Feb. 6, 2026, 9:15 a.m. ET
Georgia has long been a major filming location for big movies, and Atlanta has been a major music hub especially when it comes to rap. It’s therefore no surprise so many famous people come from the Peach State.
From President Jimmy Carter and Jeff Foxworthy to Martin Luther King Jr. and Julia Roberts, the list goes on and on. While these are some of the more obvious examples, there are several other celebrities with roots in Georgia, and some even still live here. Below is a list of 15 you may or may not know about, but are definitely worth remembering:
Alton Brown
Alton Brown is a chef and TV personality, perhaps best known for his work on Food Network shows like “Iron Chef” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.” Another show of his, “Good Eats,” won a Peabody in 2006.
According to New Georgia Encyclopedia, Brown’s family moved to north Georgia when he was seven, eventually attending LaGrange College and the University of Georgia. His cooking show “Good Eats” was produced in Atlanta, and in 2010, he delivered the commencement address for UGA’s spring graduation ceremony. Brown lives in Atlanta.
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris is a singer and dancer with five Grammy nominations and one win for “best short form music video” for “Lose Control.” Her song “One, Two Step” with Missy Elliot is a five-time platinum single. It’s been streamed more than 700 million times on Spotify.
Ciara moved around multiple times during her childhood before setting in Decatur and growing up in Riverdale as she discussed in an interview with Billboard. Her first musical endeavor was an all-girl hip-hop singing group called Hearsay which performed in and around Atlanta.
Cody Rhodes
Cody “The American Nightmare” Rhodes is a pro wrestler, currently wrestling for the WWE but was also a founding member and executive president of AEW, according to Britannica. He also had a brief recurring role in “Arrow” as Derek Sampson.
Rhodes grew up in Marietta where he attended Lassiter High School, according to eWrestling. As a junior, he won the Georgia state tournament for wrestling and defended his title in senior year. He reportedly still lives in the Atlanta area.
Donald Glover
Donald Glover has worn multiple hats. As an actor, he’s probably best known for the Emmy-winning show “Atlanta” which he also created. As the musician “Childish Gambino,” he’s been nominated for 14 Grammy awards with five wins. His most popular song is “Redbone” which is a five-time platinum single with nearly 2 billion Spotify streams.
Glover grew up in Stone Mountain and is a graduate of the DeKalb School of the Arts, according to Brittanica.
Druski
Drew Desbordes a.k.a. “Druski” is a hip-hop satirist with 12.7 million followers on TikTok, 11.7 million on Instagram, over 4.6 million on YouTube, 3.5 million on Facebook, and 1.6 million on X. He also ranked No. 9 on Forbes’ top 50 most successful content creators list.
Druski grew up in Gwinnett County and attended Georgia Southern University, according to his United Talent Agency biography. He’s also done a lot of work in Atlanta and with Atlanta rappers.
Fran Tarkenton
Fran “The Scramble” Tarkenton is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who played for the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. He was called “one of the most prolific and efficient passers of all time” with 342 touchdown passes, over 3,600 rushing yards, and about 47,000 passing yards.
Tarkenton’s family moved to Georgia when he was 11, leading the Athens High Trojans to a state championships in 1955 and the Georgia Bulldogs to the SEC title in 1959, according to New Georgia Encyclopedia. He’s lived in Atlanta since retiring in the 1970’s.
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson is an Emmy-winning actor and comedian who has been on “Saturday Night Live” since 2003. He rose to stardom on “All That” and has appeared in several movies like the “Good Burger” and the last two “Trolls” flicks.
Thompson grew up in College Park, according to The Washington Post, and was a student at Tri-Cities High School at East Point, according to Atlanta Magazine.
Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger is an Oscar-winning actress and model known for hit movies like “L.A. Confidential” and “Batman.” She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Basinger is a native of Athens and at one point owned the nearby town of Braselton with plans to build a movie studio. That never came to fruition and she sold the town in 1994.
Lil Nas X
Montero Lamar Hill a.k.a. “Lil Nas X” is a singer, rapper, and songwriter with 11 Grammy nominations and two wins. His most popular song is “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus which is a 15-time platinum single with over 1.6 billion Spotify Streams.
He’s a native of Lithia Springs and is a graduate of Lithia Springs High School, according to 11Alive.
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges a.k.a. “Ludacris” is a rapper with 20 Grammy nominations and three wins. He’s had very popular music collaborations including “Baby” with Justin Bieber and “All I Do is Win” with DJ Khaled and others. Ludacris is also an actor, possibly best known for his recurring role as Tej in the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
His family moved to Atlanta when he was a teen, eventually working as a DJ at a local radio station, according to New Georgia Encyclopedia. Ludacris now lives in Atlanta and has multiple projects in the area including a now closed Singaporean restaurant called Straights and the Ludacris Foundation, a nonprofit organization empowering urban youth and families. He
Luke Bryan
Thomas Luther Bryan a.k.a. “Luke Bryan” is a country singer, songwriter, and longtime “American Idol” judge. He’s been named “Entertainer of the Year” five times between the ACM and CMA Awards. His most popular songs are either “Play It Again” or “Country Girl (Shake it for Me)” which are both eight-time platinum singles with over 600 million Spotify streams.
Bryan was born in Leesburg and was a graduate of Lee County High School, according to biography.com. He went on to graduate from Georgia Southern University in 1999.
Paula Deen
Paula Deen is a chef and restauranter who had two different Food Network cooking shows between 2002 and 2013. Her restaurants, Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, has four locations in the south.
Deen was born in Albany and spent her childhood in River Bend. She graduated from Albany High in 1965 and currently lives in the Savannah area.
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest is a renowned TV host including “American Idol” since 2002, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” since 2004, and “Wheel of Fortune” since 2017. He has several Emmy nominations including two daytime wins and one primetime win, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Seacrest was born and raised in Dunwoody. During his time at Dunwoody High, he landed an internship at WSTR FM in Atlanta, according to his Walk of Fame bio. He also briefly attended UGA. Recently, Dunwoody High recently approved naming the football stadium after Seacrest, according to Sports Illustrated.
Tituss Burgess
Tituss Burgess is an actor and singer perhaps best known as Titus Andromedon in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” for which he received five Emmy nominations. He’s also a notable Broadway performer as the longtime Nicely-Nicely Johnson in “Guys and Dolls” and was Sebastian in “The Little Mermaid” for over a year.
Burgess was born and raised in Athens, graduating from Cedar Shoals High School and UGA, according to his Alumni Spotlight.
Ty Pennington
Tygert Burton “Ty” Pennington has worn several hats, but is probably best known as a carpenter and designer appearing on “Trading Spaces” for almost 20 years and hosting “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The latter earned him two Primetime Emmy awards.
Pennington is originally from Atlanta, graduating from Sprayberry High in Marietta, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He currently lives in Savannah.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email atmlegoas@gannett.com.
