The Ultimate Checklist: Top 25 Most Popular Celebrities

Do you know who are the most popular celebrities thus far? Here is a curated list that includes all the famous personalities irrespective of their fields.

Anubhuti Mishra
Written by Anubhuti Mishra , Relationship Expert
Updated on Oct 23, 2023 | 05:23 PM IST | 12.5M
The Ultimate Checklist: Top 25 Most Popular Celebrities
The Ultimate Checklist: Top 25 Most Popular Celebrities

Most people spend their entire lives trying their best to become popular celebrities. But, as you know, fame and popularity are intangible assets and equally difficult to measure - for some fame and popularity may mean being one of the richest or highest-paid celebs, for others fame and popularity may mean being recognized wildly all across the world, i.e., global domination. Most of us generally are truly inspired by people from distinct walks of life, like popular actors, actresses, celebrities, businessmen, politicians, and all those living legends who have been immensely successful in their respective fields and careers. This curated list includes all the celebrities irrespective of the industry or career. Without further ado, here is your one-stop, ultimate checklist of the top 25 most popular celebrities of 2023.

Top 25 Most Popular Celebrities in 2023

1. Barack Obama

Barack Obama

  • Birthdate: 4 August 1961
  • Birthplace: Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician and comes at the top of the list of popular celebrities. Stanley Ann Dunham, his mother, was a white American from Wichita, Kansas, and Barack Obama Sr., his father, was a black man from Alego, Kenya.

As an active member of the Democratic Party, he was the first chosen African-American President of the United States and frequently made headlines with both his political career and personal life. He served as the 44th President of the United States from the year 2009 to 2017.

2. Chris Evans

Chris Evans

  • Birthdate: 13 June 1981
  • Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None
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Christopher Robert Evans is a renowned American actor. He began his career with diverse roles in television series, like Opposite Sex, in the year 2000.

Chris Evan's father is of half German and half Welsh/Scottish/English ancestry, while his mother is of half Italian and half Irish descent (strong genes, I must say).

With a net worth of $80 million, he is most loved, praised, and popular for his role as Captain America in the Marvel movie series. He is currently in the limelight for his role in The Gray Man, voicing a character in Lightyear, and an upcoming movie, Ghosted.

Top 5 Chris Evans movies

  • Not Another Teen Movie
  • Thor: The Dark World
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  • Knives Out
  • Avengers: Endgame

3. Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp

  • Birthdate: 9 June 1963
  • Birthplace: Owensboro, Kentucky, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: 3
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3
  • Golden Globes: 1
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 9

John Christopher Depp II is an American actor, musician, and producer and is unquestionably one of the greatest and most popular celebrities of our generation. With performances such as Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, and Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts, he has famously played weird, unique, and wacky roles and has been totally adored by everyone for them - he is regarded as one of the best celebrities to dress up as.

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Apart from this, he is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA awards, and three Academy Awards. Sadly, he has yet to win an Oscar. He recently came into the spotlight for his infamous trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Top 5 Johnny Depp movies

  • Edward Scissorhands
  • Public Enemies
  • Finding Neverland
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  • Sweeney Todd: The Demond Barber Of Fleet Street

4. Britney Spears

Britney Spears

  • Birthdate: 2 December 1981
  • Birthplace: McComb, Mississippi, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None

Britney Jean Spears is an American dancer and singer. She began singing and dancing at the ripe age of two and was soon competing in multiple talent shows. On 1 January 2018, Britney gave her first televised music performance on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year. She also caused a spark in the teen-pop phenomenon in the late 90s. Unfortunately, she underwent intense public scrutiny for her chaotic personal life. However, this superstar has been in the limelight since her rising fame in the year 1990.

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From releasing poppy bangers like Baby One More Time to coming into the headlines for her dramatic breakdowns, this pop legend has always been the topic of everyone’s discussion. Also known as The Princess of Pop, she has had immense global success, selling more than 100 million records worldwide while winning more than 100 awards throughout her career.

