These Famous Actors Were Born In Georgia & So Many Call This City Home

A vast majority of celebrities leading the film and television industry were born and raised outside of Hollywood. Talented actors from Georgia are also among those who have also found their way to the bright lights and superstardom from obscure beginnings.

The fact that Georgia has played home to the production of various films and television shows in the recent decades, has helped create a pipeline for industry aspirants from the state to take the leap of faith. Film and TV productions spent $4.4 billion in Georgia in fiscal 2022, a new record for the industry, according to The Georgia Film Office.

Stacker compiled a list of actors that were born in Georgia from IMDb’s most popular list. Keep reading to see which favorite actors are from your home state.

Iain Armitage

- Born: Savannah, Georgia (7/15/2008)
- Known for:
--- Sheldon Cooper in "Young Sheldon" (2017-2021)
--- Youngest Brian in "The Glass Castle" (2017)
--- Ziggy Chapman in "Big Little Lies" (2017-2019)

Desmond Harrington

- Born: Savannah, Georgia (10/19/1976)
- Known for:
--- Mike in "The Hole" (2001)
--- Chris Flynn in "Wrong Turn" (2003)
--- Ferriman in "Ghost Ship" (2002)

Robert Patrick

- Born: Marietta, Georgia (11/5/1958)
- Known for:
--- T-1000 in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)
--- Coach Joe Willis in "The Faculty" (1998)
--- Rome in "The Marine" (2006)

Laurence Fishburne

- Born: Augusta, Georgia (7/30/1961)
- Known for:
--- Morpheus in "The Matrix" (1999)
--- Morpheus in "The Matrix Reloaded" (2003)
--- Whitey Powers in "Mystic River" (2003)

Jeff Daniels

- Born: Athens, Georgia (2/19/1955)
- Known for:
--- Bernard Berkman in "The Squid and the Whale" (2005)
--- Harry in "Dumb and Dumber" (1994)
--- Tom Baxter in "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985)

Wayne Knight

- Born: Cartersville, Georgia (8/7/1955)
- Known for:
--- Nedry in "Jurassic Park" (1993)
--- Zack Mallozzi in "Rat Race" (2001)
--- Stan in "Dirty Dancing" (1987)

David Cross

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (4/4/1964)
- Known for:
--- Tobias Fünke in "Arrested Development" (2003-2019)
--- Minion in "Megamind" (2010)
--- Rob in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004)

Ed Helms

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (1/24/1974)
- Known for:
--- Stu in "The Hangover" (2009)
--- Andy Bernard in "The Office" (2006-2013)
--- Rusty Griswold in "Vacation" (2015)

Stephen Dorff

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (7/29/1973)
- Known for:
--- Deacon Frost in "Blade" (1998)
--- Stavros in "Immortals" (2011)
--- Johnny Marco in "Somewhere" (2010)

Kenan Thompson

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (5/10/1978)
- Known for:
--- Various in "Saturday Night Live" (2003-2021)
--- Troy in "Snakes on a Plane" (2006)
--- Dexter Reed in "Good Burger" (1997)

Wes Chatham

- Born: Georgia (10/11/1978)
- Known for:
--- Castor in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" (2015)
--- Castor in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" (2014)
--- Corporal Steve Penning in "In the Valley of Elah" (2007)

Danny McBride

- Born: Statesboro, Georgia (12/29/1976)
- Known for:
--- Red in "Pineapple Express" (2008)
--- Neal Gamby in "Vice Principals" (2016-2017)
--- Danny McBride in "This Is the End" (2013)

Brian Baumgartner

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (11/29/1972)
- Known for:
--- Kevin Malone in "The Office" (2005-2013)
--- Eric in "Four Christmases" (2008)
--- Jim in "License to Wed" (2007)

Stacy Keach

- Born: Savannah, Georgia (6/2/1941)
- Known for:
--- Ed Pegram in "Nebraska" (2013)
--- Cmdr. Malloy in "Escape from L.A." (1996)
--- Adm Mark Turso USN Ret. in "The Bourne Legacy" (2012)

