Famous Louisiana Natives

One of the best parts about living in the Bayou State is that our citizens are so proud of where we are, where we've come from, and where we're going. Our unique culture and heritage makes us a magnet for tourism, and we are happy to share our beautiful state with others. We're famous for our food, festivals, and southern hospitality. And we have a lot of famous people who are from here, and have never forgotten where they came from. Some of the people below are well known for movies, television, or sports, but they all love their Louisiana roots. And we can't blame them!

DJ Khaled. The record executive, producer and American DJ was born in New Orleans. His real name is Khaled Mohamed Khaled, and he got his start in the entertainment business in the 1990's on the radio station 99 JAMZ in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area.

Jared Leto. The Bossier City native won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor with his performance in the 2014 film "Dallas Buyers Club." He's also been a member of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars since 1998.

Anthony Mackie. The New Orleans native has a long list of film and television credits, and has been nominated for numerous awards. He got his start in the 2002 drama "8 Mile", and is well known for recently starring in "Avengers: Endgame" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier"

Ian Somerhalder. The Covington native made a name for himself starring in the supernatural television show "The Vampire Diaries", but recently he has become the co owner and creator of Brothers Bond Bourbon with his co star Paul Wesley. He was instrumental in the cleanup of the Louisiana coast after the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling disaster in 2010. He supports many, many Louisiana causes, including the St Tammany Humane Society

 Truman Capote. The American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor is from New Orleans. Capote wrote two of the biggest literary classics of his generation - "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "In Cold Blood". He was supposedly the inspiration for the character "Dill" in his childhood friend Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird".

 Shane West. The Baton Rouge native was born Shannon Bruce Snaith, but goes by his stage name in television and films. In addition to being an actor, West has also been a songwriter and singer in the rock band Germs. Got his start in the popular 2002 drama "A Walk to Remember" with actress Mandy Moore.

Donna Brazile. Born in New Orleans, Brazile is known as an American political strategist, campaign manager and political analyst. She was Chair of the Democratic National Committee two times, and has also worked as a commentator on FOX News, and ABC News.

Carl Weathers. The former Oakland Raiders and San Diego State football star is a New Orleans native. He is well known for his starring role as Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films, and is also a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. He has also starred in television shows that include "In the Heat of the Night".

 Reese Witherspoon. Although the actress is a proud Tennessee resident, she was born in New Orleans. Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as June Carter Cash in the 2005 film "Walk the Line". She also owns a really cute dress shop in Nashville, and is a published author.

Tyler Perry. Perry is an entrepreneur, producer, director, filmmaker, and actor. The New Orleans native was listed as the highest paid male entertainer by Forbes in 2011, and continues to support many community projects in Louisiana. He might be best known for his character "Madea".