Famous Southern Actors

Being a Georgia native myself, I am fascinated by southern celebrities. There are many actors and actresses who hail from the south, but these are some of my favorites.

Sandra Bullock, a native of Virginia, was born to an opera singer and a voice coach. She grew up around music but fell in love with acting, which she studied at East Carolina University. Bullock soon moved to New York to pursue a career on the stage but she fell into movies and television programs. Her breakout role came in 1994 in the movie Speed. Today she is one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood and has been in the news a lot lately. She won an Academy Award for her 2009 performance in The Blind Side while dealing with personal problems with her now ex-husband, Jesse James. In April 2010 Bullock adopted a baby boy from Louisiana, Louis Bardot Bullock.

Julia Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia and dreamed of being a veterinarian as a child. When her brother, Eric Roberts, had some success in Hollywood, Julia decided to try her hand at acting. Her breakout role in 1988’s Mystic Pizza was only the beginning. America fell in love with her signature smile and infectious laugh. She followed up that performance with starring roles in Pretty Woman and Steel Magnolias. She has been chosen as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People multiple times and is one of the most sought-after actresses in the business.

Matthew McConaughey grew up in Longview, Texas but sought a change of scenery. He spent a year in Australia after high school and attended the University of Texas at Austin upon his return. He began studying law but changed his major to film. At a bar in Austin, McConaughey met a casting director and producer who introduced him to a director, Richard Linklater. Linklater cast him in the 1993 high school drama Dazed and Confused. After starring in A Time To Kill opposite Sandra Bullock and Kevin Spacey, McConaughey was being called one of Hollywood’s hottest young stars. He is often in celebrity news publications playing bongos, running on the beach, and hanging out with little clothing. His next role is in the upcoming film The Lincoln Lawyer.

Reese Witherspoon was born in New Orleans but grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. She began modeling at age seven and was cast in commercials at an early age. She landed her first major role as a fourteen year-old tomboy in 1991's The Man in the Moon, which garnered rave reviews. A few more roles in the early 90s opened the door for roles in bigger films Election , Pleasantville , and Cruel Intentions . Her 2001 role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde was a box-office hit and solidified Witherspoon as a top celebrity in Hollywood. In 2006 she took home an Oscar for her role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. She recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and announced her engagement to Jim Toth.

• Luke Wilson
• Owen Wilson
• Angie Harmon
• Forest Whitaker
• Billy Bob Thornton
• Jennifer Love Hewitt
• Emily Procter
• Eric Roberts
• Jamie Presly
• Josh Lucas
• Kim Basinger
• Jeff Daniels
• Dakota Fanning
• Laurence Fishburne
• Brittany Murphy
• Channing Tatum
• Zach Galiafinakis
• Andie MacDowell