Chris Tucker

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (8/31/1971)
- Known for:
--- Carter in "Rush Hour 2" (2001)
--- Carter in "Rush Hour" (1998)
--- Danny in "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012)

Benjamin Walker

- Born: Georgia (6/21/1982)
- Known for:
--- Travis in "The Choice" (2016)
--- Abraham Lincoln in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" (2012)
--- George Pollard in "In the Heart of the Sea" (2015)

Christopher Lowell

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (10/17/1984)
- Known for:
--- Stuart Whitworth in "The Help" (2011)
--- Al Monroe in "Promising Young Woman" (2020)
--- Kevin in "Up in the Air" (2009)

Jack McBrayer

- Born: Macon, Georgia (5/27/1973)
- Known for:
--- Kenneth Parcell in "30 Rock" (2006-2013)
--- Felix in "Wreck-It Ralph" (2012)
--- Darald in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008)

Omari Hardwick

- Born: Savannah, Georgia (1/9/1974)
- Known for:
--- Sergeant Marcus Williams in "Kick-Ass" (2010)
--- Vanderohe in "Army of the Dead" (2021)
--- Mr. _______ in "Sorry to Bother You" (2018)

Shameik Moore

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (5/4/1995)
- Known for:
--- Miles Morales in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018)
--- Malcolm in "Dope" (2015)
--- Shaolin Fantastic in "The Get Down" (2016-2017)

Ron Lester

- Born: Kennesaw, Georgia (8/4/1970)
- Died: 6/17/2016
- Known for:
--- Billy Bob in "Varsity Blues" (1999)
--- Reggie Ray in "Not Another Teen Movie" (2001)
--- Michael 'Sugar Daddy' Bernardino in "Popular" (1999-2001)

Chandler Massey

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (9/10/1990)
- Known for:
--- Will Horton in "Days of Our Lives" (2010-2021)
--- Danny in "Aquarians" (2017)
--- Farrell Gambles in "16-Love" (2012)

Gary Anthony Williams

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (3/14/1966)
- Known for:
--- Bebop in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" (2016)
--- Tarik in "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" (2004)
--- Detective William Bendix in "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore." (2017)

Jason Lively

- Born: Carroll County, Georgia (3/12/1968)
- Known for:
--- Rusty Griswold in "National Lampoon's European Vacation" (1985)
--- Chris in "Night of the Creeps" (1986)
--- Rod Moffet in "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979-1983)

Tituss Burgess

- Born: Athens, Georgia (2/21/1979)
- Known for:
--- Titus Andromedon in "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (2015-2019)
--- Toney in "Dolemite Is My Name" (2019)
--- Creepy Tim in "Set It Up" (2018)

Sung Kang

- Born: Gainesville, Georgia (4/8/1972)
- Known for:
--- Han in "Fast & Furious 6" (2013)
--- Han in "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (2006)
--- Taylor Kwon in "Bullet to the Head" (2012)

Chandler Riggs

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (6/27/1999)
- Known for:
--- Carl Grimes in "The Walking Dead" (2010-2020)
--- Tom in "Get Low" (2009)
--- George in "Mercy" (2014)

Kip Pardue

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (9/23/1975)
- Known for:
--- Ronnie 'Sunshine' Bass in "Remember the Titans" (2000)
--- Victor in "The Rules of Attraction" (2002)
--- Jimmy Bly in "Driven" (2001)

Nadji Jeter

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (10/1/1996)
- Known for:
--- Poundcake in "The 5th Wave" (2016)
--- Andre Mckenzie in "Grown Ups 2" (2013)
--- Sam in "The Last of Us" (2013)

Scott Wilson

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (3/29/1942)
- Died: 10/6/2018
- Known for:
--- Capt. Billy Cutshaw in "The Ninth Configuration" (1980)
--- Hershel Greene in "The Walking Dead" (2011-2018)
--- Dick in "In Cold Blood" (1967)

Khary Payton

- Born: Augusta, Georgia (5/16/1972)
- Known for:
--- Ezekiel in "The Walking Dead" (2016-2022)
--- Cyborg in "Teen Titans Go!" (2013-2021)
--- Michael Forrest in "Astronaut: The Last Push" (2012)

