20 icônes galloises qui ont eu un grand impact aux États-Unis

Élevées au cœur des paysages et des communautés uniques du pays de Galles, ces figures emblématiques ont emporté leurs racines avec elles en se forgeant une réputation internationale. Voici 20 des noms gallois les plus reconnus qui ont laissé une empreinte durable dans la musique, le sport, le cinéma et les affaires aux États-Unis.

Fière d’être originaire de Tiger Bay à Cardiff, Dame Shirley Bassey est la voix légendaire derrière trois classiques de James Bond : Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) et Moonraker (1979). Sa participation à une grande franchise cinématographique a contribué à faire d’elle l’un des plus célèbres talents musicaux gallois. Au-delà de Bond, Bassey a été la première artiste galloise à atteindre la première place des ventes au Royaume-Uni avec As I Love You. Elle est également connue pour des titres emblématiques comme Big Spender et pour son personnage glamour sur scène, qui lui a permis de rester une figure marquante de la scène culturelle depuis plus de soixante-dix ans.

Reconnue comme l’artiste classique la plus vendue au Royaume-Uni au cours des 25 dernières années, Katherine Jenkins a fait résonner sa puissante voix galloise sur les scènes du monde entier, de l’Opéra de Sydney à sa première apparition américaine au Joe’s Pub de New York. Sa voix de mezzo-soprano unique lui a permis de conquérir un public international. En 2012, Katherine a également participé à l’émission Dancing with the Stars, où elle a terminé finaliste aux côtés de son partenaire Mark Ballas.

Avec des tubes comme It’s Not Unusual, Delilah et What’s New Pussycat?, Sir Tom Jones est l’une des voix les plus reconnaissables de la musique mondiale. Né en 1940 dans la ville minière galloise de Pontypridd, Tom a été profondément influencé par la soul américaine durant sa jeunesse. Par la suite, alors que sa carrière décollait, Jones a porté le pays de Galles sur la scène internationale et a particulièrement conquis le public américain, dominant les scènes d’un bout à l’autre des États-Unis grâce à son style de spectacle unique, parfaitement adapté aux lumières vives de Las Vegas. Son émission télévisée This Is Tom Jones, diffusée par ABC, lui a valu une nomination aux Golden Globes de 1970 dans la catégorie meilleur acteur.

Le baryton-basse gallois primé s’est produit sur des scènes allant du Metropolitan Opera de New York au Covent Garden de Londres. Ses débuts américains dans le rôle de Figaro à l’Opéra de Santa Fe en 1991 ont marqué le début de sa carrière internationale. Terfel a reçu l’OBE en 2003 pour sa contribution à l’opéra et a été fait chevalier en 2017.

Largement considéré comme l’un des plus grands boxeurs de sa génération, Joe Calzaghe détient le record du plus long règne en tant que champion du monde des super-moyens de l’histoire. Il a conservé ce titre pendant plus de dix ans, avec 20 défenses victorieuses, et a pris sa retraite invaincu, avec le règne mondial le plus long de tous les boxeurs actifs à l’époque. Surnommé à juste titre The Pride of Wales, Calzaghe a confirmé sa réputation internationale en 2008 en remportant son premier combat aux États-Unis, devenant une figure emblématique de la boxe des deux côtés de l’Atlantique.

Légende du football ayant joué pour Tottenham, le Real Madrid, le LAFC et l’équipe nationale du pays de Galles, Gareth Bale a constamment porté le pays de Galles sur la scène sportive mondiale. Il a marqué le premier but du pays de Galles en Coupe du Monde depuis 1958, lors du tournoi au Qatar en 2022. Il a remporté plus de Ligues des champions que tout autre joueur britannique, et inscrit ce que beaucoup considèrent comme le plus beau but jamais marqué en finale de la compétition. L’un de ses derniers gestes en club fut un but à la 128e minute en finale de la MLS Cup, le plus tardif de l’histoire de la ligue, égalisant le match. Le LAFC a ensuite remporté la première coupe de son histoire aux tirs au but.

Premier Gallois et troisième Britannique à remporter le Tour de France, Geraint Thomas est une légende du cyclisme. Double médaillé d’or olympique, il est l’un des rares coureurs de l’ère moderne à avoir connu un succès d’élite aussi bien sur piste que sur route. Il a pris sa retraite à l’automne 2025, franchissant pour la dernière fois la ligne d’arrivée du Tour de Grande-Bretagne dans sa ville natale – Cardiff.

Triple champion du monde de snooker, Mark Williams est une figure emblématique du sport, connue des fans du monde entier. Réputé pour sa précision calme et son talent pour les longues poches, cette icône du snooker originaire des vallées galloises a été surnommée The Welsh Potting Machine. Son succès le plus récent a eu lieu lors du Grand Prix de Xi’an en 2025, où il est devenu le joueur le plus âgé à remporter un tournoi comptant pour le classement, à 50 ans.

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.