Famous actors from South Carolina
Admiring and envying the world's biggest stars is easy to do on Instagram. From A-list movie stars and major musicians to pro ball players and comedians who landed their own sitcoms, there's no shortage of evidence of just how good the good life is. They post pictures of themselves with other big shots on rooftop bars, at exclusive clubs, at backstage parties, and at restaurants where regular people can't get a reservation.
But the vast majority of these celebrities were born and raised outside of Hollywood, finding their way to the bright lights and big money of superstardom from obscure beginnings in regular small towns or cities across the country.
Stacker compiled a list of actors that were born in South Carolina from IMDb's most popular list. For each actor, we included a movie poster image from a film he is known for (all movie poster images from OMDb). Keep reading to see which favorite actors are from your home state.
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Will Patton
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (6/14/1954)
- Known for:
--- Scott Pritchard in "No Way Out" (1987)
--- General Bethlehem in "The Postman" (1997)
--- Chick in "Armageddon" (1998)
Logan Marshall-Green
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (11/1/1976)
- Known for:
--- Will in "The Invitation" (2015)
--- Mechanic in "Devil" (2010)
--- Grey Trace in "Upgrade" (2018)
Chadwick Boseman
- Born: Anderson, South Carolina (11/29/1976)
- Died: 8/28/2020
- Known for:
--- T'Challa in "Black Panther" (2018)
--- T'Challa in "Captain America: Civil War" (2016)
--- T'Challa in "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)
Rob Huebel
- Born: Columbia, South Carolina (6/4/1969)
- Known for:
--- Mark Mitchell in "The Descendants" (2011)
--- Tevin Downey in "I Love You, Man" (2009)
--- Jeremy in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" (2012)
Chris Rock
- Born: Andrews, South Carolina (2/7/1965)
- Known for:
--- Andre Allen in "Top Five" (2014)
--- Caretaker in "The Longest Yard" (2005)
--- Producer in "Head of State" (2003)
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Manish Dayal
- Born: Orangeburg, South Carolina (6/17/1983)
- Known for:
--- Hassan in "The Hundred-Foot Journey" (2014)
--- Jeet Kumar in "Viceroy's House" (2017)
--- Ryan Ray in "Halt and Catch Fire" (2016)
Thomas Gibson
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (7/3/1962)
- Known for:
--- Greg Montgomery in "Dharma & Greg" (1997-2002)
--- Aaron Hotchner in "Criminal Minds" (2005-2020)
--- Stephen Chase in "Far and Away" (1992)
Beau Billingslea
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (12/18/1944)
- Known for:
--- Fitz in "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" (1998)
--- Moss Woodley in "The Blob" (1988)
--- Jet Black in "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" (2001)
Mike Colter
- Born: Columbia, South Carolina (8/26/1976)
- Known for:
--- Luke Cage in "Luke Cage" (2016-2018)
--- Colonel in "Men in Black 3" (2012)
--- David in "Extinction" (2018)
Johnny Whitworth
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (10/31/1975)
- Known for:
--- Vernon in "Limitless" (2011)
--- Darden in "3:10 to Yuma" (2007)
--- Donny Ray Black in "The Rainmaker" (1997)
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Paul Wight
- Born: Aiken, South Carolina (2/8/1972)
- Known for:
--- Huge Santa in "Jingle All the Way" (1996)
--- Captain Insano in "The Waterboy" (1998)
--- Big Show in "Fighting with My Family" (2019)
Jay Ellis