5. Beyoncé

5. Beyoncé

  • Birthdate: 4 September 1981
  • Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: 1
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 4

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, actress, songwriter, and producer. She even performed in several singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 90s as the lead singer of one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, Destiny's Child. Since then, it was crystal clear that Beyoncé is a superstar, and her career as a solo singer has proven this time and again. She is another one of the popular celebrities who creates art with her music and groundbreaking methods of delivering entertainment.

6. Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian

  • Birthdate: 21 October 1980
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None
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Is there even a time when Kim Kardashian is not breaking the internet or trending? In reality, she is one of those popular celebrities that probably cannot exist or function without a controversial Kardashian story broadcasting online. Kimberly Noel Kardashian is an American model, socialite, media personality, and businesswoman.

She has become more famous and successful with every passing second post the launch of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Moreover, Kim Kardashian has created her own clothesline, workout DVDs, mobile game, book, emojis, KKW Beauty line, shapewear, and perfume. She also often donates a lot to charities.

7. Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman

  • Birthdate: 1 June 1937
  • Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, United States
  • Oscars: Oscar for Million Dollar Baby  
  • Oscar Nominations: 5
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: 2
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 6

Morgan Freeman is an American actor, narrator, and director. He is known for his distinctively deep voice and for playing various iconic roles in numerous film genres. His subtle humor, emotional depth, dialogue delivery, and versatility made him one of the most popular celebrities and respected personalities in modern US cinema.

Also, he was an ideal fit to play presidents and Gods, owing to his wise and genial presence. Morgan Freeman is truly a gigantic fan favorite celeb. His most epic movie, The Shawshank Redemption, is till date, unbeatable and has the ability to melt even the toughest of souls.

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Top 5 Morgan Freeman movies

  • Million Dollar Baby
  • Driving Miss Daisy
  • Se7en
  • The Shawshank Redemption
  • Lean On Me

8. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

  • Birthdate: 28 March 1986
  • Birthplace: Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, United States
  • Oscars: 1  
  • Oscar Nominations: 4
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3
  • Golden Globes: 2
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 5

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, professionally known as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, actress, songwriter, and does Deejaying.

She is famous for her musical versatility and image reinventions - stunning (rather shocking) us with her extravagant attires, from egg incubators to meat dresses.

Lady Gaga started performing when she was a mere teenager by acting in her school plays and singing at open mic nights. It definitely is hard to ignore her great talent when she has bagged twelve Grammy awards. Moreover, she sang the US Nation20al Anthem at the inauguration of POTUS Joe Biden.

Top 5 Lady Gaga movies

  • The Sopranos
  • The Simpsons
  • American Horror Story
  • A Star is Born
  • Joker: Folie à Deux

9. Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock

  • Birthdate: 26 July 1964
  • Birthplace: Arlington County, Virginia, United States
  • Oscars: 1  
  • Oscar Nominations: 2
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: 1
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 5

Sandra Annette Bullock is a popular American actress and producer. She is also the recipient of numerous awards, including a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. Plus, she has been the world's highest-paid actress twice - 2010 and 2014. Just like a cherry on top, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2010.

Top 5 Sandra Bullock movies

  • Miss Congeniality
  • The Proposal
  • Ocean’s Eight
  • Bird Box
  • Two Weeks’ Notice  

10. Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

  • Birthdate: 24 July 1969
  • Birthplace: Castle Hill, New York, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Jennifer Lynn Affleck is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is popularly known by the nickname J.Lo. She began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer in the year 1991 on In Living Color, a sketch comedy television series. She remained a regular in that TV series until 1993 when she decided to pursue an acting career.

As of current, She performed at the 2020 Super Bowl, starred in and produced the movie, Marry Me, and sang at the inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021.

She also recently made headlines by marrying her ex and long-time love, Ben Affleck.

Top 5 Jennifer Lopez movies

  • Miss Congeniality
  • The Proposal
  • Ocean’s Eight
  • Bird Box
  • Two Weeks’ Notice  

11. Joe Biden

Joe Biden

  • Birthdate: 20 November 1942
  • Birthplace: Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. or Joe Biden is an American politician and the 46th and residing President of the United States. As a member of the Democratic Party, he also served as the 47th vice president under Barack Obama from the year 2009 to 2017.

