12 Famous People You Didn’t Know Were Albanian

A few years ago, I was at a dinner in Rome with some Italian friends. When I mentioned I was Albanian, the conversation shifted the way it always does. “Oh, Albania! Isn’t that near Greece?” Then came the blank stares when I started listing famous Albanians they already knew, they just didn’t know they were Albanian. Danny DeVito? Albanian. John Belushi? Albanian. The guy whose research led to Viagra? Also Albanian.

This is a peculiar thing about being Albanian abroad. We’re roughly 10 million people worldwide, scattered across the Balkans and a massive diaspora. Yet most people couldn’t name a single famous Albanian beyond Mother Teresa. And even her, they’ll argue about. (We’ll get to that.)

So here’s my list. Twelve people whose Albanian roots you probably didn’t know about, from Hollywood actors to Nobel laureates to pop stars who top the charts right now. Some are straightforward. Others, like a certain Olympic marathon runner, are genuinely disputed. I’ll be honest about that too.

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1. Danny DeVito

The Arberesh Connection Most People Miss

Danny DeVito’s grandmother spoke Gheg Albanian. She was Arberesh, part of the Albanian diaspora communities in southern Italy that have existed since the 15th century. According to the Arberesh Wikipedia entry, roughly 100,000 people in Italy still identify as Arberesh today. DeVito confirmed his Albanian heritage on The Always Sunny Podcast, casually dropping it into conversation the way Albanians always do.

His family came from Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot, where Arberesh villages have maintained their language, their Orthodox faith, and their traditions for over 500 years. That’s longer than most countries have existed. When I tell Italians this, they’re often surprised. But in Albania, we’ve known about DeVito for years. He’s one of ours.

What makes this interesting is how many Arberesh Americans don’t even realize their roots are Albanian. The communities left Albania so long ago that “Italian” became the default identity. But the language, the food, the family structures? Albanian through and through.

Watch: Danny DeVito discusses his Italian-Albanian roots – search YouTube for “Danny DeVito Always Sunny Podcast Albanian”

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2. John Belushi

From Qyteze to Saturday Night Live

John Belushi’s parents were Albanian immigrants from Qyteze, a village near Korce in southeastern Albania. His father Adam emigrated to the US before World War II, and his mother Agnes (born Demetri) was of the same Albanian community. Albania honored Belushi with a postage stamp in 2008, 26 years after his death. Not many countries issue stamps for comedians, but Albanians take their famous diaspora seriously.

I’ve always found it interesting that Belushi grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, in a tight-knit Albanian-American community. His family attended the Albanian Orthodox church. He ate byrek and tavë kosi at family gatherings. The wild energy he brought to Saturday Night Live and Animal House? Some of us like to think that’s pure Albanian spirit. (I’m only half joking.)

Belushi died at 33, which makes the Albanian stamp feel like a bittersweet tribute. But in Korce, they’re proud of him. His family’s village is small, and everyone there knows the name.

Watch: John Belushi’s legendary Blues Brothers performances – search YouTube for “John Belushi Blues Brothers”

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3. Ferid Murad

The Albanian Nobel Laureate Who Changed Medicine

Ferid Murad won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998, and his father was an Albanian immigrant. According to his Nobel Prize biography, his father Jabir Murad Ejupi came from Gostivar (now in North Macedonia, historically an Albanian-speaking area) and arrived at Ellis Island in 1913. Murad’s research on nitric oxide signaling directly led to the development of Viagra.

Here’s the thing about Murad’s story. His father changed the family name from Ejupi to Murad to assimilate in America. This is a pattern I’ve seen dozens of times in the Albanian diaspora. Names get shortened, simplified, Anglicized. The roots get buried under a couple of generations. But the connection remains.

In my 20+ years of blogging about Albania, Murad is the person who surprises people the most. A Nobel Prize winner with Albanian blood? People genuinely don’t believe it at first. But there he is on the Nobel Prize website, his father’s Albanian origins clearly documented.

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4. Mother Teresa

The Most Famous Albanian in History

Mother Teresa was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, to Albanian parents from Kosovo. She is, without question, the most recognized Albanian who ever lived. Yet decades of media coverage almost never mentioned her Albanian identity. According to her own words, documented in numerous biographies, she was explicit about who she was.

“By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”

Her father, Nikola Bojaxhiu, was a successful businessman and Albanian political activist. There’s strong evidence he was poisoned or assassinated in 1919 because of his activism for Albanian national causes. The family went from comfortable to impoverished overnight. Young Anjeze’s path toward religious service started in that devastation.

