Turning 60 isn’t just another birthday for Shah Rukh Khan, it’s a celebration of decades spent winning hearts, redefining stardom, and conquering global fame. From his humble beginnings on television to becoming Bollywood’s undisputed King of Romance, SRK’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Over the years, he hasn’t just ruled the Indian box office but has also earned immense admiration across borders, charming audiences and celebrities alike with his wit, warmth, and magnetic screen presence.
While his co-stars and industry peers continue to hail him as an inspiration, Hollywood, too, shares the love. Many acclaimed international actors, filmmakers, and musicians have openly expressed their admiration for Shah Rukh Khan, proudly calling themselves his fans. Here’s a look at some of the global stars who hold a special place in their hearts for the Badshah of Bollywood.
Daniel Radcliffe
Back in 2013, Daniel Radcliffe, best known for playing Harry Potter, revealed he is a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan and told DNA, “Shah Rukh Khan is really famous in Britain and I’m really fond of him. He is definitely an epitome of style and class!” He also expressed his wish to do a Bollywood film with him someday.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Twilight actor Kristen Stewart called Shah Rukh an inspiration in 2011 and told the DNA, “Well, I am a big fan of Shah Rukh Khan, who is an epitome of romance in Bollywood.” She revealed that she would want to work with him in the second part of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and added, “And not just Hollywood, but I would love to work with him in Bollywood movies too, and for that I am also looking forward to learning Hindi. I have also seen the promos of his latest movie Ra.One which are very impressive and I just loved his look in the movie. I’ll definitely watch the movie also. He is truly an inspiration to me. He is a charmer.”
Robert Pattinson also shared in the same interview that he admires Shah Rukh the most and listed Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge among his top five Indian films.
Hugh Jackman
During the premiere of his film The Greatest Showman in 2017, Hugh Jackman said, “I have done a lot of dancing and singing in this film and I had Shah Rukh Khan in mind while shooting for it. He is my mentor and I need to take more dance lessons from him. I have also done the signature SRK move, spreading my arms wide. I would love to see Shah Rukh in the Indian version of this film.”
Penélope Cruz
Spanish beauty Penélope Cruz also expressed her admiration for SRK. “I am a great fan of Indian cinema and I would love to work with Shah Rukh Khan. I have the rights to a book and we are going to shoot the movie in India,” she told The Times of India when asked if she knew about Bollywood.
Paulo Coelho
Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho took to X in 2023 and wrote, “King. Legend. Friend. But above all GREAT ACTOR (for those who don’t know him in the West, I strongly suggest ‘My Name Is Khan – and I am not a terrorist’).” Earlier, in 2017, he had also praised SRK’s performance in My Name Is Khan and said, “His first (and only) movie that I watched (this year, even if it was released in 2008) was My Name Is Khan. And not only was the movie excellent, but SRK deserved an Oscar if Hollywood was not manipulated. He kindly offered to send the other titles – as you probably guess, it is not easy to find them in Switzerland.”
Zayn Malik
In an interview with Elle India, singer Zayn Malik revealed how meeting Shah Rukh personally changed his perspective about him and said, “I personally wasn’t a huge fan until I met him. I realised how humble he is. Really showed a different side to him. He always came across as slightly arrogant in the movies to me but when I met him in real life, he was so nice. He just completely changed my opinion of him.”
Pitbull
In 2013, Shah Rukh and Grammy-winning rapper and singer Pitbull performed together at the opening ceremony of the IPL. Talking about the experience, Pitbull recalled how SRK taught him Bollywood moves and said, “The kind of love and affection that I received was overwhelming. The people of India are really warm. I really enjoyed performing in front of such a huge and welcoming audience. I got to learn a few Bollywood footsteps, thanks to Shah Rukh. He is an amazing performer, full of energy. There is nothing as of now, but I would definitely love to work with him in the future.”
Sharon Stone
In 2022, Hollywood star Sharon Stone was left star-struck at the Red Sea Film Festival when she spotted Shah Rukh sitting next to her. Speaking about the moment, she said, “Shah Rukh Khan was two seats away from me and I didn’t know he was there. And I reached forward and saw him and I am not very easily star struck because I know a lot of stars but I saw him and I was just like” She then recreated the moment, gasping in excitement.
John Cena
After SRK called John Cena a ‘rock star’ during a recent AMA session, the wrestler and actor responded on X and wrote, “Will never forget your kindness and our conversation. Thank you for the constant inspiration to me personally and your fans around the world!” He had earlier revealed that one of SRK’s TED Talks helped him orchestrate a change in his life. Speaking about meeting SRK personally, he told ANI, “It was just such an emotional moment to be able to shake a person’s hand that affects your life so drastically and tell them specifically what they did. He was amazing. He couldn’t have been more empathetic and kind and sharing. It really was wonderful. I was awestruck, starstruck. It was fantastic.”
James Cameron
During an interview with Headlines Today, host Koel Purie asked Avatar 2 and Titanic director James Cameron about his thoughts on Shah Rukh Khan, and he replied, “Giant movie star.” He also revealed that he had watched SRK’s My Name Is Khan and requested Shah Rukh’s autograph on a poster of the film.
The Global phenomenon without a Hollywood film
While Shah Rukh Khan has not featured in any Hollywood films so far, his movies such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, My Name Is Khan, Swades, Pathaan, and Jawan have taken him to global heights, making him immensely popular even in the West. He made his much-awaited Cannes Film Festival debut this year, charming audiences and critics alike with his timeless charisma.
Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film
Shah Rukh is currently busy filming his upcoming movie, King. Helmed by Siddharth Anand, the film also stars Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Suhana Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, and others in key roles. More details about the project are awaited.