Also, he represented Delaware in the United States Senate from the year 1973 to 2009.

12. Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg

  • Birthdate: 20 October 1971
  • Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. is an American rapper, actor, and media personality. He is popularly known as Snoop Dogg.

He rose to fame in 1992 when he was featured on Deep Cover, a debut solo single of Dr. Dre, and then on The Chronic, Dre's debut solo album. Snoop Dogg is certainly one of the most iconic figures, and popular celebrities to emerge from the early-'90s G-funk era who evolved beyond his gangsta rap genesis to become a cherished pop star.

13. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

  • Birthdate: 13 December 1989
  • Birthplace: West Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Taylor Alison Swift is a famous American singer and songwriter. Her discography covers numerous genres. Her narrative songwriting is often inspired by ongoings of her personal life and has received widespread media coverage and critical applause.

Taylor is also a multi-Grammy award-winning singer who made history by winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year multiple times.

Additionally, she was named Billboard's Woman of the Year in 2011. Plus, she has been named the American Music Awards Artist of the Year AND the Entertainer of the Year for (both) the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Remember, these are just some of the huge collection of awards she owns!

14. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie

  • Birthdate: June 4, 1975
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Oscars: Won Oscar in 2000
  • Oscar Nominations: Nominated for Changeling
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3 nominations
  • Golden Globes: 3 wins
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 6 nominations

Angelina Jolie (DCMG) is an admired American filmmaker, actress, and humanitarian. She is also the recipient of several awards, like three Golden Globe Awards and one Academy Award. Moreover, she has been rewarded as the highest-paid actress in Hollywood numerous times.

Top 5 Angelina Jolie’s Movies are:

  • Girl, Interrupted 
  • Changeling
  • Gia 
  • Salt 
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith 

15. Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey

  • Birthdate: 17 January 1962
  • Birthplace: Newmarket, Canada
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2
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James Eugene Carrey (or well-known as Jim Carrey) is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He is highly recognized for his energetic and slapstick performances.

Jim first came into the highlight in 1990, when he landed a recurring role in In Living Color, an American sketch comedy television series. He is massively famous and praised for his funny, flexible facial expressions and rubbery body movements.

He has two Golden Globe awards to his name. Jim Carrey is applauded for his comic timing in leading roles in movies like Dumb and Dumber (1994), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and many more, bringing him to the list of most popular celebrities.

16. Kanye West

Kanye West

  • Birthdate: 8 June 1977
  • Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Ye, or more commonly known as Kanye West, is an American rapper, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and record producer.

He is widely appreciated as one of the most influential and greatest hip-hop musicians of all time.

17. Will Smith

Will Smith

  • Birthdate: 25 September 1968
  • Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Who does not remember the hilariously infamous Oscar controversy? Will Smith trended in the early 2022s when he smacked Chris Rock in the face during the live event of the Oscar awards.

Willard Carroll Smith II, or simply Will Smith, is also well-known by The Fresh Prince, his stage name. He is a renowned American actor, producer, and rapper and began his career as a fictionalized version of himself on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, an NBC sitcom. There is unquestionably no surprise that he was dubbed The most powerful actor in Hollywood in 2007 by Newsweek.

18. Emma Watson

Emma Watson

  • Birthdate: April 15, 1990
  • Birthplace: Paris, France
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (or Emma Watson) is an English actress and staunch activist. She is widely popular for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films.

Additionally, she is famous for her women's rights work. Moreover, she has received many awards, including three MTV Movie Awards and a Young Artist Award. She is best known for her role in the Harry Potter movie series.

Top 5 Emma Watson movies

  • Little Women
  • Harry Potter
  • Noah
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower

19. Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber

  • Birthdate: 1 March 1994
  • Birthplace: St. Joseph's Hospital, London, Canada
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2
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Justin Drew Bieber is a well-known Canadian singer. Bieber is hugely praised for his genre-melding musicianship and has even played a prominent role in modern-day popular music.

