, gifted actors or singers, very rich or the richest in the World (Carlos Slim Helu), artists with great imagination, intelligent writers and poets with profound thoughts, great musicians and composers, brave leaders, etc.
Some of the most famous Mexican people are:
Carlos Santana - world famous rock musician and great guitarist
Salma Hayek - the most famous Mexican actress.
Aracely Arambula Jacques - famous Mexican model, singer and actress.
Nery Castillo famous Mexican international soccer player.
Gabriel Soto Mexican actor, the "king" of Mexican soap operas.
Barbara Mori Mexican actress and model.
Ninel Conde Mexican actress, model, singer and one of the most famous Mexican celebrities nowadays.
Jorge Kahwagi Mexican boxer, lawyer, businessmen, politician, etc.
Gael Garcia Bernal Mexican actor and director.
Belinda Peregrin famous Mexican singer and songwriter.
Elsa Benitez Mexican model
Eduardo Verastegui one of the most famous Mexican actors.
Mark Tacher multitalented Mexican actor and musician.
Ana Barbara Mexican singer and songwriter.
Luis Miguel Mexican singer nicknamed "The Sun of Mexico".
Lorena Herrera famous Mexican model and actress.
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu famous Mexican film director.
Shelly Martinez Mexican model and professional wrestler.
Mariana Seoane Mexican actress, model and singer.
Patricia Manterola Mexican fashion designer, model, actress and singer.
Enrique Peña Nieto Mexican politician and lawyer.
Paulina Rubio One of the most famous female Mexican singers.
Jacqueline Bracamontes Mexican model and actress.
Pablo Montero Popular Mexican singer and actor.
Patricia Navidad Mexican actress and singer.
Adriana Fonseca famous Mexican actress.
Dulce Maria Mexican actress, singer and songwriter.
As you can see most of the Mexican celebrities are beautiful Mexican women that can sing or act or just walk down a catwalk.
We have nothing against that, on contrary :o)
However, that should not misguide you into thinking that there are no famous Mexican poets, writers, artists, scientists, and Nobel Prize Winners because there are many of them but rarely is some of them a celebrity, as Frida Kahlo was for example.
Mexico is the land of music and dance.
There is no Mexican that doesn't know how to dance or that doesn't enjoy listening good traditional Mexican music and songs.
Some of the greatest Mexican musicians are:
Carlos Santana - Santana is a rock musician and guitar wizard, and one of the most famous Mexican American musicians of all times. The way he is playing his guitar is truly unique, and it is just awesome to listen to him play.
Carlos Santana won many prestige awards, such as Grammy Awards, and is one of the most popular guitarists in the World. In fact, the Rolling Stone ranked Santana number 15 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
Eduardo Hernandez Moncada (1899 - 1995) was a famous Mexican pianist and composer. He composed music throughout his life and played the piano with great passion.
Some of his most famous works are: Symphony I, Symphony II, Funeral March, Guelatao (orchestral music); Elena (opera); Endless Voyage, Ermesinda (ballets); Si me Viera Don Porfirio, Deseada, El Desquite (film), etc.
Miguel Bernal Jimenez (1910-1956) was a famous Mexican composer, organist and musicologist. He made great contributions to the Mexican nationalist music movement and Mexican religious music.
The most famous works of Miguel Jimenez are: Ave Gratia Plena, Por el Valle de las Rosas, Los Tres Galanes de Juana, Noche en Morelia, La Virgen que Forjo una Patria, El Himno de los Bosques, Sinfonia Hidalgo, Misa Guadalupana Juandieguito, Sinfonia Poema Mexico, etc.
Other famous Mexican musicians are: Hernando Franco , Francisco Araiza , Manuel M. Ponce , Carlos Miguel Prieto , Chalino Sanchez , Angela Peralta , Cristian Castro , Julian Carrillo, Jorge Mester, Juventino Rosas, Silvestre Revueltas, Jose Pablo Moncayo, Francisco Lopez Capillas, Horacio Franco, Enrique Diemecke, Conlon Nancarrow, Manuel de Zumaya, Luis Herrera de la Fuente, etc.
There are many Mexican artists that have contributed greatly to the Mexican art and traditional Mexican culture, as well as to the World art and culture.
Some of those artists are:
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
A few days before she died she wrote in her diary: "I hope that the exit is joyful and never to return"
If the pain and suffering is the main inspiration for artists than Frida Kahlo had more than enough inspiration to paint every single corner of the World.
Her life was painful, filled with suffering (physical and mental). Maybe that is why she painted very intense and beautiful paintings and is remembered as great Mexican painter.
Frida was married to Diego Rivera, famous Mexican muralist and painter, who loved her more than anything. However, love wasn't enough for happiness. The fact is that they didn't have a happy marriage. They had numerous affairs, and their life together was very turbulent.
"The day that Frida died was most tragic day of my life" I had realized too late that that the most wonderful thing in my life has been my love for her.
Diego Rivera (1886-1957) - one of the most famous Mexican artists of all times, painter, muralist, and Frida Kahlo's husband.
Rodolfo Morales (1925-2001) - Mexican surrealist painter, famous for dreamy brightly colored canvases, restorations of historical buildings and for having a big altruistic heart.
Francisco Toledo (1940 - ) - one of the most famous Mexican graphic artists of all times. A side from being a great artist he is also very committed to the cultural development of his home state.
Gilberto Aceves Navarro (1931 - ) - famous Mexican painter.
Manuel Lepe Macedo (1936-1984) - even though he was never formally trained as an artist he painted very beautiful and inspiring paintings.
Jose Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) - great Mexican painter and muralist.
Juan O'Gorman (1905-1982) - famous Mexican painter and architect.
Feliciano Bejar (1920-2007) - Mexican painter and sculptor.
Mexicans are famous for their passion, ardent love, tragic and happy romances, and many intense emotions that in many cases result in beautiful art, music, songs, novels, or poems.
Poets have this great gift to make something beautiful out of pain, misery, hurt, or doubt.
They embrace their painful emotions and turn them into very profound master peaces of literature. That’s a great gift to have!
If there is a perfect coping mechanism for stress and broken heart it must be poetry or some other form of art.
Octavio Paz (1914 – 1998) – The Winner of 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature is one of the greatest poets of all times. His poems are so vivid, inspiring, passionate, and powerful that many call “life changing”. Octavio Paz’s early poetry was greatly influenced by existentialism, surrealism, Marxism, and eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Later in life he wrote many poems about love, eroticism, passion, etc.
Octavio Paz’s poems are a true treasure of Mexico and if you would like to read them in English the best choice for you would be either the “Early Poems by Paz” or “Collected Poems”.