From George Strait to Beyonce to Janis Joplin, Texas has birthed a whole lot of famous folks out there. Many singers, movie stars, and athletes have their roots planted in the Lone Star State, and without them, the world just wouldn’t be the same today. So thanks, Texas, for bringing these talented people into the world who have been so influential in rewriting history as we know it. Listed below are 15 famous people from Texas, which you might not already know about.

  1. Meat Loaf

Michael Sauers/Flickr No, not the food. The singer who we all loved for his platinum album, Bat Out of Hell.

  1. Selena

hellboy_93/Flickr Known as the Queen of Tejano music, she will always be remembered for her beautiful voice and influence on Mexican American entertainment.

  1. Woody Harrelson

Erik Bishoff/Flickr Known most famously as the bartender from the sitcom Cheers, Woody was born in Midland.

  1. Sissy Spacek

David Shankbone/Flickr Yep, Texas gave us the star of Carrie, too.

  1. Vanilla Ice

Streamy Awards/Flickr Born in Dallas, this guy changed the course of rap forever with the legendary song “Ice Ice Baby.” Oh, the wonderful things that came from the 90s.

  1. Patrick Swayze

wikimedia commons/Alan Light Would we really have the dancing skills we have today if not for Dirty Dancing? This beloved Houston-born actor and dancer brought us other great movies as well, such as Road House, The Outsiders, and Point Break.

  1. Jensen Ackles

Ianiv & Arieanna/Flickr I just want to give a personal thanks to Dallas for giving us Dean Winchester and one of the best shows ever, Supernatural. (You know you’ve binge-watched this show on Netflix, too.)

  1. Michael Dell

Dan Farber/Flickr Born in Houston, Michael leads one of the most successful computer companies in the world. I wouldn’t be able to type this without him, so he definitely made it onto the list.

  1. Michael Strahan

City Year/Flickr How can you not love this guy’s infectious smile? Former New York Giants defensive end, this hilarious Houston native was the co-host of the popular morning talk show, Live! With Kelly and Michael.

  1. Debbie Reynolds

flickr/Kristine You can thank El Paso for giving the world this lovely multi-talented lady, who scored her first leading role in Singin’ In The Rain at the age of 19. And who could forget Halloweentown?!

  1. Bessie Coleman

Brian Tobin/Flickr The first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license and stage a flight in America, this inspiring woman was born in Atlanta, Texas in 1922.

  1. Joan Crawford

kate gabrielle/Flickr Oscar-winning actress and dancer, Joan was born in 1905 in San Antonio. She was most famous for her roles in Mildred Pierce and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

  1. Lyndon B. Johnson

Joe Mud/Flickr The 36th president of the United States, Johnson was born in Stonewall in 1908. Johnson City, a hill country town in Texas, was named after the Johnson family.

  1. Steve Martin

wikipedia/Davidwbaker This guy seriously knows how to make people laugh, and has lots of fun doing it.

  1. Barbara Jordan

Howcheng/Wikipedia Born in a poor neighborhood in Houston, this amazing woman rose to success as the first African American congresswoman to come from the Deep South.

Who else would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below.

Michael Sauers/Flickr

No, not the food. The singer who we all loved for his platinum album, Bat Out of Hell.

hellboy_93/Flickr

Known as the Queen of Tejano music, she will always be remembered for her beautiful voice and influence on Mexican American entertainment.

Erik Bishoff/Flickr

Known most famously as the bartender from the sitcom Cheers, Woody was born in Midland.

David Shankbone/Flickr

Yep, Texas gave us the star of Carrie, too.

Streamy Awards/Flickr

Born in Dallas, this guy changed the course of rap forever with the legendary song “Ice Ice Baby.” Oh, the wonderful things that came from the 90s.

wikimedia commons/Alan Light

Would we really have the dancing skills we have today if not for Dirty Dancing? This beloved Houston-born actor and dancer brought us other great movies as well, such as Road House, The Outsiders, and Point Break.

Ianiv & Arieanna/Flickr

I just want to give a personal thanks to Dallas for giving us Dean Winchester and one of the best shows ever, Supernatural. (You know you’ve binge-watched this show on Netflix, too.)

Dan Farber/Flickr

Born in Houston, Michael leads one of the most successful computer companies in the world. I wouldn’t be able to type this without him, so he definitely made it onto the list.

City Year/Flickr

How can you not love this guy’s infectious smile? Former New York Giants defensive end, this hilarious Houston native was the co-host of the popular morning talk show, Live! With Kelly and Michael.

flickr/Kristine

You can thank El Paso for giving the world this lovely multi-talented lady, who scored her first leading role in Singin’ In The Rain at the age of 19. And who could forget Halloweentown?!

Brian Tobin/Flickr

The first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license and stage a flight in America, this inspiring woman was born in Atlanta, Texas in 1922.

kate gabrielle/Flickr

Oscar-winning actress and dancer, Joan was born in 1905 in San Antonio. She was most famous for her roles in Mildred Pierce and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Joe Mud/Flickr

The 36th president of the United States, Johnson was born in Stonewall in 1908. Johnson City, a hill country town in Texas, was named after the Johnson family.

wikipedia/Davidwbaker

This guy seriously knows how to make people laugh, and has lots of fun doing it.

