North Carolina is sometimes called the Tar Heel State, and it is known for its stunning beaches, unique food, and the location of the world’s first flight. It is also the birthplace of many celebrities from all aspects of the entertainment industry, including television, film, music, social media, and sports. Here are our 20 favorite celebrities from North Carolina.
20. Drew Starkey
Actor Drew Starkey was born in Hickory, North Carolina, on November 4, 1993, and attended Western Carolina University. He is famous for playing Garrett Laughlin in the Simonverse films ‘Love, Simon’ and ’The Hate U Give.’ Starkey is also known for playing Hawkins in ‘Scream: Resurrection’ and Rafe Cameron in ‘Outer Banks.’ His other films include ‘The Devil All the Time’ and ‘Embattled.’
19. Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri is a rapper, songwriter, record producer, DJ, and entrepreneur. He was born in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1972. Dupri began his career in 1984 and started out as a dancer with the hip hop group Whodini. He also performed around the country with artists such as Cameo and Herbie Hancock. Dupri then opened the New York Fresh Festival with Grandmaster Flash, Whodini, and Run-D.M.C. The rapper released his debut album in 1998, followed by his second studio album in 2001. He has also recorded 14 solo singles and 27 featured singles.
18. Kellie Pickler
Kellie Pickler is a country music singer, songwriter, and television personality who rose to fame when she finished sixth in the fifth season of ‘American idol.’ She released her debut studio album ‘Small Town Girl’ in 2006 and has since released a further three studio albums. In 2013, Pickler won the sixteenth season of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ with dance partner Derek Hough. Between 2017 and 2019, Pickler co-hosted the talk show ‘Pickler & Ben’ with comedian Ben Aaron. Pickler was born in Albemarle, North Carolina, on June 28, 1986.
17. George Clinton
George Clinton is a singer, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer. He is best known for the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and for developing a distinctive style of electronic funk music. Clinton is considered one of the foremost innovators of funk music, and his work is influenced by surreal humor, psychedelia, outlandish fashion, and science fiction. He and the other members of the Parliament-Funkadelic were recipients of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2019. Clinton was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on July 22, 1941.
16. Chris Daughtry
Chris Daughtry is best known for being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Daughtry. He formed the band after competing in the fifth season of ‘American Idol’ and placing fourth. The band’s self-titled debut was a huge success, becoming one of the fastest-selling debut rock albums. Chris Daughtry has also collaborated with other artists, including Theory of a Deadman, Carlos Santana, Brad Arnold, Slash, Chad Kroeger, Vince Gill, and Sevendust. Daughtry is originally from McLeansville in North Carolina.
15. Matt Hardy
Professional wrestler Matt Hardy is the brother of Jeff Hardy. The two perform together as a tag team under the name of The Hardy Boyz. Hardy is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling, and he has also wrestled for WWE, Ring of Honor, and Impact Wrestling. Both brothers are from Cameron, North Carolina.
14. Michael C. Hall
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on February 1, 1971, Michael C. Hall is an actor who began his career in 1995. He is best known for playing the titular character in the series ‘Dexter’ and for portraying David Fisher in ‘Six Feet Under.’ Hall also played the lead in the Netflix thriller film ‘In the Shadow of the Moon.’ The actor has been married three times. He was married to actress Amy Spanger from 2002 to 2007, then actress Jennifer Carpenter from 2008 to 2011. Hall has been married to Morgan MacGregor since 2016.
13. J.B. Smoove
Actor, comedian, and writer J.B. Smoove was born in Plymouth, North Carolina, on December 16, 1965. His family moved to Mount Vernon, New York when he was three, and this is where the performer was raised. He began his career in 1995 with ‘Def Comedy Jam,’ then he was a writer and performer for ‘Saturday Night Live’ from 2003 to 2005. However, J.B. Smoove is better known for starring in ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ ‘The Millers,’ and ‘Real Husbands of Hollywood.’
12. Burgess Jenkins
Actor Burgess Jenkins was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1973. He began his career in 2000 and found instant recognition for appearing in the film ‘Remember the Titans’ opposite Denzel Washington. Jenkins is also known for playing David Winter, Hilary Swank’s husband, in the 2007 film ‘The Reaping.’ In his television career, Jenkins has had roles in ‘One Tree Hill’ and ‘The Young and the Restless.’ Some of his films include ‘The Trial,’ ‘Red Dirt Rising,’ ‘Susie’s Hope,’ and ‘The Girl Who Believes in Miracles.’
11. Bandon Jones
Brandon Jones is an actor, producer, and musician. He is known for playing Andrew Campbell in ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ Charlie Russell on ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,’ and Liam in ‘The Fosters.’ Jones was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, but he moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to progress his acting career.
10. Jim Rash
Jim Rash is probably best known for playing Dean Craig Pelton in ‘Community.’ In 2012, he wrote the comedy-drama film ’The Descendants,’ for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Between 2013 and 2014, he hosted ‘The Writer’s Room,’ then he provided the voice of Marquess of Queensbury in the ‘Mike Tyson Mysteries’ from 2014 to 2020. Most recently, Rash had roles in the films ‘Long Weekend’ and ‘Home Sweet Home Alone,’ both of which were released in 2021. Jim Rash is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina.
