15 famous Samoan people: legends of the islands who changed the game

Samoa is a country made up of several islands in the South Pacific Ocean, located about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Some of the most famous Samoan people include legendary actors to musicians and politicians. Notable names like Tulsi Gabbard and Dwayne Johnson continue to shine because of their crafts.

Key takeaways

• People from Samoa have become famous, especially in sports and entertainment.
• Over the years, Samoa has produced some of the most talented individuals, including Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Jerome Kaino, Frankie Adams, and Jason Momoa.
• Many famous Samoans have helped to share their culture with the world by teaching others about Samoan traditions, language, and values.

Most famous Samoan people

It is challenging to confidently identify the most famous Samoan individuals, as people gain recognition in different ways and and across various fields. For this list, we focused on overall success, popularity, and influence in their respective areas etc. Note that the list is in no particular order.

Famous Samoan women

Samoa has produced many female celebrities who are well-known around the world. From sports, music, leadership, to activism, they share their culture proudly and inspire people with their talent, strength, and unstoppable spirit. Below are some famous Samoan women.

1. Tulsi Gabbard

• Full name: Tulsi Gabbard
• Date of birth: 12 April 1981
• Age: 44 years old (as of 2025)
• Place of birth: Leloaloa, American Samoa
• Profession: Politician, military officer

Tulsi is one of the famous Samoan people. She is a politician, military officer, and former U.S Congresswoman. Tulsi was the first Samoan and the first Hindu elected to the US Congress, serving as the Democratic representative for Hawaii from 2013 to 2021.

The politician is the daughter of Carol Porter and Mike Gabbard. Her dad, Mike, has been a member of the Hawaii State Senate since 2006. According to the Associated Press, in February 2025, President Donald Trump selected Tulsi to serve as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), making her the first woman of Samoan heritage and the first Hindu to hold the position.

2. Frankie Adams

• Full name: Frankie Adams
• Date of birth: 3 January 1994
• Age: 31 years old (as of 2025)
• Place of birth: Savaii, Samoa
• Profession: Actress

Frankie Adams is among the famous Samoan actresses. She is a Samoan New Zealand actress widely recognised for her roles as Ula Levi in Shortland Street and as Bobbie Draper in The Expanse. The famous actress has been featured in other films and TV shows such as Next Goal Wins, Wentworth, and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.

3. Fiame Naomi Mata'afa

• Full name: Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata'afa
• Date of birth: 29 April 1957
• Age: 68 years old (as of 2025)
• Place of birth: Apia, Samoa
• Profession: Politician

Fiame Naomi is one of the legendary Samoan figures. She comes from a distinguished political lineage. Her dad, Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II, served as Samoa's first Prime Minister, while her mother, Laulu Fetauimale Mau Mata'afa, became the second Samoan woman elected to parliament.

Fiame graduated with a degree in political science from Victoria University of Wellington. She is a pioneering Samoan politician and high chief (matai) who has been serving as the 7th Prime Minister of Samoa since May 2021. She made history as the first woman to hold the office and the first Prime Minister since 1982 unaffiliated with the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP).

4. Monica Galetti

• Full name: Monica Galetti
• Date of birth: 26 August 1975
• Age: 49 years old (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Pago, American Samoa
• Profession: Chef

Another famous Samoan lady is chef Monica Galetti. After graduating from the Central Institute of Technology in Upper Hutt, the American chef began her culinary career at Timothy's restaurant in Lower Hutt. In 2017, Monica and her husband, David Galetti, opened their restaurant, Mere, in London. However, Mere restaurant closed its doors in 2024.

Monica became widely known as a judge on the BBC's MasterChef: The Professionals, where she served from 2009 to 2021, and made a return in 2023. She has written several cookbooks, such as Monica's Kitchen, The Skills: How to Become an Expert Chef in Your Own Kitchen, and At Home: My Favourite Recipes for Family & Friends.

5. Lani Wendt Young

• Full name: Lani Wendt Young
• Date of birth: 1973
• Age: 52 years old (as of 2025)
• Place of birth: Apia, Samoa
• Profession: Author, editor, journalist

Lani Wendt Young is a renowned Samoan author, writer, and journalist whose contributions have transformed the field of Pacific literature. Lani was born and raised in Apia, Samoa and is of Samoan, Maori, and Palagi heritage.

In 2011, Wendt published Telesa: The Covenant Keeper, the first book in her popular Telesa series. She has also authored several other works, including the Scarlet Lies series, Afakasi Woman: A Collection of Short Fiction, and Mata Oti (Eyes of Death).

6. Teuila Blakely

• Full name: Teuila Blakely
• Date of birth: 13 January 1975
• Age: 50 years (as of 2025)
• Place of birth: Tauranga, New Zealand
• Profession: Actress

Teuila Blakely is an actress of Pākehā and Samoan descent. She is widely recognised for her roles in Sione's Wedding, Shortland Street, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Sione's 2: Unfinished Business, and Duckrockers.

Teuila began her acting career in the early 2000s with minor roles in The Legend of Johnny Lingo and voice acting for the animated series Bro'Town. She is the mother of Jared Blakely.

7. Dr. Leilani Tuala-Warren

• Full name: Tafaoimalo Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren
• Date of birth: 28 November 1972
• Age: 52 years old (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Apia, Samoa
• Profession: Former judge

Dr. Leilani is also among the most famous Samoan people. She is a former Supreme Court judge, celebrated for her pioneering contributions to the legal fields of both Samoa and New Zealand. According to the University of Waikato, Leilani made history as the first person of Pacific descent to be appointed Dean of the Te Piringa Faculty of Law at the University of Waikato.

