Entertainment
17 Celebs You Didn't Know Were Southern, ‘Cause They Keep Their Twang on the Down Low
There are some celebrities that just cannot hide their Southern roots: Matthew McConaughey and Beyoncé, I'm looking at you! But although some artists may not always wave their Southern flag loud and proud, that doesn't mean that the heritage is not somehow instilled within them. You know that old sayin', "You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy!" Here are 17 celebs you didn't know were southern.
Ryan Seacrest
Sure, he’s a huge Hollywood staple now, but Ryan Seacrest is a Southern boy through and through. He was born in Dunwoody, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He finished high school in the state and went on to study journalism at University of Georgia until he left midway to pursue his dreams in LA.
Dakota Fanning
Before her family moved to LA permanently so she could pursue her acting career, Hannah Dakota Fanning was born on February 24, 1994 in Conyers, Ga.
Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum grew up all over the South. He was born in the small town of Cullman, Ala., moved to Mississippi at the age of 6, then he eventually got a full athletic football scholarship at Glenville State College in West Virginia (which he dropped out of). Tatum is still an avid Alabama sports fan, showing his allegiance to University of Alabama in an interview with GQ
Lucy Hale
Lucy Hale was born in Memphis, Tenn. and recently went back to her roots in a new career path: country singer! Earlier this year, Hale released her first single as a country pop star, “You Sound Good To Me,” and has said that she was “born and bred on country.”
George Clooney
The number one silver fox of my heart is a southern boy, and a charming one, at that. George Clooney was born in Lexington, Ky. to a pageant queen mother and a former game show host father. He spent most of his younger years in Ohio and Kentucky, studying broadcast journalism at Northern Kentucky University.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres was born and raised in Louisiana. She was born in a suburb of New Orleans, Metairie, and eventually moved to Atlanta, Texas with her mother and step-father. She returned to Louisiana to attend University of New Orleans, but dropped out after a semester. She is open in her support and love of her hometown, and was particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Johnny Depp
Seems like something is in the water over in Kentucky. Johnny Depp was born in Owensboro, Ky. and spent most of his childhood in Florida. Depp still says that his Southern roots are very prevalent in his life, explaining to the Daily Mail, “I’m old-fashioned. It’s my Kentucky mentality — seems I can’t escape it after all.”
Leighton Meester
Most people were shocked to learn that Meester was actually born in a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, as her mother was serving a sentence for her part in a drug ring. Once she was born, her mother had to continue her sentence so Meester went on to live with her grandmother in Marco Island, Fla. She grew up there before moving to Los Angeles when she was 14 years old.
Kanye West
This one took me by surprise, as Kanye West is very well-known for shouting out his home town of Chicago. While he does consider Chicago his home, West was actually born in Atlanta, Ga. and his mother re-located the family to Chicago when Kanye was three after his parents divorced.
Ashley Greene
Although some would argue that Florida isn’t exactly the “south,” as a Floridian myself, I beg to differ. Greene was born in Jacksonville, Fla., which is as southern as it gets. She graduated early from high school and moved out to LA to start her career. In an Interview magazine interview with Michael Sheen, Greene shared that she’s ”only eaten fried alligator tail once.” That’s how you know.
Chris Rock
Chris Rock comes from a long ancestral line rooted in South Carolina. He, himself, was born in Andrews, S.C. but his family moved to Brooklyn, N.Y. shortly after his birth.
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari was born in Columbia, S.C. to Indian parents. He grew up in a small community and told NPR, “Nothing cool was going on, and I just wanted to leave and I think now, with the Internet and everything, you have more glimpses into the cool world.” He ended up enrolling in New York University, and Ansari is now kind of one of the coolest kids around.
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner was born in Houston, Texas and was raised in Charleston, W.Va., with her two sisters. She ended up studying theatre (although initially a chemistry major!) at Denison University in Ohio, and made a stop in NYC before settling in Los Angeles to work in television and film. The rest is history.
Zach Galifianakis
Funnyman Zach Galifianakis is a born and raised North Carolina boy. He was born in Wilkesboro, N.C., and moved to NYC to pursue comedy after he failed his last college class at North Carolina State University.
Jennifer Lawrence
She’s currently one of the biggest starlets in Los Angeles, but Jennifer Lawrence is still a Kentucky girl at heart. Lawrence was born in Louisville, Ky. and is still very close to her family back home. “She is a Louisvillian at heart,” her brother Ben told the Daily News. ”She isn’t a Valley Girl. She has soul. She has street smarts.”
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams was born in Virginia Beach, Va. and spent most of childhood there, until high school. Williams commented on his upbringing to the London Evening Standard, saying, ”I lived in Normalville USA and I didn’t look like the average kid.”
Megan Fox
Megan Fox was born in Memphis, Tenn. and lived there until the age of 5. At that point, her family moved to St. Petersburg, Fla. where she began to excel in modeling and talent competitions. After winning awards at talent conventions, she decided to leave Florida at 16 and move to Los Angeles.