- Born: Sumter, South Carolina (12/27/1981)
- Known for:
--- Lawrence Walker in "Insecure" (2016-2021)
--- Payback in "Top Gun: Maverick" (2022)
--- Franklin Thomas in "Mrs. America" (2020)
Aziz Ansari
- Born: Columbia, South Carolina (2/23/1983)
- Known for:
--- Tom Haverford in "Parks and Recreation" (2009-2015)
--- Dev in "Master of None" (2015-2021)
--- Mub in "Epic" (2013)
Leon Rippy
- Born: Rock Hill, South Carolina (10/30/1949)
- Known for:
--- Wade in "Eight Legged Freaks" (2002)
--- General W.O. West in "Stargate" (1994)
--- Tom Nuttall in "Deadwood" (2004-2006)
Lee Thompson Young
- Born: Columbia, South Carolina (2/1/1984)
- Died: 8/19/2013
- Known for:
--- Chris Comer in "Friday Night Lights" (2004)
--- Jett Jackson in "The Famous Jett Jackson" (1998-2001)
--- Delmar in "The Hills Have Eyes 2" (2007)
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Andy Dick
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (12/21/1965)
- Known for:
--- Motel Clerk in "Road Trip" (2000)
--- Rock in "Reality Bites" (1994)
--- Lon in "Employee of the Month" (2006)
David Thornton
- Born: Cheraw, South Carolina (6/12/1953)
- Known for:
--- Earl Unger in "Home Alone 3" (1997)
--- Jimmy Palumbo in "John Q" (2002)
--- Robert in "Here and There" (2009)
Anthony James
- Born: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (7/22/1942)
- Died: 5/26/2020
- Known for:
--- Skinny Dubois in "Unforgiven" (1992)
--- Hector Savage in "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" (1991)
--- Ralph in "In the Heat of the Night" (1967)
Bo Hopkins
- Born: Greenville, South Carolina (2/2/1942)
- Known for:
--- Joe in "American Graffiti" (1973)
--- Tex in "Midnight Express" (1978)
--- Crazy Lee in "The Wild Bunch" (1969)
Jonny Weston
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (6/16/1988)
- Known for:
--- David Raskin in "Project Almanac" (2015)
--- Edgar in "Allegiant" (2016)
--- Edgar in "The Divergent Series: Insurgent" (2015)
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Samuel E. Wright
- Born: Camden, South Carolina (11/20/1946)
- Died: 5/24/2021
- Known for:
--- Sebastian in "The Little Mermaid" (1989)
--- Kron in "Dinosaur" (2000)
--- Dizzy in "Bird" (1988)
Paul Benjamin
- Born: Pelion, South Carolina (1/1/1938)
- Died: 6/28/2019
- Known for:
--- English in "Escape from Alcatraz" (1979)
--- Henry Styles in "The Station Agent" (2003)
--- ML in "Do the Right Thing" (1989)
Carl Anthony Payne II
- Born: Clinton, South Carolina (5/24/1969)
- Known for:
--- Cole Brown in "Martin" (1992-1997)
--- Pitterson's Father in "The Messenger" (2009)
--- Stats Jefferson in "Ed" (1996)
Jamie Costa
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (5/12/1990)
- Known for:
--- Additional Voices in "Final Fantasy VII Remake" (2020)
--- Herman Schultz in "Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man and the Monsters of Manhattan" (2021)
--- Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Kenobi: A Star Wars Story" (2019)
Coy Stewart
- Born: Columbia, South Carolina (6/24/1998)
- Known for:
--- Flint in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (2017-2020)
--- Protagonist in "Logic: 1-800-273-8255 Ft. Alessia Cara, Khalid" (2017)
--- Troy Dixon in "Bella and the Bulldogs" (2015-2016)
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Barton MacLane
- Born: Columbia, South Carolina (12/25/1902)
- Died: 1/1/1969
- Known for:
--- Lt. of Detectives Dundy in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941)
--- Al Kruger in "Bullets or Ballots" (1936)