I grew up in Albania hearing Mother Teresa’s name constantly. Every Albanian knows she’s Albanian. The airport in Tirana is named after her. There’s a massive statue of her in the city center. But talk to someone in London or New York, and they’ll say she was “from India” or “from Macedonia.” It’s one of those small frustrations of being from a small country.

Her Albanian name, “Gonxhe,” means “flower bud” in Albanian. Bojaxhiu means “house painter.” These are deeply Albanian names from a deeply Albanian family.

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5. Eliza Dushku

From Buffy to a Documentary About Her Albanian Roots

Eliza Dushku’s father was from Korce, Albania, and she’s been one of the most vocal Albanian-Americans in Hollywood about her heritage. In 2015, she produced a documentary called Dear Albania, raising $65,000 on Kickstarter to fund the project. The city of Korce later granted her honorary citizenship.

Most people know Dushku from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (she played Faith) or Dollhouse. But in Albania, she’s known for something else entirely: actually caring about the connection. A lot of celebrities with Albanian roots treat it as a footnote. Dushku made a whole film about it.

Her family name, “Dushku,” literally means “oak” in Albanian. It’s a common surname in the Korce region. When she visited, locals treated her like a returning daughter. That’s very Albanian. We claim everyone, and when they claim us back, we’re thrilled.

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6. Jim Belushi

The Belushi Who Came Back to Albania

Jim Belushi received Albania’s “Honor of the Nation” decoration from President Bamir Topi in 2008, making him one of very few Americans to hold the distinction. He’s John’s younger brother, and unlike John, he’s had the chance to actually visit Albania and connect with his roots on camera.

In 2023, Jim traveled to Albania for Discovery Channel’s Growing Belushi. The episode showed him visiting family, tasting local food, and getting visibly emotional about the connection. For Albanians watching, it was a big deal. Here was a famous American, on an American TV show, treating Albania with genuine warmth and curiosity.

But here’s the thing people forget. Jim grew up in the same Albanian-American household as John. Same parents from Qyteze. Same Albanian Orthodox church. Same byrek at Sunday lunch. He’s been publicly proud of his heritage for decades, long before the Discovery Channel trip made it TV-friendly.

Watch: Jim Belushi’s emotional visit to Albania on Growing Belushi – search YouTube for “Jim Belushi Albania Growing Belushi”

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7. Action Bronson

The Albanian Rapper Who Cooks Byrek on Camera

Action Bronson, born Ariyan Arslani, has an Albanian Muslim father and has made his Albanian heritage a central part of his public identity. His cookbook is dedicated to his Albanian grandmother, and he’s cooked Albanian byrek on VICE Munchies with his aunt. For a rapper-turned-chef, that’s about as Albanian as it gets.

I love Bronson’s approach to his heritage. He doesn’t treat it as an afterthought. Albanian food shows up in his restaurants, his books, his shows. He once described his grandmother’s cooking as the foundation of everything he does with food. Anyone who has eaten their Albanian grandmother’s cooking knows exactly what he means.

Action Bronson represents something interesting about Albanian identity in America. Unlike earlier generations who sometimes downplayed their roots (changing names, blending in), younger Albanian-Americans are increasingly loud about where they come from. Bronson is the most extreme example: he built an entire brand around food, and Albanian food sits at the center of it.

Watch: Action Bronson making Albanian byrek with his aunt – search YouTube for “Action Bronson Albanian byrek VICE Munchies”

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8. Dua Lipa

How Did a Kosovar Albanian Become the World’s Biggest Pop Star?

Dua Lipa was born in London to Kosovar Albanian parents from Pristina, and as of 2025, she holds citizenship in three countries: the UK, Albania, and Kosovo. She’s arguably the most successful Albanian-heritage musician in history. Her albums Future Nostalgia and Radical Optimism have collectively sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, according to Wikipedia.

“Dua” means “love” in Albanian. Her parents named her intentionally. And unlike some celebrities who keep their heritage quiet, Dua Lipa has been outspoken about being Albanian. She co-founded the Sunny Hill Foundation with her father Dukagjin Lipa, and together they run the Sunny Hill Festival in Pristina every summer. It’s become one of the biggest music events in the Balkans.

What I find remarkable is how naturally she moves between identities. British when she’s in London. Albanian when she’s in Pristina. Global when she’s on stage. That’s the modern Albanian diaspora experience in a nutshell, and she embodies it better than anyone.

