AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — There are many sweet treasures about Texas like the fact that Dr. Pepper was invented in Texas in 1885 or Bugs Bunny’s catchphrase “What’s Up Doc?” originated in Dallas. But finding out which celebrities were born in the Lone Star State might be the biggest gold mine of all.
This list of celebrities that were born in Texas may help you feel closer to fame and make them seem a bit more relatable:
John Rich — Amarillo
Country music singer-songwriter John Rich was born in Amarillo and is probably best known for forming the duo Big & Rich along with winning Celebrity Apprentice in 2011. In addition, Rich co-wrote the number one hit “Redneck Woman” for country singer Gretchen Wilson along with “Mississippi Girl” for Faith Hill. In addition, Rich’s song “Another You,” which was featured on his third solo album “Son of a Preacher Man,” debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at #51 in January 2019.
Arden Cho — Amarillo
Actress Arden Cho was born in Amarillo and was raised in San Antonio and Plano. Cho attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with the intention of being a lawyer and caught the acting bug after attending her first drama classes at the university. Cho is known for having recurring roles in “Teen Wolf” and “Chicago Med” along with episodic roles in “Pretty Little Liars,” “Castle,” and “Hawaii Five-O.” She is set to play the main role in the streaming legal drama “Partner Track” set to premiere on Netflix on Aug. 26.
Carolyn Jones – Amarillo
Spoiler alert: Actress Carolyn Jones was born in Amarillo and is known for playing Morticia Addams in the original 1964 tv show “The Addams Family.” Jones enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at the age of 17 and garnered a contract with Paramount Pictures. She then made appearances in the films “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” and “The Man Who Knew Too Much” before she went on to receive an Oscar nomination for her role in “The Bachelor Party” in 1957. She also appeared alongside Elvis Presley in “King Creole” and Frank Sinatra in “A Hole in the Head.” Jones was cast in multiple tv shows including “Burke’s Law,” which earned a Golden Globe award nomination, before starring in The Addams Family. Jones was diagnosed with colon cancer and died in 1983 from the disease.
Chace Crawford — Lubbock
Chace Crawford was born in Lubbock and is best known for his role in the CW teen drama “Gossip Girl” for six seasons. Crawford graduated from Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, Texas and then attended Pepperdine University where he studied broadcast journalism and marketing. He had roles in the movies “The Haunting of Molly Hartley,” and “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” along with tv shows like “Family Guy,” and “Glee.” Crawford currently stars in the comic book-based adaption “The Boys” for Amazon Studios.
Woody Harrelson — Midland
Actor, producer and director Woody Harrelson was born in Midland and is known for a multitude of acting credits including the first season of the Emmy-nominated crime anthology series “True Detective.” Harrelson studied English and theatre in Hanover, Indiana, and began his career on the tv show “Cheers,” where he was nominated for five Emmy awards. He was nominated for his first Academy Award for playing Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt in the movie “The People vs. Larry Flynt.” Harrelson continued to star in award-winning movies including “No Country for Old Men” and “The Messenger” for which he was nominated for his second Oscar. Other significant acting credits include “Zombieland,” “The Hunger Games,” “War for the Planet of the Apes,” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”
Kelly Clarkson — Fort Worth
With that melodic southern accent, it can’t be too hard to guess that singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson was born in Fort Worth. Clarkson is best-known for winning the first ever season of a little talent show called “American Idol.” She moved to Los Angeles after graduating high school where she worked at fast food restaurants before auditioning for American Idol, thus, introducing us to a singing sensation. She was signed to a record deal and began creating a Rolodex of hits including “Before Your Love” and “A Moment Like This.” The single “Miss Independent” earned Clarkson her first Grammy Award nomination. Additional mega hits by Clarkson include “Since U Been Gone,” “Breakaway,” Because of You,” and “Stronger.” In recent years, Clarkson has been a judge on the talent show “The Voice” and is currently hosting her daytime variety talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Vanilla Ice — Dallas
Rapper Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known as Vanilla Ice, was born in Dallas and began his career opening for talented artists including N.W.A, Public Enemy, Paula Abdul, and MC Hammer. He wrote the song “Ice Ice Baby” at the age of 16 and in 1989, an independent record company began to distribute the song, which became the first rap single to go No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His first album “To the Extreme” spent sixteen weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In 1998, Ice released his third album “Hard to Swallow,” which featured a darker sound and received negative reviews from accredited sources including The New York Times and Rolling Stone. Ice played himself in the films “That’s My Boy” alongside Adam Sandler and “The Wrong Missy” and was a contestant on season 23 of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Robin Wright — Dallas
Actress Robin Wright was born in Dallas but grew up in Southern California. She began her career as a model and at the age of 18 she landed her first role in the daytime soap opera “Santa Barbara.” Wright’s breakthrough role was in the film “The Princess Bride” but gained recognition when she played Jenny Curran in the film “Forest Gump” alongside Tom Hanks, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Her credits include “Nine Lives,” “Wonder Woman,” and “House of Cards,” for which she received multiple Emmy nominations.