--- Steve MacBride in "The Adventurous Blonde" (1937)
James Brown
- Born: Barnwell, South Carolina (5/3/1933)
- Died: 12/25/2006
- Known for:
--- Reverend Cleophus James in "The Blues Brothers" (1980)
--- Self in "Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown" (2014)
--- Soundtrack in "Django Unchained" (2012)
Grainger Hines
- Born: Greenwood, South Carolina (8/18/1948)
- Known for:
--- Earl Burke in "Dr. Death" (2021)
--- Mr. Arthur (segment "The Gal Who Got Rattled") in "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" (2018)
--- Captain August Robertson in "The Knick" (2014-2015)
Brandon Micheal Hall
- Born: Anderson, South Carolina (2/3/1993)
- Known for:
--- Julian in "Search Party" (2016-2021)
--- Miles Finer in "God Friended Me" (2018-2020)
--- Courtney Rose in "The Mayor" (2017-2018)
Jonathan Mangum
- Born: Charleston, South Carolina (1/16/1971)
- Known for:
--- Richard in "The Bucket List" (2007)
--- Self - Guest in "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (2013-2021)
--- Agent Daniel T. Keating in "NCIS" (2008)
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Mark L. Walberg
- Born: Florence, South Carolina (8/31/1962)
- Known for:
--- Producer in "Buried History with Mark Walberg" (2015)
--- Mark Walberg in "Son of the Beach" (2002)
--- Stan in "I Want to Marry Ryan Banks" (2004)
Herbert 'Cowboy' Coward
- Born: South Carolina (8/21/1938)
- Known for:
--- Toothless Man in "Deliverance" (1972)
--- Harmon Teaster in "Ghost Town: The Movie" (2007)
--- Cowboy in "Hillbilly Blood" (2013)
O'Neal Compton
- Born: Sumter, South Carolina (2/5/1951)
- Died: 2/18/2019
- Known for:
--- Morten Entrekin in "Deep Impact" (1998)
--- Texas Man in "Nixon" (1995)
--- Jim Soams in "Big Eden" (2000)
Kevin Garnett
- Born: Mauldin, South Carolina (5/19/1976)
- Known for:
--- Kevin Garnett in "Uncut Gems" (2019)
--- Producer in "Broken Rim"
--- Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain in "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault" (1996)
Christopher Jones
- Born: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (2/4/1982)
- Known for:
--- Wade in "You Got Served" (2004)
--- Bishop in "Big Momma's House 2" (2006)
--- Boy with Cross in "Forrest Gump" (1994)
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Brad Hawkins
- Born: Summerville, South Carolina (1/13/1976)
- Known for:
--- Jim in "Boyhood" (2014)
--- Sgt. Aaron Barnes in "NCIS" (2004)
--- Ryan Steele in "V.R. Troopers" (1994-1995)
Marlon Young
- Born: Hampton, South Carolina (2/7/1962)
- Known for:
--- News Cameraman in "War of the Worlds" (2005)
--- Mike in "V.I.P." (1999)
--- Coach Jeriba Sinclair in "The Hard Times of RJ Berger" (2010-2011)
John Steadman
- Born: Lexington, South Carolina (7/20/1909)
- Died: 1/28/1993
- Known for:
--- Fred in "The Hills Have Eyes" (1977)
--- Shakey Malone in "Vigilante Force" (1976)
--- Pop in "The Longest Yard" (1974)
Carlos Knight
- Born: Columbia, South Carolina (6/15/1905)
- Known for:
--- Zeke in "ER" (2008)
--- Henry Cole in "Southland" (2009)
--- Marquez in "The Night Shift" (2016)
Matthew Crawley
- Born: Spartanburg, South Carolina (7/19/1982)
- Known for:
--- Airforce Airman Taylor in "Super 8" (2011)
--- Hugo in "Complete Strangers" (2020)
--- John Kellogg in "The Food That Built America" (2019-2021)
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Henry Scott
- Born: South Carolina (1/16/1922)
- Died: 4/22/1981
- Known for:
--- Harrison in "The Fugitive" (1966)
--- Rudolph Slocum in "Anna Lucasta" (1958)
--- Jr. OOD in "The Twilight Zone" (1960-1963)