You know that weird, hazy period between Christmas and New Year's? The one where nobody knows what day it is and we're all surviving on leftover ham and questionable life choices? Well, for a surprising number of Hollywood heavyweights, December 26 isn’t just "Boxing Day" or the day you try to return that itchy sweater. It's their actual entrance into the world.
Celebrity birthdays on December 26 are kind of a big deal, even if they usually get overshadowed by the holiday chaos. Honestly, it takes a certain kind of person to share a birthday with the day the world starts cleaning up wrapping paper. Maybe that’s why the list of people born today is so… intense. We’re talking Oscar winners, heavy metal legends, and the guy who hunted down America's most wanted criminals.
The Method and the Music: Jared Leto’s Weirdly Busy Life
Let’s start with the obvious one. Jared Leto.
Born in 1971, Leto is the poster child for "I can do literally everything." He’s 54 now, which feels like a lie considering he looks like he found the Fountain of Youth somewhere in the Louisiana bayou where he was born.
You’ve got the acting side, where he’s famous for disappearing—sometimes terrifyingly so—into roles. He won the Academy Award for Dallas Buyers Club, but most people just remember him as the guy who supposedly sent used condoms to his Suicide Squad castmates. Whether he actually did it or it was just some wild PR stunt, it’s classic Leto energy.
Then there’s Thirty Seconds to Mars. Most "actor musicians" are a bit of a cringe-fest, but he actually pulls it off. He’s out here climbing the Empire State Building to promote tours. Seriously. In 2023, he literally scaled the side of the skyscraper. Who does that on their birthday month?
Winter is Coming for Kit Harington
If Leto is the eccentric artist of the day, Kit Harington is the guy we all just want to give a coat to.
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Harington, born in 1986, turned 39 this past December. He spent the better part of a decade playing Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, which basically means he spent his 20s shivering in a giant fur rug in Iceland.
There’s something poetic about a guy who became famous for the phrase "Winter is Coming" having a birthday right in the dead of it. Since the show ended, he's popped up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Eternals) and done some heavy lifting on the London stage. He’s managed to escape the "Jon Snow" shadow better than most, though I’m sure people still yell "You know nothing!" at him in grocery stores.
The Heavy Hitters: Lars Ulrich and the Roots of Metal
You can’t talk about celebrity birthdays on December 26 without mentioning the man behind the drum kit of the biggest metal band on the planet.
Lars Ulrich.
The Metallica co-founder turned 62 this year. Think about that for a second. The guy has been bashing drums for over four decades. He’s the reason Metallica exists (he’s the one who placed the ad in the paper that James Hetfield answered).
He’s a divisive figure in music history, mostly because of the whole Napster thing back in the day, but honestly? He was right about the industry changing. Love him or hate him, the man is a machine. He’s still touring stadiums, still playing "Master of Puppets" at 200 miles per hour, and still probably the most talkative drummer in history.
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The Comedians and the Crime Fighters
It’s not just actors and rockstars. The December 26 club is surprisingly diverse.
Take John Walsh. Most people know him as the host of America's Most Wanted. He turned 80 this year. His life story is incredibly heavy—he got into crime-fighting after the horrific abduction and murder of his son, Adam, in 1981. He basically forced the U.S. government to take missing children cases seriously. He’s a legitimate hero who used his platform to catch over a thousand fugitives. That’s a hell of a legacy.
Then you have David Sedaris.
If you haven’t read Me Talk Pretty One Day or Santaland Diaries, you’re missing out. Sedaris is 69 now, and he’s arguably the most famous humorist in America. His breakthrough actually happened on the radio in 1992 when he read an essay about working as a Christmas elf at Macy’s. It’s fitting that his biggest break was about the holidays, considering his birthday is the day after.
A Quick Hit List of Other December 26 Birthdays
Because there are too many to write novels about, here’s who else is blowing out candles today:
- Beth Behrs (40): The star of 2 Broke Girls and The Neighborhood. She’s got that classic sitcom timing that looks easy but is actually incredibly hard to do.
- Chris Daughtry (46): The guy who proved you don't actually have to win American Idol to have a massive career. He’s sold millions of albums and stayed relevant long after the show’s peak.
- Jade Thirlwall (33): One-fourth of Little Mix. She’s a UK pop powerhouse and has been doing a lot of cool solo work lately.
- Eden Sher (34): Best known as Sue Heck from The Middle. If you’ve ever felt socially awkward, Sue Heck is your spirit animal.
- Ozzie Smith (71): "The Wizard." If you follow baseball, you know he’s one of the greatest shortstops to ever play the game. He used to do backflips onto the field. Legend.
The Dark Side of the Date: Phil Spector
We have to keep it real. Not every name on this list is a "celebration."
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Phil Spector was born on December 26, 1939. He’s the guy who invented the "Wall of Sound" and produced some of the greatest music of the 60s (The Ronettes, The Beatles’ Let It Be). But he’s also the guy who died in prison in 2021 while serving time for the murder of Lana Clarkson.
It’s a weird part of celeb history—how someone so gifted can be so profoundly broken. His impact on music is undeniable, but his personal life was a nightmare.
Why December 26 Birthdays Feel Different
Having a birthday on December 26 is sort of a "gift and a curse" situation.
Most of these stars have talked about it. You get the "joint presents" (which is a total scam, let’s be honest). Everyone is tired from Christmas. The energy is low.
But maybe that’s why these people are so driven. To get noticed when you’re born on the most "hungover" day of the year, you have to work a little harder. You have to be a little louder, like Lars Ulrich, or a little more transformative, like Jared Leto.
If you're looking to celebrate someone born on this day, the best thing you can do is acknowledge that their birthday is not Christmas. Don't use holiday wrapping paper. Don't give them a "combined" gift. Give them their own moment.
To stay on top of upcoming celebrity milestones, you can check the official National Day Calendar or follow industry trades like The Hollywood Reporter, which usually run "Day in History" segments. If you're a fan of any of these folks, December 26 is the perfect time to revisit their work—whether it's a Metallica marathon or a Game of Thrones rewatch. Just skip the itchy sweaters.