However, he has had a wayward career since he was discovered (at the age of thirteen) by Scooter Braun and Usher on YouTube. He has sold more than 150 million records and has been dubbed one of the world’s best-selling music artists.

Unfortunately, Bieber was (more than once) named the most hated person in the world - owing to his misdemeanor while in a relationship with Selena Gomez and his wild drug abuse.

20. Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris

  • Birthdate: 20 October 1964
  • Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States]
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Kamala Devi Harris is an established American politician and attorney. She was voted as the 49th Vice President of the United States and is the first female Vice President.

Apart from this, she is the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history. She is known to be the first Asian American and first African American Vice President to be elected. Her reputation and work speak for themselves and, therefore, she is one of the contenders on this list of most popular celebrities.

21. Bill Gates

Bill Gates

  • Birthdate: 28 October 1955
  • Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

William Henry Gates III (or well-known as Bill Gates) is an American software developer, business magnate, author, investor, and dedicated philanthropist.

He successfully co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen, his (late) childhood friend. Apart from this, he is also the Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the Founder of Breakthrough Energy.

22. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey

  • Birthdate: 29 January 1954
  • Birthplace: Kosciusko, Mississippi, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Oprah Gail Winfrey (or simply Oprah) is a highly renowned American talk show host, actress, television producer, author, and staunch philanthropist.

Although she was born in rural poverty and raised in a poor urban neighborhood by a mother who was solely dependent on government welfare payments, Oprah became a millionaire (by the age of thirty-two) when her talk show received national syndication!

She is wildly famous for being the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, her supremely favored show, which aired from the year 1986 to 2011 for a whooping 25 seasons.

Later on, Oprah Winfrey launched the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in 2011, her own TV network. Her struggle, story, and fame made her one of the most respectable and popular celebrities in the world.

23. Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama

  • Birthdate: 17 January 1964
  • Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (or simply Michelle) is an American lawyer and author. She was the first African-American woman to serve as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017.

She is happily married to the former President Barack Obama and is a devoted dog lover.

24. Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson

  • Birthdate: 2 May 1972
  • Birthplace: Hayward, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Dwayne Douglas Johnson is a well-known American actor, former professional wrestler, and businessman. His fans (from the 90s) definitely recognize this star as The Rock from WWF. But the current generation may know him as one of the most admired actors and famous celebrities in Hollywood.

He is also one of the world’s highest-grossing actors, with a film roster accumulating more than $10.5 billion worldwide (gasp)!

25. Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.

  • Birthdate: 4 April 1965
  • Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2

Robert John Downey Jr. is a highly in-demand American actor and producer. Although his career had been characterized by popular yet critical success in his youth, he was infamous for his substance abuse and legal troubles, before he cleaned himself and re-emerged in commercial success later in his career.

His role as the Iron Man bought him massive success, fame, respect, and love, making him fall on this ultimate checklist of popular celebrities. We surely do love him 3000, don't we?

Wrapping Up

Every country in the world owns some prominent celebrities of miscellaneous professions. That is the main reason why making the ultimate checklist of the popular celebrities in the world is a tad bit tough job. Nonetheless, we tried our best to bring to you 25 famous personalities in the world.

Who do you think should be included in this list?

FAQs

Who are the most popular celebrities right now?
Justin Bieber and Beyonce

Who is most popular celeb in the world?
Dwayne The Rock Johnson

Who was the most famous personalities in 2021?
Zendaya

Who is the most famous TV celeb in India?
Shehnaaz Gill

Who is a celebrity that everyone loves?
Keanu Reeves

Who has the most fans in Hollywood?
Tom Cruise

Who is the best celebrity to dress up as?
Johnny Depp

Credits: IMDb, getty images
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About The Author
Anubhuti Mishra
Anubhuti Mishra
Relationship Expert

A marked inclination toward understanding human emotions and relationships led Anubhuti to become a certified Relationship Expert. With dual

...

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