20 iconos galeses que han tenido un gran impacto en Estados Unidos

Criadas entre los paisajes y comunidades distintivas de Gales, estas figuras destacadas han llevado sus raíces consigo mientras construían una reputación internacional. Aquí tienes 20 de los nombres galeses más reconocidos que dejaron una huella duradera en la música, el deporte, el cine y los negocios en Estados Unidos.

Orgullosa de ser de Tiger Bay, en Cardiff, Dame Shirley Bassey es la voz legendaria detrás de tres clásicos de James Bond: Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) y Moonraker (1979). Su participación en una gran franquicia cinematográfica ayudó a convertirla en una de las artistas musicales más reconocidas de Gales. Más allá de Bond, Bassey fue la primera artista galesa en lograr un número uno en el Reino Unido con As I Love You, y también es muy conocida por éxitos icónicos como Big Spender y por su imagen glamourosa en el escenario, que ha asegurado su presencia en la escena cultural durante más de setenta años.

Conocida como la artista de música clásica más vendida del Reino Unido en los últimos 25 años, Katherine Jenkins ha llevado su potente voz galesa a escenarios de todo el mundo, desde la Ópera de Sídney hasta su debut en Estados Unidos en Joe’s Pub, en la ciudad de Nueva York. Su distintiva voz de mezzosoprano le ha ganado una base de admiradores a nivel global. En 2012, Katherine también participó en el programa Dancing with the Stars, donde quedó subcampeona junto a su pareja, Mark Ballas.

Con éxitos como It’s Not Unusual, Delilah y What’s New Pussycat?, Sir Tom Jones es una de las voces más reconocibles de la música mundial. Nacido en 1940 en la ciudad minera galesa de Pontypridd, Tom se inspiró profundamente en la música soul estadounidense durante su juventud. Más adelante, a medida que su fama crecía, Jones llevó a Gales al mundo, convirtiéndose en un éxito rotundo en Estados Unidos, donde conquistó escenarios de costa a costa con su estilo escénico único, especialmente bien adaptado al brillo de Las Vegas. Su programa de variedades This Is Tom Jones, emitido por ABC, le valió una nominación al Globo de Oro como mejor actor en 1970.

El galardonado bajo-barítono galés ha actuado en escenarios que van desde la Metropolitan Opera de Nueva York hasta Covent Garden en Londres. Su debut en Estados Unidos como Fígaro en la Ópera de Santa Fe en 1991 fue una de las actuaciones que impulsaron su carrera internacional. Terfel fue condecorado con la Orden del Imperio Británico (OBE) en 2003 por su contribución a la ópera y recibió el título de caballero en 2017.

Ampliamente considerado como uno de los mejores boxeadores de su generación, Joe Calzaghe ostenta el récord como el campeón mundial de peso supermedio con el reinado más largo de la historia. Mantuvo el título durante más de una década, defendiéndolo con éxito en 20 ocasiones, y se retiró invicto, con el reinado más largo de cualquier boxeador activo en ese momento. Conocido acertadamente como The Pride of Wales, Calzaghe consolidó su reputación internacional en 2008 al ganar su primera pelea en Estados Unidos, convirtiéndose en un nombre familiar entre los aficionados al boxeo a ambos lados del Atlántico.

Leyenda del fútbol que jugó para el Tottenham, el Real Madrid, LAFC y la selección nacional de Gales, Gareth Bale ha puesto constantemente a Gales en el escenario deportivo mundial. Marcó el primer gol de Gales en una Copa del Mundo desde 1958, en Catar 2022. Ha ganado más Ligas de Campeones que cualquier otro jugador británico y anotó lo que muchos consideran el mejor gol en una final de Champions League. Uno de sus últimos toques como jugador de club fue el gol más tardío en la historia de la MLS, en el minuto 128 de la final de la MLS Cup. LAFC terminó ganando su primer título en la historia por penaltis.

Como el primer galés y el tercer británico en ganar el Tour de Francia, Geraint Thomas es una leyenda del ciclismo. Doble medallista de oro olímpico, fue uno de los pocos ciclistas de la era moderna en lograr grandes éxitos tanto en pista como en ruta. Se retiró del deporte en el otoño de 2025, cruzando por última vez la meta del Tour de Gran Bretaña en la ciudad donde nació y creció: Cardiff.

Tres veces campeón mundial de snooker, Mark Williams es un nombre familiar para los aficionados al deporte en todo el mundo. Conocido por su precisión tranquila y su habilidad para las bolas largas, esta leyenda del snooker originaria de los valles galeses ha sido apodada The Welsh Potting Machine. Su éxito más reciente fue en el Gran Premio de Xi’an en 2025, donde se convirtió en el jugador de mayor edad en ganar un torneo de ranking, con 50 años.

