7 Famous People from Maui
By Russell Snyder
Not Famous People that Visit Maui
We all know that famous people visit Maui on a regular basis. Ultra famous people like Oprah, Owen Wilson, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, and others are known to have homes on Maui or visit Maui frequently. But this article isn’t about that. We’re diving into famous people from Maui that are actually FROM Maui. Maybe the list will surprise you. Maybe we missed someone. Please feel free to let us know in the comments.
1. Sasha Barrese – Actress, Professional Poker Player
Sasha Barrese is an American actress who played important roles in The Hangover, The Hangover Part II, and The Hangover Part III alongside Bradley Cooper. She also played Lindsey in Undressed (2001 film) and Virginia in Let Me In (2010 film).
Born in Maui, Sasha later moved to Paris with her mother Katherine, who used to work there as a model. She then went on to become an accomplished actress and starred in a lot of movies.
In addition to The Hangover films, Sasha Barrese had many notable roles in blockbuster comedies including American Pie and Legally Blonde.
She announced her plans to become a professional poker player in May 2014 and has competed in several poker tournaments, including the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in 2014. As of September 2020, Barrese has just under $120,000 in live tournament earnings
2. Cedric Ceballos – Pro Basketball Player
Cedric Ceballos played small forward in the NBA from 1990-2011 and is best known for his stints in Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in the 1990s. Thanks to his skillset, the Phoenix Suns team made it to the NBA Finals in the 1992-93 season.
Although he was born and brought up in Maui, he is of Mexican descent and was offered a place in the Mexican Olympic basketball team in the 1990s. According to Wikipedia, Cedric Ceballos is a second cousin to Kobe Bryant.
Ceballos also had brief stints in several other big-shot clubs including Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, and Miami Heat. He beat Larry Johnson and won the 1992 NBA slam dunk contest, famously dunking while blindfolded.
3. Gavin Leatherwood – Actor
Currently only 27 years old, Gavin Leatherwood is an American actor who’s quite famous for his portrayal of Nicholas Scratch in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He also played the role of Pete in the famous teen drama Grown-ish.
Gavin was born in Maui and spent a considerable part of his childhood there. He then moved to California and is now based in LA and Vancouver for work. Before he rose to fame, he played a small role on an NCIS episode in 2017.
4. Michael Reeves – YouTube and Twitch Star
Michael Reeves is an accomplished Youtube star and Twitch streamer and might be one of the most famous people from Maui that you’ve never heard of.
He was born in Maui in 1997 and raised there for most of his life into early adulthood. As a child, Reeves quickly lost interest in traditional schooling and began teaching himself to code.
Years later, Reeves found himself doing contract programming work for the feds as he was pursuing a degree from Northern Arizona University. It was at this time that he released his first YouTube video: The Robot That Shines a Laser in Your Eye.
He later dropped out of college and grew his YouTube following to almost 7 million subscribers with videos focused on robotics, coding, and just being an edge-lord. When Reeves debuted his Twitch stream in June of 2020, it boasted 30,000 viewers.
5. Zahara Davis – Fashion Model
Zahara Davis is an accomplished model who’s earned representation from esteemed modeling agencies in Paris such as Next Models and Karin Model. She was a famous face in Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, and Vogue Italy, among others.
Although she was born in Maui, she associates most of her childhood with Bali, Indonesia. Her modeling portfolio can be viewed on her Instagram page @zaharaadavis where she has more than 60,000 followers.
Zahara was thirteen years old when she started taking modeling assignments in Bali. Her ambitions demanded that she move to Jakarta for better opportunities, and she did! Both her modeling and her traveling career did not rest until she finally moved to Paris.
Her net worth in 2021 is estimated to around $1 million.
6. Kiana Tom – Actress and Fitness Model
Kiana Tom is a famous fitness expert who got recognition for her renowned fitness show, “Kiana’s Flex Appeal”, which was aired on ESPN with a record viewership of 80 million.
She also starred in several other fitness shows including “Kiana’s Too Fit 2 Quit”, “Kiana’s Hot Summer Nights”, and “Super Bowl Nightlife”, which aired on ABC.
She played the role of Maggie in Universal Soldier: The Return, which also featured Jean-Claude Van Damme. Before Kiana became a household name, she used to be a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, which are now known as the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kiana Tom has won numerous prestigious fitness awards throughout her glorious career. USA Today recognized her as the “Best in Fitness”, and she even received the “Fitness Legend” award from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. Her claim to fame didn’t stop here and she later even went on to receive the United States Sports Academy Award for her monumental contributions towards health, strength training, and fitness.
Kiana is 56 years old, with an estimated net worth of around $1mm but her biggest assets are a bombshell body and a gorgeous smile.
7. Anuhea – Musician
Anuhea Jenkins is a Hawaiian singer-songwriter known for her self-titled debut album in 2009. She was endowed with two Na Hoku Hanohano awards — one for Most Promising Artist and the other for Contemporary Album of the Year.
Her second album For Love raised money through Kickstarter and was released in 2012.
Anuhea picked up the guitar in boarding school and hasn’t put it down since. She always loved the spotlight; during her school days, she worked as an anchor, hosted several shows for local TV channels, and also performed in high school musicals.
Did we leave anybody off the list of famous people from Maui? Tell us in the comments.
About the Author:
Russell Snyder, the creator of the Maui Happy Hours app, is a writer, ocean enthusiast, and full-time Maui resident who enjoys sampling the island’s best happy hours and sharing his findings with the masses. When not writing about Maui bars and restaurants, you can find him surfing, walking the dogs, or lounging on the beach. Follow Russell on Instagram @russellscottsnyder or contact him via email at russell@bigbeach.co.