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9. Rita Ora

The Pop Star Whose Family Fled Kosovo

Rita Ora was born Rita Sahatciu in Pristina, Kosovo, in 1990, and her family fled to London in 1991 to escape the deteriorating political situation. She was barely a year old. Her stage name “Ora” means “time” in Albanian, chosen because it was easy to pronounce internationally. According to her Wikipedia biography, her grandfather served as Albanian consul to Russia.

What most people don’t realize is that Rita Ora and Dua Lipa come from the same small city. Pristina has a population of around 200,000. Producing two of the world’s biggest pop stars from one small Balkan capital is, honestly, statistically absurd. But Albanians don’t think about it that way. We just think, “Of course they’re Albanian.”

Ora’s family story is typical of the 1990s Kosovo Albanian experience. Hundreds of thousands of Kosovo Albanians left during that decade. Some returned after the 1999 war. Many didn’t. Rita’s success in the UK, while maintaining her Albanian identity, has made her a symbol for that entire generation.

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10. Bebe Rexha

The Albanian Pop Star Who Cried on Live TV

Bebe Rexha, born Bleta Rexha, is of Albanian heritage from North Macedonia. “Blete” means “bee” in Albanian, which is where her nickname comes from. She has been consistently vocal about her Albanian roots, and one moment in particular went viral: she spoke Albanian on live television and burst into tears, overwhelmed by the connection to her parents’ language.

That moment hit hard for a lot of Albanians. There’s something about hearing your language on international TV, spoken by someone the world actually knows. It validates something deep. Especially for a community that’s often invisible in mainstream media.

In 2024, Rexha alleged she was the victim of a hate crime at Munich airport for speaking Albanian. The incident made headlines across European media. Whether the details are disputed or not, it resonated with thousands of Albanians who’ve experienced similar prejudice abroad. Speaking Albanian in public shouldn’t be controversial. Sometimes it still is.

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11. Ava Max

She Only Spoke Albanian Until Age 5

Ava Max was born Amanda Koci in Milwaukee to Albanian parents who fled the country in 1991 after communism collapsed. Her family’s escape from Albania is dramatic: they lived in a Red Cross church in Paris for a year before eventually making it to the United States. According to Wikipedia, she only spoke Albanian until she was five years old.

Her hit “Sweet but Psycho” reached number one in 22 countries. Not bad for a kid from a refugee family who couldn’t speak English until kindergarten. Koci is a common Albanian surname, and Amanda is a name that works in both languages, which was probably deliberate. Albanian parents in the diaspora often choose names that bridge both worlds.

I was in Albania in 1991 when everything fell apart. Thousands of families did exactly what the Koci family did: packed what they could and left. Some went to Italy on overcrowded ships. Some ended up in Greece. Some, like Ava Max’s parents, made it all the way to France and then America. Every Albanian family has a 1991 story. Hers just happens to have a number-one hit attached to it.

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12. Ermonela Jaho

The Albanian Soprano The Economist Called the World’s Greatest

Ermonela Jaho grew up in Tirana under one of the most isolated communist regimes on Earth, and The Economist has called her “the world’s most acclaimed soprano.” She won the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) Artist of the Year in 2023, placing her among the very top tier of living opera performers.

Her story is almost unbelievable. She trained at the Academy of Arts in Tirana during the final years of communism, when Albania was so isolated that listening to foreign music could get you in trouble. In 1993, two years after the regime collapsed, she moved to Italy with essentially nothing. She worked odd jobs while auditioning. Eventually, she started getting roles at major opera houses across Europe.

Today she performs at La Scala, the Royal Opera House, the Met, and every major venue in between. She’s particularly known for her role as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, which critics describe as definitive. But what I find most remarkable is how open she is about where she comes from. She doesn’t hide the hardship. She doesn’t romanticize communist Albania. She’s honest about what it took.

And that honesty, I think, is what makes her story the perfect ending to this list. Because that’s the Albanian diaspora in one sentence: people who left with nothing and made something extraordinary.