Howcheng/Wikipedia

Born in a poor neighborhood in Houston, this amazing woman rose to success as the first African American congresswoman to come from the Deep South.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

The OIYS Visitor Center

famous people from Texas February 22, 2022 Jennifer Young What five celebrities in Texas eventually became Oscar winners?

  1. Matthew McConaughey Best Actor (2014) - Dallas Buyers Club
  2. Forest Whitaker Best Actor (2007) - The Last King of Scotland
  3. Renee Zellweger Best Supporting Actress (2004) - Cold Mountain Best Actress (2020) - Judy
  4. Tommy Lee Jones Best Supporting Actor (1994) - The Fugitive
  5. Sissy Spacek Best Actress (1981) - Coal Miner’s Daughter Who doesn’t love Texas trivia? Listed below are 10 fun facts about Texas that just might surprise you.
  6. The designer of the Texas flag is unknown. There was an early image of the flag drawn by Dr. Charles B. Stewart. However, nobody knows who actually designed it. It’s a mystery.
  7. In 1885, Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas by Charles Alderton. It was first nationally marketed in 1904.
  8. The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was the deadliest natural disaster in the U.S. Sadly, 6,000 to 12,000 lives were lost.
  9. Texas’ Bracken Cave is home to North America’s largest known bat colony, which hosts more than 20 million bats.
  10. There’s a time capsule in Texas that contains a passbook to a bank account. When the capsule is open in 2968, the bank account is expected to have $1 quadrillion.
  11. Six Flags Over Texas was named for the six countries that have ruled over Texas, which include France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States of America.
  12. The largest state capitol in the nation is the Texas State Capitol building.
  13. Austin, Texas is home to the fastest road in the U.S., which has a speed limit of 85 mph on a 40-mile stretch of road between Austin and San Antonio.
  14. With an area of 268,820 square miles, Texas is larger than any European country.
  15. Texas is home to three of the top 10 most populated cities in the U.S., which happen to be Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.  

The OIYS Visitor Center

famous people from Texas

February 22, 2022

Jennifer Young

What five celebrities in Texas eventually became Oscar winners?

  1. Matthew McConaughey Best Actor (2014) - Dallas Buyers Club
  2. Forest Whitaker Best Actor (2007) - The Last King of Scotland
  3. Renee Zellweger Best Supporting Actress (2004) - Cold Mountain Best Actress (2020) - Judy
  4. Tommy Lee Jones Best Supporting Actor (1994) - The Fugitive
  5. Sissy Spacek Best Actress (1981) - Coal Miner’s Daughter Who doesn’t love Texas trivia? Listed below are 10 fun facts about Texas that just might surprise you.
  6. The designer of the Texas flag is unknown. There was an early image of the flag drawn by Dr. Charles B. Stewart. However, nobody knows who actually designed it. It’s a mystery.
  7. In 1885, Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas by Charles Alderton. It was first nationally marketed in 1904.
  8. The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was the deadliest natural disaster in the U.S. Sadly, 6,000 to 12,000 lives were lost.
  9. Texas’ Bracken Cave is home to North America’s largest known bat colony, which hosts more than 20 million bats.
  10. There’s a time capsule in Texas that contains a passbook to a bank account. When the capsule is open in 2968, the bank account is expected to have $1 quadrillion.
  11. Six Flags Over Texas was named for the six countries that have ruled over Texas, which include France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States of America.
  12. The largest state capitol in the nation is the Texas State Capitol building.
  13. Austin, Texas is home to the fastest road in the U.S., which has a speed limit of 85 mph on a 40-mile stretch of road between Austin and San Antonio.
  14. With an area of 268,820 square miles, Texas is larger than any European country.
  15. Texas is home to three of the top 10 most populated cities in the U.S., which happen to be Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.  

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

  1. Matthew McConaughey Best Actor (2014) - Dallas Buyers Club

  2. Forest Whitaker Best Actor (2007) - The Last King of Scotland

  3. Renee Zellweger Best Supporting Actress (2004) - Cold Mountain Best Actress (2020) - Judy

  4. Tommy Lee Jones Best Supporting Actor (1994) - The Fugitive

  5. Sissy Spacek Best Actress (1981) - Coal Miner’s Daughter

Who doesn’t love Texas trivia? Listed below are 10 fun facts about Texas that just might surprise you.

  1. The designer of the Texas flag is unknown. There was an early image of the flag drawn by Dr. Charles B. Stewart. However, nobody knows who actually designed it. It’s a mystery.

  2. In 1885, Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas by Charles Alderton. It was first nationally marketed in 1904.

  3. The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was the deadliest natural disaster in the U.S. Sadly, 6,000 to 12,000 lives were lost.

  4. Texas’ Bracken Cave is home to North America’s largest known bat colony, which hosts more than 20 million bats.

  5. There’s a time capsule in Texas that contains a passbook to a bank account. When the capsule is open in 2968, the bank account is expected to have $1 quadrillion.

  6. Six Flags Over Texas was named for the six countries that have ruled over Texas, which include France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States of America.

  7. The largest state capitol in the nation is the Texas State Capitol building.

  8. Austin, Texas is home to the fastest road in the U.S., which has a speed limit of 85 mph on a 40-mile stretch of road between Austin and San Antonio.

  9. With an area of 268,820 square miles, Texas is larger than any European country.

  10. Texas is home to three of the top 10 most populated cities in the U.S., which happen to be Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.