Blake Clark

- Born: Macon, Georgia (2/2/1946)
- Known for:
--- Marlin Whitmore in "50 First Dates" (2004)
--- Farmer Fran in "The Waterboy" (1998)
--- Hagenstern in "Toys" (1992)

Pernell Roberts

- Born: Waycross, Georgia (5/18/1928)
- Died: 1/24/2010
- Known for:
--- Adam Cartwright in "Bonanza" (1959-1965)
--- Trapper John McIntyre in "Trapper John, M.D." (1979-1986)
--- George Fallon in "Mannix" (1973)

Hulk Hogan

- Born: Augusta, Georgia (8/11/1953)
- Known for:
--- Rip in "No Holds Barred" (1989)
--- Thunderlips in "Rocky III" (1982)
--- Shep Ramsey in "Suburban Commando" (1991)

Wayne Brady

- Born: Columbus, Georgia (6/2/1972)
- Known for:
--- Self in "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (1998-2007)
--- Daredevil Dan in "Foodfight!" (2012)
--- Producer in "Let's Make a Deal" (2009-2021)

Sterling Holloway

- Born: Cedartown, Georgia (1/4/1905)
- Died: 11/22/1992
- Known for:
--- Winnie the Pooh in "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1977)
--- Kaa the Snake in "The Jungle Book" (1967)
--- Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)

DeForest Kelley

- Born: Toccoa, Georgia (1/20/1920)
- Died: 6/11/1999
- Known for:
--- Dr. McCoy in "Star Trek: The Original Series" (1966-1969)
--- McCoy in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" (1989)
--- Dr. Leonard McCoy in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" (1991)

Claude Akins

- Born: Nelson, Georgia (5/25/1926)
- Died: 1/27/1994
- Known for:
--- Joe Burdette in "Rio Bravo" (1959)
--- Rev. Jeremiah Brown in "Inherit the Wind" (1960)
--- Aldo in "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973)

Lenny von Dohlen

- Born: Augusta, Georgia (12/22/1958)
- Known for:
--- Harold Smith in "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" 1992
--- Miles Harding in "Electric Dreams" 1984

Jim Brown

- Born: St. Simons Island, Georgia (2/17/1936)
- Known for:
--- Byron Williams in "Mars Attacks!" (1996)
--- Montezuma Monroe in "Any Given Sunday" (1999)
--- Fireball in "The Running Man" (1987)

Devon Werkheiser

- Born: Atlanta, Georgia (3/8/1991)
- Known for:
--- Floyd Stiles in "Crown Vic" (2019)
--- Sam in "Santa Girl" (2019)
--- Brock in "Where's the Money" (2017)

Melvyn Douglas

- Born: Macon, Georgia (4/5/1901)
- Died: 8/4/1981
- Known for:
--- Benjamin Rand in "Being There" (1979)
--- Homer Bannon in "Hud" (1963)
--- Bill Cole in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1948)

Cary Guffey

- Born: Douglasville, Georgia (5/10/1972)
- Known for:
--- Barry Guiler in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977)
--- Billy Lee (Child) in "Chiefs" (1983)
--- H7-25 (aka Charlie Warren) in "Everything Happens to Me" (1980)

James Keach

- Born: Savannah, Georgia (12/7/1947)
- Known for:
--- Motorcycle Cop in "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983)
--- Warden in "Walk the Line" (2005)
--- Jesse James in "The Long Riders" (1980)

Sonny Landham

- Born: Canton, Georgia (2/11/1941)
- Died: 8/17/2017
- Known for:
--- Billy in "Predator" (1987)
--- Chink in "Lock Up" (1989)
--- Police in "The Warriors" (1979)

Gale Harold

- Born: Decatur, Georgia (7/10/1969)
- Known for:
--- Brian Kinney in "Queer as Folk" (1999-2005)
--- Wyatt Earp in "Deadwood" (2006)
--- Simon in "Echo Park" (2014)