Most famous person worldwide who isn't (that) famous in America

[angus]

Yeah, they don't really count for "famous worldwide" questions, though.

Another direction to maybe look would be Michael Schumacher.

Who is Michael Schumacher? 

You might have a winner.  I've heard of most of those players, even though I don't follow soccer very closely (except for my son's team).  I've heard of the Indian actors, but then I do watch Indian movies.  I haven't heard of Sachin Tendlukar, though.  Maybe he's not in any of the Bollywood movies I've seen. 

Of course we all remember Kylie Minogue.  Ever since I was about 20 years old she was pretty standard MTV fare, and I have to imagine that she is at least as well known as Culture Club.  (Although I'd probably have answered that she is an American, if asked.  Never put much thought into it.  I guess she's not, based on her mention in this thread, but I'll wager that she's from one of the anglophone countries anyway.) 

I've even heard the name Kate Bush.  I don't know what she does or where she's from, but I recall having heard that name, probably on this forum.  (Singer, maybe, or actor?  Could be a politician I suppose.)

Still, I don't think I've ever heard the name Michael Schumacher.  And I see that Phil claims not to have heard of him till recently, and Phil knows everything about The Beautiful Game, so I'm guessing that he's not a footballer.  I'd assume that he's either a famous German (or Austrian or Swiss) actor or singer or mass murderer.

[angus]

I thought auto racing was popular in the US? Or perhaps that's just NASCAR?

auto racing?  Is Schumacher an auto racing guy?  Then he might be known by auto racing fans, but I doubt that auto racing is all that popular.  I can only think of one person I know that watches auto races on TV, and none that attend them.  As I recall, the sorts of things that people actually watch on TV are Football--and by football I mean American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, the olympics, the tour de france, and dancing with the stars.  There are a few, like Phil, who watch soccer, and a few, like my friend Duane, who watch auto racing.  I assume that some of the younger posters might be into the "extreme" sports shows, like the one where they drop you out of an airplane with a bicycle between your legs and a parachute strapped to your back, and you have to land on the side of a mountain and ride the bicycle down the mountain to a ramp, which you must jump, and then while in mid-air change into your swimming suit before landing into an ice-cold river and then swim a mile underwater to a little box which contains a skateboard and a paintball gun, then you break into the box and pull out the skateboard and paintball gun and then you...

Well, you get the idea.

[angus]

Have you listened to the news today, Angus? Did they mention Schumacher's ski accident?

It was just after my last reply on this thread that I heard the news on the radio. (Formula 1 does have a bit of a following in Canada though).

ah, I stopped listening to the news long ago.  The only reason I know that Sneakers O'Toole died is because of this forum.  Well, Lawrence of Arabia was on last night and they mentioned the "late" actor so I would have found out anyway.

I do watch the PBS newshour a few times per week.  I used to watch it religiously, every evening.  It's really the only news I watch regularly, but I don't think I've seen it in a couple of weeks.  Life gets in the way, you know.  We have been on holiday for a couple of weeks, and still have a couple of weeks to go.  Crazy things happen this time of year, so I can't always plan my viewing as I'd like.

But if this guy's dead, then I take back all the nice things I said about Trondheim's post.  I don't think posthumous figures work very well here.  try again.

Ah, okay, I googled "schumacher ski accident" and yes, they are reporting it here.  CNN.com, as well as a bunch of other US outlets mention it.  He's not dead yet, but I still say try again, because now that they're reporting his near-death accident, he's no longer unknown to the public.

[angus]

Otherwise - is soccer really so non-popular in the US?
   

No, it's hugely popular.  My son plays soccer (during season anyway.  it's not the season just now).  The neighbor plays soccer.  Every kid on the block play soccer.  Everyone I know under 15 plays soccer.  As a player sport, it's phenomenally popular.

As a spectator sport?  Well, let's count the number of Americans who watch soccer players that they're not actually related to:

There's Phil and, er,

um, did I mention Phil?

...

[angus]

Kate Bush is a singer, yeah.

Tendulkar isn't an actor. The only Americans who would know about him are those of West Indian or subcontinental origin I imagine.

And as others have said, Schumacher was a race car driver.

haha.  Thanks.  I may not give a damn about soccer players unless they're my relatives, but I know bollywood movies.  I watch them regularly, FWIW.  I'd already figured out that Tendulkar wasn't an Indian movie star.  Actually, I've googled all of them by now, but thanks for the response.