Alabama

1. Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum was born in a small town, Cullman, Alabama, 50 miles north of Birmingham. He is the son of Kay (Faust), an airline worker, and Glenn Matthew Tatum, who worked in construction. Growing up, he was full of energy and somewhat troublesome, so his parents decided to enroll him in ...

2. Lucas Black

Actor | Sling Blade

Lucas York Black was born on November 29, 1982, in Decatur, Alabama, to Jan (Keenum), an office worker, and Larry Black, a museum worker. Without any formal acting lessons, Lucas made his film debut with a small part in the Kevin Costner film The War (1994) at the age of 11. The small role helped ...

3. Donna D'Errico

Actress | Frank and Penelope

Donna D'Errico was born on March 30, 1968 in Dothan, Alabama, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Frank and Penelope (2022), Survive the Game (2021) and 9-1-1 (2018). She was previously married to Nikki Sixx.

4. Julia Campbell

Actress | Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Julia Campbell is an American film and television actress. Her most noted role to date was Christie Masters in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. Campbell had a starring role in the feature film, Tillamook Treasure (2006), in which she plays Kathryn Kimbell, the mother of the story's lead ...

5. Michael Biehn

Actor | Aliens

Michael Connell Biehn was born on July 31, 1956 in Anniston, Alabama, to Marcia (Connell) and Don Biehn, a lawyer. He grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and at age 14 moved with his family to Lake Havasu, Arizona, where he won a drama scholarship to the University of Arizona. He left prematurely two ...

6. Debby Ryan

Actress | Insatiable

Debby Ryan was born in Huntsville, Alabama on May 13, 1993, but she and her family moved to Texas when she was a small child and lived there for five years before moving to Wiesbaden, Germany. In Germany Debby became fascinated with acting in local plays and musicals. By age 9, she knew she wanted ...

7. Walton Goggins

Actor | Justified

Walton Goggins is an actor of considerable versatility and acclaim who has delivered provocative performances in a multitude of feature films and television series. He won a Critics' Choice Award for his performance in the HBO comedy series "Vice Principals" and landed an Emmy nomination for his ...

8. Octavia Spencer

Actress | Hidden Figures

Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. She's the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A "closet" lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she'd someday work in the film industry, ...

9. Courteney Cox

Actress | Friends

Courteney Cox was born on June 15th, 1964 in Birmingham, Alabama, into an affluent Southern family. She is the daughter of Courteney (Bass) and Richard Lewis Cox (1930-2001), a businessman. She was the baby of the family with two older sisters (Virginia and Dottie) and an older brother, Richard, Jr...

10. Lionel Richie

Soundtrack | The Color Purple

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and television judge. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recording the hit singles "Easy", "Sail On", "Three Times a Lady" and "Still",...

11. Taylor Hicks

Soundtrack | American Idol: The Search for a Superstar

Taylor Hicks was born on October 7, 1976 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. He is an actor, known for American Idol (2002), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Stars Fell on Alabama (2021).

12. Brett Butler

Actress | Grace Under Fire

Brett Butler (born January 30, 1958) is an American actress, writer, and stand-up comedian. She played the title role in the comedy series Grace Under Fire.

Butler was born Brett Anderson in Montgomery, Alabama, the eldest of five sisters. Before experiencing success as a stand-up comic, she worked ...

13. Brandon Scott

Actor | Dead to Me

Brandon Scott was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Dead to Me (2019), This Is Us (2016) and 13 Reasons Why (2017).

14. Michael Rooker

Actor | Guardians of the Galaxy

Michael Rooker was born on April 6, 1955 in Jasper, Alabama. When he was thirteen, his parents divorced and he went with his mother to live in Chicago. He caught the acting bug while attending college, and began appearing in local stage productions. On first breaking into film, his intensity and "...

15. Kim Dickens

Actress | Gone Girl

Kimberly Jan Dickens is an American actress. Her film debut was in the 1995 comedy film Palookaville. Dickens played lead roles in the films Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997), Zero Effect (1998) and Mercury Rising (1998). Her other films include Great Expectations (1998), Hollow Man (2000), House ...

16. Clayne Crawford

Actor | A Walk to Remember

Clayne Crawford was born on April 20, 1978 in Clay, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for A Walk to Remember (2002), Lethal Weapon (2016) and The Perfect Host (2010). He has been married to Sunshine Kiki Brown since 2004. They have three children.

17. Sonequa Martin-Green

Actress | Star Trek: Discovery

Sonequa Martin-Green (born March 21, 1985) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her television role as Sasha Williams on The Walking Dead, a role she played from 2012 to 2017. Before that, she had starred in several independent films before gaining her first recurring role as ...

18. Louise Fletcher

Actress | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, to Episcopal minister Robert Fletcher and his wife Estelle, both of whom were deaf, Louise Fletcher was introduced to performing at a young age by the aunt who taught her to speak. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, she took a trip out west with her...