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All 12 Famous Albanians at a Glance

Name	Albanian Connection	Field	Key Achievement
Danny DeVito	Arberesh (Calabria, Italy)	Film	Emmy-winning actor, director, producer
John Belushi	Parents from Qyteze, Korce	Comedy	SNL original cast, Blues Brothers
Ferid Murad	Father from Gostivar	Science	Nobel Prize in Medicine (1998)
Mother Teresa	Albanian parents, born Skopje	Humanitarian	Nobel Peace Prize (1979), sainted 2016
Eliza Dushku	Father from Korce	Film/TV	Buffy, Dear Albania documentary
Jim Belushi	Parents from Qyteze, Korce	Film/TV	Albania’s “Honor of the Nation” (2008)
Action Bronson	Albanian Muslim father	Music/Food	Rapper, chef, cookbook author
Dua Lipa	Kosovar Albanian parents, Pristina	Music	Grammy winner, triple citizen
Rita Ora	Born in Pristina, fled Kosovo 1991	Music	10 billion+ streams worldwide
Bebe Rexha	Parents from North Macedonia	Music	Grammy-nominated, “Meant to Be”
Ava Max	Parents fled Albania 1991	Music	“Sweet but Psycho” #1 in 22 countries
Ermonela Jaho	Born in Tirana, Albania	Opera	ICMA Artist of the Year 2023

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Why Are There So Many Famous People with Albanian Heritage?

The Albanian diaspora is enormous relative to the country’s size. Albania itself has about 2.8 million people, according to the World Bank. But Albanians worldwide number roughly 10 million when you include Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Italy’s Arberesh communities, and the massive diaspora in the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, and beyond.

There’s also a pattern here worth noting. Many of these famous Albanians come from communities that were pushed out: Kosovo Albanians fleeing persecution, Arberesh who left 500 years ago, families escaping communism in 1991. Diaspora communities often produce outsized cultural contributions precisely because they’re driven to prove themselves in adopted countries while maintaining pride in their origins.

But here’s what I think really explains it. Albanians don’t have a large, well-known homeland to speak for them the way Italians or Greeks do. So when an Albanian makes it, the entire community amplifies it. We share the news. We claim them. We’re loud about it. That communal pride creates a feedback loop where Albanian heritage becomes more visible, which inspires the next generation, which produces more famous Albanians. It’s a beautiful cycle.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Famous Albanians

Is Danny DeVito Albanian?

Yes. Danny DeVito is of Arberesh (Italo-Albanian) descent from Calabria, Italy. His grandmother spoke Gheg Albanian. He confirmed this heritage on The Always Sunny Podcast. The Arberesh are Albanian communities that settled in southern Italy starting in the 15th century, and roughly 100,000 people in Italy still identify as Arberesh today.

What nationality is Dua Lipa?

Dua Lipa holds three citizenships: British (born in London), Albanian, and Kosovar. Her parents are Kosovar Albanians from Pristina. She was raised in London, spent several teenage years in Pristina, then returned to London to pursue music. Her name “Dua” means “love” in Albanian.

Was Mother Teresa Albanian?

Yes. Mother Teresa was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje (then Ottoman Empire, now North Macedonia) to Albanian parents from Kosovo. She explicitly stated, “By blood, I am Albanian.” Her father was an Albanian political activist who was likely assassinated in 1919. Tirana’s international airport is named Mother Teresa International Airport in her honor.

Are John and Jim Belushi Albanian?

Yes. Both John and Jim Belushi are of Albanian descent. Their parents, Adam and Agnes Belushi, emigrated from Qyteze, a village near Korce in southeastern Albania. Albania honored John with a postage stamp in 2008. Jim received the “Honor of the Nation” decoration from Albania’s president the same year.

What does Dua Lipa’s name mean?

“Dua” means “love” in Albanian. It’s a real Albanian word used in everyday conversation. Her surname “Lipa” is also Albanian. Her father’s name “Dukagjin” references the Dukagjini region of northern Albania, historically associated with the Kanun of Lek Dukagjini, a medieval code of customary law.

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Final Thoughts on Albanian Heritage and Diaspora Pride

Writing this list, I kept coming back to the same thought. These twelve people span comedy, science, music, opera, humanitarian work, and everything in between. They come from Albania proper, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and 500-year-old communities in Italy. They speak different languages, practice different faiths, and live on different continents. But they share something: Albanian roots.

And that’s the thing about Albanian identity. It’s wider than the borders of Albania. It stretches across the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic, across centuries. It shows up in Danny DeVito’s grandmother’s kitchen and Dua Lipa’s sold-out arenas and Ferid Murad’s Nobel Prize laboratory.

I’ve been writing about Albania since 2004, and this particular topic, famous people with Albanian heritage, always generates the most passionate responses. Albanians love to claim their own. Sometimes we stretch a bit (I’ll admit that). But the people on this list? They’ve claimed us back. And that makes all the difference.

If I’ve missed someone important, and I’m sure I have, tell me in the comments. Albanians are not shy about correcting each other.