9. Jaime Pressly
Award-winning actress Jaime Pressly was born in Kinston, North Carolina, on July 30, 1977. She began her career in 1991, and she is known for playing Joy Turner in ‘My Name Is Earl,’ for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Between 2014 and 2021, Pressly played Jill Kendall in ‘Mom.’ Her films include ‘Joe Dirt,’ ‘Not Another Teen Movie,’ ‘I Love You, Man,’ and ‘A Haunted House 2.’ Pressly has also launched a lingerie line, which she then expanded to clothing and sleepwear. The actress has a son from her former marriage to DJ Eric Calvo and twin sons from her ongoing long-term relationship with Hamzi Hijazi.
8. Emily Proctor
There are several celebrities from Raleigh in North Carolina, including actress Emily Proctor. After completing her degree at East Carolina University, Proctor landed a job as a weather anchor at WNCT-TV in North Carolina. Proctor then moved to Los Angeles to further her career. She is best known for playing Ainsley Hayes in ‘The West Wing’ from 2000 to 2002 and Calleigh Duquesne in ‘CSI: Miami between 2002 and 2012. Emily Proctor is in a long-term relationship with musician Paul Bryan, and they have a daughter, Pippa, together.
7. Jeff Hardy
Professional wrestler Jeff Hardy is best known for working with wrestling companies such as Ring of Honor, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and WWE. He is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and he is known for his risk-taking. Hardy is part of The Hardy Boyz tag team along with his brother, Matt Hardy. Both brothers were born and raised in Cameron, North Carolina.
6. Luke Combs
Luke Combs was born in Huntersville, North Carolina, on March 2, 1990. He is a country music singer and songwriter that began performing as a child. Combs left North Carolina when he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, after dropping out of college to pursue a music career. In 2014, he released his debut extended play, ‘The Way She Rides.’ It was another three years before he released his debut album, ‘This One’s for You.’ Combs released his second studio album in 2019. He is married to Nicole Hocking, and they have announced that they are expecting their first child together in the Spring of 2022.
5. Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken is a singer, television personality, actor, activist, and a political candidate who became famous after competing in the second season of ‘American Idol’ and finishing in second place. At the end of the season, in 2003, Aiken released his debut album ‘Measure of Man.’ He went on to release a further six albums. Aiken has sold more than five million albums, which makes him the fourth-highest-selling former ‘American Idol’ contestant. Aiken also competed in the fifth season of ‘The Celebrity Apprentice,’ coming in second after Arsenio Hall. Clay Aiken was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on November 30, 1978.
4. Chris Paul
The Famous People lists Chris Paul as one of the most famous celebrities born in North Carolina, and he was born in Winston-Salem. He is a professional basketball player who has played for the Phoenix Suns since 2020. Paul began his professional basketball player in 2005 with the New Orleans Hornets, then moved to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011. Between 2017 and 2020, Chris Paul also played for the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder. Chris Paul married Jada Crawley, his college sweetheart, in 2011. Their son was born in 2009, followed by a daughter in 2012.
3. Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis is an actor, comedian, musician, and writer who was born in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. He is known for films including ‘The Hangover’ trilogy, ‘The Campaign,’ ‘Masterminds,’ ‘Due Date,’ and ‘Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).’ Galifianakis has also voiced characters for ‘Ron’s Gone Wrong,’ ‘Puss in Boots,’ ‘Missing Link,’ and ‘The Lego Batman Movie.’ The actor married Canadian charity worker Quinn Lundberg in 2012, and they have two sons together. Galifianakis bought a farm in Sparta, North Carolina, and he splits his time between working and spending time on the farm.
2. Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood is an actress, model, and musician born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on September 7, 1987. The actress first rose to prominence while appearing in ‘American Gothic’ from 1995 to 1996, and then ‘Once and Again’ between 1999 to 2002. She made her film debut in 1997 at the age of nine when she appeared in the film ‘Digging to China.’ In 2003, she played troubled teenager Tracy Freeland in ‘Thirteen,’ and she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. Some of her other films include ‘Pretty Persuasion,’ ‘Across the Universe,’ ‘Running with Scissors,’ ‘Down in the Valley,’ ‘The Wrestler,’ ‘The Ides of March,’ and ‘Whatever Works.’ Wood also voiced Queen Iduna in ‘Frozen II’ and played the vampire Queen of Louisiana in ‘True Blood.’ She was married to actor Jamie Bell from 2012 and 2014, and they have one son together.
1. Julianne Moore
According to Ranker, the most famous celebrity from North Carolina is Julianne Moore, who was born in Fort Bragg in 1960. She is an actress and author who has become known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women. She made her film debut in the 1990 film ‘Tales from the Darkside: The Movie.’ Moore gained attention when she appeared in the films ‘Short Cuts,’ ‘Safe,’ and ‘Vanya on 42nd Street.’ Some of her other films include ‘Nine Months,’ ‘Hannibal,’ ‘Magnolia,’ ‘Crazy, Stupid Love,’ ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle,’ and the final two films in ‘The Hunger Games’ series. Julianne Moore has won multiple awards throughout her career, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Moore was married to John Gould Rubin, an actor, producer, and director, from 1986 to 1995. She then married Bart Freundlich in 1996. Their son, Caleb, was born in 1997, followed by their daughter, Liv, in 2002. The family lives in Greenwich Village in New York City.
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