19. Laverne Cox

Actress | Promising Young Woman

Laverne Cox is a three time Emmy-nominated actress, Emmy winning documentary film producer and a prominent equal rights advocate. Laverne's role of Sophia Burset in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series "Orange is The New Black" brought her to the attention of diverse audiences all over ...

20. André Holland

Actor | Moonlight

André Holland was born on December 28, 1979 in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Moonlight (2016), Selma (2014) and 42 (2013).

21. Jordan Fisher

Actor | Turning Red

Jordan William Fisher is an American actor, singer, dancer, gamer, and musician. He began his career with recurring roles on several television series, including The Secret Life of the American Teenager in 2012 and Liv and Maddie from 2015 to 2017. He also had supporting roles in the television ...

22. Orlando Jones

Actor | Evolution

Orlando Jones was born on April 10, 1968 in Mobile, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Evolution (2001), The Time Machine (2002) and Drumline (2002). He has been married to Jacqueline Staph since January 2, 2009. They have two children.

23. Amber Benson

Actress | Chance

Amber Benson was born on January 8, 1977 in Birmingham, Alabama. As a young girl, she studied singing, dancing as well as acting. While still in her teens, she was involved in productions at the local community theatre. Her family moved to Los Angeles soon afterwards in 1992 so she could pursue a ...

24. Beth Grant

Actress | Donnie Darko

Beth Grant has the unique honor of having co-starred in three Academy Award winning Best Pictures - Barry Levinson's Rain Man, the Coen Brothers's No Country For Old Men and Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist. Furthering her reputation as an Oscar lucky charm was her work with Johnny Depp in Gore ...

25. Donna D'Errico

Actress | Frank and Penelope

Donna D'Errico was born on March 30, 1968 in Dothan, Alabama, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Frank and Penelope (2022), Survive the Game (2021) and 9-1-1 (2018). She was previously married to Nikki Sixx.

26. Polly Holliday

Actress | Gremlins

The normally erudite, soft-spoken and well-mannered Alabama-born (July 2, 1937) actress Polly Dean Holliday, daughter of a truck driver, accumulated quite an extensive theater background by the time she hit sassy, blue-collar stardom on 70s TV as gum-cracking waitress Florence Jean Castleberry on ...

27. David Howard Thornton

Actor | Terrifier 2

David Howard Thornton was born on November 30th, 1979 in Huntsville, Alabama. He is an actor known for work in stage, film, and voice over. He is best known for his roles as Grandpa Who in the 1st- 5th national tours of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical", the voice of Shizoku ...

28. Dylan Riley Snyder

Actor | Kickin' It

Dylan Snyder co-runs Watch The Footage (WTF) Productions as an in-house director and cinematographer. Snyder's 2019 short film, "Room 566" has won accolades at twelve festivals including Best Horror Short at Hollywood Blood Horror Festival, as well as Best Horror Short and Best Director (Male) at ...

29. Caitlin Carver

Actress | Chicago Fire

Caitlin Carver was born on March 31, 1992 in Monrovia, Alabama, USA. She is an actress, known for Chicago Fire (2012), I, Tonya (2017) and Dear White People (2017).

30. Nicholas G. Sims

Actor | Wu-Tang: An American Saga

The multi-hyphenate Nicholas G. Sims is an actor, producer, and musician. He was born Nicholas Gerard Sims in Mobile, AL. He is the youngest son of Melissa Nichols, a gospel singer, and Gerard Sims, senior sales specialist at Terry Thompson Chevrolet, both Mobile natives. After graduating from high...

31. Felicia Day

Self | The Official The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Podcast

Felicia Day was born on June 28, 1979 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA as Kathryn Felicia Day. She is an actress and producer, known for her work on TV and the web video world. She has appeared in mainstream television shows and films, including Supernatural (2005) and a two-season arc on the SyFy ...

32. Richard Tyson

Actor | Kindergarten Cop

Richard Tyson was born in Mobile, Alabama but eventually pursued his love of acting and moved to Hollywood, California. Landing one of his first roles on the hit TV show, 'Moonlighting' (with Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd), Richard's career took off from there and hasn't shown any sign of slowing...

33. Annabelle Gurwitch

Actress | Melvin Goes to Dinner

Annabelle Gurwitch is a New York Times Bestselling author, actress, and television host. Her most recent book is Wherever You Go, There They Are: Stories About My Family You Might Relate to (Penguin Random House), in which Gurwitch writes stories inspired by her hilariously dysfunctional childhood....

34. Lee Wesley

Actor | Power

Lee Wesley was born on August 4, 1977 in Dothan, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Power (2014), The Proposal (2009) and Blue Bloods (2010).

35. Shawn Parsons

Actor | The Gunfighter

The Alabama native is best known for co-starring with Nick Offerman in "The Gunfighter", an internationally acclaimed short film, as The Pig in the final season of FX's "Justified", and as Sam in The CW/Netflix series "Containment". Notable theatrical performances include "Trog & Clay" at the ...