Tommy Lee Jones — San Saba
Actor and director Tommy Lee Jones was born in San Saba and was raised in Midland, Texas. He attended Harvard College where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1969. Jones is well-known for the gritty roles throughout his acting career, which began when he moved to New York to make his Broadway debut in “A Patriot for Me.” He received his first Golden Globe nomination when he portrayed Doolittle “Mooney” Lynn, husband of country singer Loretta Lynn, in the film “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” He then received an Emmy nomination for his performance as murderer Gary Gilmore in the tv adaption of “The Executioner’s Song.” Jones has been nominated for four Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actor for his work in “The Fugitive.” His expansive acting career includes roles in the films “No Country for Old Men,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and “Lincoln.”
Ethan Hawke — Austin
Academy and Tony-nominated actor, writer and director Ethan Hawke was born in Austin to childhood sweethearts and is known for his breakout role in “Dead Poets Society.” After relocating to New Jersey, he began acting in theater productions at the age of 13 before starring in “Dead Poets Society.” The actor also directed the 90s music video “Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb which was featured in the movie “Reality Bites,” which Hawke starred in. According to UPROXX, Hawke directed the music video in one continuous shot. He directed the 2006 drama film “The Hottest State” and has appeared in multiple films by fellow Texan Richard Linklater including “The Before Trilogy,” and “Boyhood.”
Jennifer Garner — Houston
Jennifer Garner was born in Houston but soon moved to Charleston, West Virginia at the age of three. The actress began her career in the early 90s in theater companies and was then cast in the movie “Dude, Where’s My Car?” as Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend. She earned a Golden Globe Award for her work as Sydney Bristow in the critically acclaimed show “Alias.” Garner is also known for her work in the romantic comedies “13 Going on 30,” “Catch & Release” and “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”
Eva Longoria — Corpus Christi
Actress, producer and director Eva Longoria was born in Corpus Christi and made a name for herself on the ABC television series “Desperate Housewives.” Longoria earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and in 1998, she won Miss Corpus Christi USA. A talent contest led her to Los Angeles where she began acting in shows like “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “The Young and the Restless.” Longoria was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her work in “Desperate Housewives” and won the ALMA Award for entertainer of the year in 2006. In addition, she has starred in movies like “Lowriders” and “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” along with executive producing the show “Devious Maids” for Lifetime and directing episodes of “Jane the Virgin” and “Black-ish.”
Farrah Fawcett — Corpus Christi
Actress Farrah Fawcett was born in Corpus Christi and attended the University of Texas where she studied microbiology before switching her major to art. Fawcett moved to Los Angeles in 1968 to try her hand at acting and began appearing in commercials. She made appearances on the television shows “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “S.W.A.T” before photographer Bruce McBroom took the iconic poster image of her in a one-piece red bathing suit. In 1976, Fawcett along with Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith made up the dynamic team of private investigators known as the “Charlie’s Angels.” She had received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her work including one for her guest appearance in the tv show “The Guardian.” Fawcett later died of anal cancer in 2009 at the age of 62.
These celebrities became recognizable famous figures but they will always hold a piece of Texas with them. Did your favorite make the list?