Famous Actors from Austin, Texas

The Hollywood industry has stars from all corners of America. All of them are extremely talented and have made names for themselves, both nationally and internationally. A lot of these A-listing celebrities come from Austin, Texas. Here we’re going to discuss the lives of these celebrities living in Austin, Texas. Keep an eye out, because you might find names you didn’t expect. 

Famous Actors from Austin, Texas

Matthew McConaughey

Mathew McConaughey was born on November 4, 1969, in Uvalde, Texas. After spending his childhood in Uvalde, Mathew moved to Longview Texas in 1980. Here, he attended Longview High School. When he graduated from high school, Mathew got himself enrolled at the University of Texas and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelors in Radio Sciences. 

However, Mathew left the radio far behind, and instead, started to make a name for himself in television. His breakthrough movie was “Dazed and Confused”, in 1993. Although he had a supporting role, the movie put him directly under the limelight. He went on to play a supporting role in some other films, including “Angels in the Outfield (1994)” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)”. 

Mathew’s lead role would come in the year 1996 when he starred in “The Time to Kill” (1996). At the end of the nineties, he starred in numerous other films in the psychological thriller, comedy, and science fiction genres. With the start of the twenties, Mathew found himself a changed actor. During the twenties, he was quite the ladies’ man, having starred in a bunch of romantic comedies. These include “Wedding Planner (2001)”, “How to lose A guy in 10 days (2003)”, “Failure to Launch (2006)”, and “Ghosts of Past Girlfriends (2009)”.

 This time, he started appearing in more dramatic roles, with the first being “The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)”. In the coming years, he continued to give such performances in the movies “Bernie (2011)”, “Magic Mike (2012)”, “The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)”, “Killer Joe (2011)” and “Mud (2012)”. 

Mathew went on to star in several films, with a lot of his roles getting nominations from celebrated award shows.

However, true to his Texan Origin, Mathew returned to Austin, Texas. Mathew is one of the most famous actors living in Austin.  He is an alumnus of the University of Texas and is still a stout supporter of the institute. He appears in numerous school football games. Mathew also runs his philanthropic organization, “ The Just Keep Livin’ Foundation”.

Matthew McConaughey is one of the best actors from Austin, Texas

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock was born on July 26, 1964, in Washington DC. Until she was 12, Sandra lived in Nuremberg, Germany, and Vienna and Salzburg, Austria. She attended Washington-Lee High School and was a cheerleader for the school. She graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1982 and went on to attend East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, North Carolina. In 1987, she graduated from the university with a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in Drama. 

While in her university, the young actor took part in several plays. However, she seriously started to try to get work in the ShowBiz industry after moving to Manhattan, New York. Over there, the aspiring actress worked part-time jobs to support herself, while constantly auditioning for roles. 

She performed a few student roles and caught the attention of Director Alan J. Levi. He was impressed by her acting in” No Time Flat”. Alan went on to cast her in the movie “Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man”, and “Bionic Woman”. These roles put Sandra in the highlights. 

She went on to star in the TV version of the film “Working Girl (1990)”. Her big break didn’t come until she starred beside Keanu Reeves in the movie, “Speed”. 

The star only gained more popularity from thereon and is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She has also been named among the 100 most influential women in the world, on multiple occasions. 

Sandra Bullock is a famous actress from Austin, Texas.

Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood was born on January 28, 1981. He is a versatile actor and producer as well as a star of many films. However, his most memorable and recognizable role was as Frodo Baggins, in The Lord of The Rings trilogy. 

Wood was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He first got in front of the camera when he began modeling at the age of 7. He continued to act in a lot of plays, and finally, his entire family moved to Los Angeles, so he could become an actor. 

His acting career started with a few local advertisements. At first, he got a role in Paula Abdul’s music video, “Forever Your Girl,” directed by David Fincher. Besides him, there have been various other musicians from Austin, Texas.

Wood went on to perform supporting roles in a variety of films. He starred in “Child in the Night”, and “Back To The Future II”. He got widespread acclaim when he acted in “Avalon ”, as Aidan Quinn’s son. 

Wood went on to star in a variety of other films, in both supporting, and pivotal roles. However, his big breakthrough came in 1999, when he was cast in the “Lord Of The Rings” trilogy. The star lives in Austin, Texas, and has been photographed in a lot of the restaurants and clubs. He is one of the most popular actors living in Austin, Texas.

Wood in 2006. 

Jensen Ackles & Danneel (Harris) Ackles

Daneel Harris was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and spent her childhood in a small town. She moved out of the town, and into Los Angeles because she wanted to pursue a modeling career. She worked as a model for the companies, Big Juicy Hair, and Sexy Jeans. 

Her first role on television was in “One Life to Live “as Shannon McBain, by the American Broadcasting Company. Harris spent a lot of time with the soap opera but eventually decided to quit it in 2004. However, she didn’t quit being on television. Two of the famous programs she continued were “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, and “What I Like About You”. 

The star went on to play roles in a lot of different films and then decided to move to Austin, Texas soon. Right now, she lives in Austin with her husband Jensen Ackles, and their children. 

Jensen Ackles on the other hand is quite a big name in the acting world himself. He had been modeling since the age of 4, but it was in 1996 that he truly started to work towards an acting career. He got small roles here and there, in series like “Mr. Rhodes”, “Sweet Valley High”, and “Cybill”. He finally joined the soap opera Days of Our Lives.

Eventually, he got the big break and went on to work in a lot of big shows, including “Dawson’s Creek”, and “Dark Angel”. However, the show Jensen Ackles is most remembered for is” Supernaturals”. Jensen Ackles starred in the show as Dean Winchester, for about 15 seasons.  

These days, Jensen lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Daneela. He and Daneela got engaged after three years of dating, and now have children together. He is one of the most famous actors living in Austin, Texas.  He co-owns a brewery in Texas, with his wife, and In-laws. 

Danneel Harris. 

John Hawkes

One of the biggest names in Hollywood when it comes to the best actors is John Hawkes and he belongs from Austin, Texas. Hawkes was born in 1959 and is considered to be one of the oldest actors of the industry. The actor has played some of the wildest roles in various films. He has been a part of various genres of the film industry but is mostly acknowledged and recognized for the drama genre. The actor has won several accolades throughout his career and was nominated for the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards too. 

Some of the best-known films by him are Winter’s Bone and The Season, both of which got him nominations for Best Actor. The actor is in his 60s but has the spirits set high even now. Most recently, his films include Unlovable, The Peanut Butter Falcon, and End of Sentence. The actor has made a presence in television too and is especially known for his outstanding role in the series “Eastbound & Down”.

Hawkes in 2009. 

Conclusion

Austin, Texas has produced some of the most famous names in Hollywood. However, a lot of celebrities with no background in Austin are now moving to Austin, Texas. Famous actors like Mathew, and Elijah Wood, can be seen walking the streets of Austin and visiting restaurants. However, some of these actors like Daneela and Jensen are a little more reserved. If you ever wish to read more about the artists belonging from Austin, Texas, read here – Famous Artists from Austin, Texas