Widely considered to be one of the world’s most talented actors, Sir Anthony Hopkins, is a two-time Oscar winner, well known for his role in The Silence of the Lambs, alongside countless other film and theatre classics. Other awards to his name include four BAFTAs, two Primetime Emmys and a Laurence Olivier Award. Born in Port Talbot in south Wales he credits his Welsh upbringing for shaping his success. He is now a naturalised American citizen but retains his British citizenship.

An Oscar, BAFTA and Tony winner, Catherine Zeta-Jones rose to global fame with Chicago and The Mask of Zorro, before appearing in Netflix smash hit Wednesday where she currently plays the role of Morticia Adams. Hailing from Swansea, Catherine has been making waves on screen and stage for decades, ever since she made her theatre breakthrough with a leading role in 42nd Street in 1987. In 2010, she was awarded a CBE for her film and humanitarian work. She has been married to two-time Oscar winning American actor Michael Douglas since 2000.

Cardiff-raised Matthew Rhys rose to fame in the US playing Kevin Walker in the family drama series Brothers & Sisters and Philip Jennings in the spy drama The Americans, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor. More recently he appeared in the eight-part Netflix thriller The Beast in Me, alongside American actress Claire Danes. Rhys has a child with US actress Keri Russell, who he has been in a relationship with since 2014 after meeting on the set of The Americans. He lives in Brooklyn with his family but maintains a close connection with Wales and recently starred in the Welsh National Theatre’s Playing Burton, in support of his close friend Michael Sheen, the theatre’s founder and Artistic Director.

Taron Egerton has played several biographical roles with his portrayal of Elton John in Rocketman winning him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Other notable performances include his starring roles in the Kingsman films and his titular role as iconic Olympic ski jumper, Eddie the Eagle. He also has numerous TV appearances in his portfolio and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his leading role in the miniseries, Black Bird.

Known mostly for his roles in The Hobbit trilogy, Dracula Untold, Fast & Furious 6 and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Pontypool-born Luke Evans has taken his acting talent to the global stage. However, he began his career in musical theatre, performing in West End productions of Miss Saigon, Rent and Piaf. His career in Hollywood took off when he was cast in the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans.

Known internationally for his performance as Ramsay Bolton in the HBO mega-series Game of Thrones, Iwan Rheon’s love for acting began with school drama productions during his time at secondary school in Cardiff. Born in Carmarthen, he first made a name for himself with his role as Simon Bellamy in the E4 series Misfits. When he’s not acting, he’s also a singer songwriter and released his second album in 2025.

With roles in Hollywood films including Evita, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Two Popes, not to mention Game of Thrones, Flintshire’s Jonathan Pryce has received numerous awards and nominations for his diverse portfolio of work over the decades. These include two Tonys, and two Laurence Olivier Awards, alongside nominations for an Oscar, three BAFTAs, and five Emmy Awards. He is also known for Broadway appearances in productions such as Miss Saigon and Hamlet, establishing himself as a versatile actor across all disciplines.

Port Talbot raised Michael Sheen has a career spanning stage, film and television, establishing himself as one of the most respected actors working today. His body of work is impressive and his most recognisable roles include performances as David Frost in Frost/Nixon, Tony Blair in The Queen and Brian Clough in The Damned United , as well as television roles as the angel Aziraphale in Good Omens and Dr William Masters in the Showtime series Masters of Sex, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. The stage has also played a major part in Sheen’s acting career and in 2025 he founded the Welsh National Theatre, announcing that he would be its Artistic Director and star in many of its future productions.

Raised in Aberdare in the South Wales valleys, Ioan Gruffydd has starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest productions, including Titanic and Fantastic Four. Away from the silver screen, he has also appeared in several UK, Australian and American television dramas including the CW series Ringer and the Sundance TV series Liar. He now resides in Los Angeles.

Born in Cardiff, Sir Michael Moritz is a Welsh billionaire venture capitalist, philanthropist and author. He began his career as a journalist before joining Sequoia Capital, where he helped shape the modern day Silicon Valley through early investments in Apple, Google, PayPal and WhatsApp. In 1984 he wrote a book about Apple after Steve Jobs had contracted him to document the development of the Mac computer. He’s known as being one of Wales’ most globally impactful business figures.

Billionaire Sir Terry Matthews has founded more than 100 high tech companies, including Mitel, Newbridge Networks, Newport Networks, as well as the Celtic Manor Resort in south Wales – which was chosen to host the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament and the 2014 NATO summit. Born in the city of Newport in south Wales, Matthews helped transform the global telecommunications sector, and still spends a considerable amount of time in Wales, where he is a key investor in several technology and tourism companies.

Born in Cardiff, Welsh-American Sir Howard Stringer is an influential figure in global media and technology. After earning a degree at the University of Oxford, in his early 20s he moved to the United States where he had a 30-year career at CBS and served as president of CBS News. After leaving CBS he became president and CEO of Sony Corporation between 2005 and 2012. He is now a non-executive director of the BBC.