In January 2025, Dr. Leilani Tuala-Warren made history by becoming the first person of Pacific descent appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. The former judge is married to Aidan Warren, the Maori Land Court's judge in New Zealand. She is a mother of four children.

Samoan male celebrities

Countless Samoan male celebrities have captured people's attention over the years. Here is a list of some of the most famous Samoan men, ranging from actors to sports stars.

1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

• Full name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson
• Date of birth: 2 May 1972
• Age: 52 years old (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Hayward, California, United States
• Profession: Actor, producer, former professional wrestler

Dwayne Johnson is one of the famous Samoan men. Although he has lived in the United States for most of his life, he has Samoan citizenship as his mom, Ata Maivia, is Samoan. He takes pride in his Samoan heritage and has been honoured with the title of High Chief in Samoa.

Dwayne is an actor, producer, and former professional wrestler. He debuted in the WWF, now WWE, in 1996 under the ring name Rocky Maivia, a tribute to his father and grandfather's wrestling persona. He later transformed into 'The Rock', a character that propelled him to global stardom.

As an actor, Dwayne has been featured in films and TV shows such as The Rundown, Red One, and Black Adam.

2. David Tua

• Full name: David Mafaufau
• Date of birth: 21 November 1972
• Age: 52 years old (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Apia, Samoa
• Profession: Former professional boxer

David Tua is a Samoan-New Zealand former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. He relocated to New Zealand with his family at a young age, where he started boxing under his father's mentorship. The former boxer won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics at the age of 19.

David was inducted into the New Zealand Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 and was honoured with the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019. In 2022, he was also inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.

3. Savage

• Full name: Demetrius C. Savelio
• Date of birth: 28 June 1981
• Age: 43 years old (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Auckland, New Zealand
• Profession: Rapper, singer, songwriter

Demetrius C. Savelio, known by his stage name as Savage, is among the famous Samoan singers. He spent his early years in Samoa and South Auckland, New Zealand.

In 1997, he co-founded the hip-hop group Deceptikonz with his friends, marking the start of his music journey. In 2002, the band released their debut album, Elimination, which peaked at 4 on the New Zealand albums chart. Savage's solo career took off with the release of his hit single, Swing in 2005.

4. Jerome Kaino

• Full name: Jerome Kaino
• Date of birth: 6 April 1983
• Age: 42 years old (as of 2025)
• Place of birth: Faga'alu, American Samoa
• Profession: Former rugby player

Another famous Samoan is Jerome Kaino. He moved to New Zealand during his childhood and has consistently expressed pride in his Samoan heritage

Jerome is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. In 2004, he was named IRB International Under-21 Player of the Year. In 2011, he was honoured as New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year. Jerome's wife is Diane Breslin.

5. Fa'alemiga Selesele

• Full name: Fa'alemaga Selesele
• Date of birth: 28 February 1989
• Age: 36 years old (as of 2025)
• Place of birth: New Zealand
• Profession: Rugby player

Fa'alemiga is a Samoan rugby player who plays in the back row. He first played for the Samoa national rugby union team on 12 June 2010, during a match against Tonga. Selesele also represented Samoa in several esteemed tournaments, including the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens and the 2015 Pacific Games.

Fa'alemiga Selesele served as captain and played a crucial role in leading Samoa's rugby sevens team through various international competitions. He led the team to victory in the 2016 Paris Sevens.

6. Marcus Mariota

• Full name: Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota
• Date of birth: 30 October 1993
• Age: 31 years old (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
• Profession: Professional football player

Marcus is among the famous Samoan football players. He is of Samoan heritage, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a Samoan father, Toa Mariota, and a German mother, Alana Deppe-Mariota.

Marcus plays quarterback for the Washington Commanders in the NFL. He previously played for teams such as the Tennessee Titans, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Philadelphia Eagles. The football player was a collegiate footballer for the University of Oregon from 2012 to 2014.

7. Jason Momoa

• Full name: Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa
• Date of birth: 1 August 1979
• Age: 45 years old (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
• Profession: Actor, producer

Jason Momoa is also among the famous Samoan actors. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. The actor has Samoan roots through his father, Joseph Momoa, who is of Native Hawaiian and Samoan descent.

Jason is an actor and film producer. He has starred in several movies and TV shows, such as A Minecraft Movie, The Last Manhunt, and Frontier.

8. Shalom Luani

• Full name: Shalom Luani
• Date of birth: 5 August 1994
• Age: 30 years (as of April 2025)
• Place of birth: Masausi, American Samoa
• Profession: Professional football player

Shalom is also a famous footballer from Samoa. After high school, Luani relocated to the United States to pursue a career in American football. Before transferring to Washington State University, Shalom played collegiate football at Chabot College in Hayward, California, USA. The football player currently plays safety as a free agent.

Who is the most famous person in Samoa?

It is hard to determine the most famous person in Samoa. However, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jaiyah Saelua, Tuna Tuitama, and Marty Taupau are among the famous Samoan people today.

What famous person is from American Samoa?

There are several celebrities from American Samoa, including Tulsi Gabbard, Shalom Luani, Monica Galetti, and Jerome Kaino.

The most famous Samoan people have done tremendous and laudable things in different fields and deserve worldwide recognition. The list above shows just a few who have done well in art, politics, sports, and movies.

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Source: Legit.ng