36. Gerald McCullouch

Actor | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

After surviving a near fatal car crash while in the BFA Musical Theater program at FSU, he began his career in Atlanta before moving to New York to study with Uta Hagen. He played "Jesus" in the European tour of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and was honored by OUT Magazine as One Of The Most Compelling ...

37. Kate Jackson

Actress | Scarecrow and Mrs. King

Lucy Kate Jackson was born in Birmingham, AL on October 29.1948. She attended the University of Mississippi but left during her sophomore year to begin studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was a supporting cast member on Dark Shadows (1966) (Daphne, 1970-1971) and on The Rookies (...

38. Reg E. Cathey

Actor | Fantastic Four

Born into a military family in Huntsville, Alabama -- his father was an army vet who had served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, while his mother held a somewhat mysterious job in the Department of Defence -- Reg E. Cathey spent much of his early childhood living on a rural farmhouse in Germany....

39. Ned Vaughn

Actor | The Hunt for Red October

Ned Vaughn grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and first acted at age 8 in a community theatre production of "Oliver!" The son of an artist and a civilian Army public affairs specialist, he mixed acting with athletics and music until leaving high school. In college, he began to concentrate seriously on ...

40. Paula Poundstone

Actress | Home Movies

Paula Poundstone was born on December 29, 1959 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Home Movies (1999), Inside Out (2015) and Hyperspace (1984).

41. Michael Felker

Editor | Things Will Be Different

Michael Felker was born on October 17, 1988 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. He is a director and editor, known for Things Will Be Different (2024), Would You Like to Try Again? (2019) and Something in the Dirt (2022).

42. Will Payne

Producer | Your Stories

Will Payne was born on March 9, 1974 in Anniston, Alabama, USA. Will is a producer and writer, known for Your Stories (2002), Joyful Noise Cafe' (2009) and TBS Storyline (2005).

43. David Lee Smith

Actor | The Man from Earth

David Lee Smith was born on September 8, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. He is an actor, known for The Man from Earth (2007), A Walk to Remember (2002) and Mysterious Skin (2004).

44. Johnny Simmons

Actor | The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Jonathan James Simmons was born November 28, 1986 in Montgomery, Alabama, to Cindy and Ben Simmons. He was raised in Dallas, Texas.

His first film in Los Angeles was entitled "My Ambition". When casting notices went out, there was a misprint stating that the production was looking for a lead female ...

45. Michael O'Neill

Actor | Dallas Buyers Club

Michael O'Neill was born on May 29, 1951 in Montgomery, Alabama. He is an actor, known for Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Transformers (2007) and Seabiscuit (2003). He is married to Mary O'Keefe. They have three children.

46. Billy Green Bush

Actor | The Hitcher

Amiable and exceptional character actor Billy Green Bush appeared in a handful of offbeat and enduring cult classic features made in the early '70s. Tall, handsome and rangy, Bush often portrayed engaging good ol' boy types, rugged cowboys and stern police officers. He was born as William Warren ...

47. Trey Edward Shults

Director | Waves

Trey Edward Shults was born on October 6, 1988 in Montgomery, Texas, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Waves (2019), It Comes at Night (2017) and Krisha (2015).

48. Rusty Joiner

Actor | Resident Evil: Extinction

With an impressive list of starring roles in recent back to back to back Mar Vista Entertainment films, Rusty Joiner has definitely made his way to Hollywood's "Ones To Watch" list. Rusty made a big splash showing his comedic chops starring in Sean Mcginly's heavy comedy sharing the screen with ...

49. Hosea Chanchez

Actor | The Game

Chanchez was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and spent the majority of his childhood in Atlanta. He was raised by a loving family who recognized his talents and encouraged him to pursue his dreams. From the moment he sang along to his grandmother's records, Chanchez displayed an inherent knack for ...

50. Seth Meriwether

Actor | The 15:17 to Paris

Seth Meriwether was born in Montgomery, Alabama and raised in rural Alabama in an area called Mathews. He grew up in the outdoors under his mother (Kelly Meriwether) and father (Nick Meriwether). Seth started acting professionally at the age of 11 at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He won a ...

51. Bart Burson

Actor | The Silencer & the Sky

Bart Burson was born in 1976 in Montgomery County, Alabama, USA. He is an actor, known for The Silencer & the Sky (2007), Jackhammer (2004) and As If (2002). He has been married to Erika Flores since July 2006. They have two children.

52. Charlie Hudson III

Actor | Archive 81

Charlie Hudson III was born on September 13, 1982 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. He is an actor, known for Archive 81 (2022), Manifest (2018) and Forever (2014).

53. Michael Young

Soundtrack | Pitch Perfect 2

Michael Young was born on March 8, 1952 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), Trend Watch (2003) and Shop Like a Star (2008). He has been married to Stephanie Gardner since December 2012. They have three children. He was previously married to ...