It is not very often that someone is from Texas and doesn’t let you know about it. There is a cocky, self-assured nature with most citizens from the Lone Star State that is loved and reviled in just about equal measure. But there are even some celebrities that are not that well known for their Texan roots.
It may be because they left the state as a youngster, or that they have just thought that their career is better served being known as a global citizen, rather than one of the most identifiable regions in the US. It is not known whether any of the following repped their home state, or were interested in online betting in Texas, but all five were born in the Lone Star state and could consider themselves bona fide Texans.
Vanilla Ice
You may be under the misconception that Vanilla Ice, or Robert Matthew Van Winkle as he is officially known, was from south Florida. The amount of Miami-related apparel he used to wear at the height of his fame certainly suggested that he was more into Gators than Longhorns.
But he was actually born in Dallas. He never knew his father and by the time he was four, he was splitting his time between his hometown and Miami, where his stepfather lived. He got into breakdancing and hip hop while in Florida but did actually move back to Dallas before making it big in the late 1980s.
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford was one of those classic Hollywood stars that never seemed tied to any home other than the silver screen. One of the most well known actresses of her day, Crawford was actually born in San Antonio – although the exact year of birth is somewhat disputed.
She started out as a dancer, travelling around the south, before performing on Broadway and ultimately signing a contract with MGM in 1925. She went on to win countless awards – including an Academy Award for her role in Mildred Pierce in 1945. She was married four times but died a recluse in 1977.
Steve Martin
Currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity thanks to his performances in comedy crime TV drama Only Murders in the Building, Steve Martin was born in Waco, Texas but was raised mostly in Inglewood, California. In fact, his first ever job was working as a sales assistant at Disneyland.
Martin started writing comedy in his early 20s and made the leap to stand-up soon after. His natural ability soon won him television roles and pre-empted his position as one of the biggest movie stars of the 1970s and 80s. He is still a huge box office draw but has also won a Grammy for his bluegrass music and regularly tours worldwide playing his banjo.
Figure 2 Plenty of Texans have made it big in Hollywood
Forest Whitaker
Known to involve himself fully in his roles, Forest Whitaker is another Texan who made the leap to California in his younger years. He was actually born in Longview, Texas in 1961 but moved west when he was still in elementary school. A talented sportsman, he attended California State Polytechnic University on a football scholarship before a bad injury ended his NFL dreams.
He switched to music and studied opera at USC before becoming more interested in drama. His first role was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982 and he has worked with a whole host of well-regarded directors ever since. He has most recently become a huge name in the Star Wars universe, but has also won an Oscar for his talents.
Meat Loaf
Our final Texan was one of the larger than life characters in the music scene for decades after bursting onto the scene with his theatrical shows and incredible energy in the late 1970s. He was born in Dallas in 1947 but moved to California at the age of 20 after his mother passed away.
He was one of the best-selling artists of all time, but it took the appreciation of UK and Irish audiences to get him going. He eventually won Grammys but also appeared in over 50 films and TV shows and was just as popular on the Broadway stage. He passed away in 2022 due to complications following testing positive for COVID.