According to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, on any given day over 600,000 children in North America are in foster care. As infants and children, several male celebrities have had periods in their lives when they needed to be in foster care. Some were fostered while their adoptions were being planned and others lived in foster homes to give their family time to resolve their issues.
Regardless of the reasons for being fostered, these famous men have become role models in the public eye and have not let their foster care experience stand in the way of their success.
Musicians and Actors Who Were in Foster Care
Ice-T, a rap musician born in 1968, was orphaned as a young child when both his parents died in a car accident. He first lived with members of his extended family and then moved to a foster home in the ghetto of Los Angeles. He became a member of a L.A. gang and his life in the ghetto inspires the rhymes for his rap music. His music success has lead to creating a record label, an acting career and a book. He is also a spokesperson for American youth.
Born in 1961, eight-year-old Eddie Murphy and his older brother lived in foster care for one year when their single mom became ill. In interviews, the actor and comedian says that his time in foster care was influential in developing his sense of humour. By using his comedic talents, Murphy was one of Hollywood’s highest paid male actors in 2008 according to Forbes magazine.
Best known for his role as Dr. Benton on ER, Eriq LaSalle was born in 1962 and was raised as one of five foster children shortly after birth. Entering the dramatic arts at an early age, LaSalle has been director, producer and writer of several films. His production company Humble Journey, focuses on making movies that effect social change including the drama Inside Out (2005).
Foster Children Who Became Athletes
Dan O’Brien, an Olympic athlete, was born to an African American father and a Caucasian mother in 1966. His biracial heritage made it difficult to find a family willing to adopt him so he spent his early years in foster care. He was adopted as the youngest of nine children and lived in a multicultural family. In 1993 he founded the Dan O’Brien Youth Foundation which focuses on education and community responsibility.
Born in a prison in 1977 to a teenage mother, Duante Culpepper was the fifteenth and last child to be fostered by Emma Culpepper. After his birthmother tried to reclaim him at age five, Duante begged to stay with Emma, who later adopted him. The NFL football player is a celebrity spokesperson for the African American Adoption Agency in St. Paul Minnesota.
Alonzo Mourning was born in 1970 and is a NBA basketball player. When he was 12 years old, his parents decided to divorce and asked him to choose which parent he wanted to live with. He could not choose so he lived with family friends who also happened to be foster parents.
From infancy to adolescence, these celebrity actors and athletes spent some time in the foster care system. By giving them a temporary place to live, their foster families helped these famous men become successful inspirations to foster children and adoptees.
For more information on famous fostered and adopted children, read Famous Female Foster Kids, Adopted Celebrities from Canada and the U.S., and Famous Adopted Canadian Musicians.
References:
Government of Michigan website
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