Red Adair (born 1915, died 2004); legendary oil well firefighter Reagan High
Yolanda Adams (born 1962); gospel singer
Sterling High; graduated 1979
Debbie Allen (born 1950); dancer/actress: "Fame"
Yates High; graduated 1967
Wes Anderson (born 1969); film director: "The Royal Tennenbuams", "Rushmore"
St.John's High
Corky Ballas (born 1961); international ballroom champion, featured on "Dancing With The Stars"
Father of Mark Ballas, also of "Dancing With The Stars"
Son of George Ballas, who once owned the world's largest dance studio in Houston. George also invented the weed eater.
Don "Red" Barry (born 1912, died 1980); actor: star of westerns, "The Adventures of Red Ryder", "Surfside 6"
Texas Battle (born 1980); actor: "The Bold & Beautiful", "Dagonball", "Final Destination 3"
Frank Bielec (Sealy); designer; TV personality: "Trading Spaces"
Lisa Hartman Black (born 1956); singer/actress: "Knots Landing"
Long Middle High, Sharpstown High and High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; graduated 1974 Married to Houston-raised Clint Black
Alexis Bledel (born 1981); actress: "Gilmore Girls", "Tuck Everlasting", "Sin City", "The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants" St. Agnes Academy
Matthew Bomer (born 1977) (Spring); actor: "Chuck", "White Collar"
Klein High; graduated 1996
Started his acting career at Houston's Alley Theater
Beyoncé Knowles (born 1981); singer/actress: Destiny's Child, "Austin Powers in Goldmember", "The Pink Panther", "Dreamgirls"
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; graduated 2000
Solange Knowles (born 1986); singer/actress: "Johnson Family Vacation", "Bring It On 3"
Tanisha Lynn (born 1978); actress: "All My Children"
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Peter Masterson (born 1934); actor/director/screenwriter: "The Stepford Wives" (1975), "The Exorcist", "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (writer), "The Trip to Bountiful" (director) Father of actress Mary Stuart Masterson
Renée O'Connor (Katy) (born 1971); actress: "Xena: Warrior Princess"
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; graduated 1989
Barbara Olsen (born 1955, died 2001, victim of Sept. 11); author/TV commentator; "Politically Incorrect" panelist Waltrip High
Renee Olstead (born 1989); actress/singer: "Still Standing", "13 Going On 30", "Space Cowboys"
Annette O'Toole (born 1954); actress: "Smallville", "48 Hrs.", "Superman III" (raised in Houston until age 13, then moved to CA)
Damon Pampolina (Clear Lake) (born 1975); former "Mousekeeter" and member of the '90s pop group The Party
Jim Parsons (born 1973); actor: "The Big Bang Theory"
Dennis Quaid (Bellaire) (born 1954); actor: "The Right Stuff", "Any Given Sunday", "Frequency", "Yours, Mine and Ours"
Bellaire High; graduated 1972
Randy Quaid (Bellaire) (born 1950); actor: "National Lampoon's Vacation, "Independence Day"
Bellaire High; graduated 1967
Leven Rambin (born 1990); actress: "All My Children", "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", "Grey's Anatomy", "Scoundrels"
Attended St. Francis Episcopal Day School.
Granddaughter of J. Howard Rambin, Jr., former president and CEO of Texaco.
Her father is founder of Keep Houston Beautiful as well as owner of Moody Rambin Interests, the largest commercial real estate firm in Houston.
Lexie Randall (Galena Park) (born 1980); Child actress of the '80s and '90s: "Sarah, Plain and Tall", "Designing Women", "The War"
Dan Rather (born 1931); journalist, former CBS news anchorman
Reagan High; graduated 1950
Phylicia Rashad (born 1948); actress; "The Cosby Show"
Yates High; graduated 1966
Kenny Rogers(born 1938); country singer
Davis High; graduated 1956
Tommy Schlamme (born 1950); director/producer: "The West Wing", "Ally McBeal", "Spin City", "Invasion", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"
Joan Severance (born 1958); actress: "The Love Boat: The Next Wave", "Bird On A Wire", "Wiseguy"
Westbury High; graduated 1977
Anna Nicole Smith (born 1967, died 2007); model/actress/TV personality (born in Houston, raised in Mexia, TX, but returned to Houston) Married Houston oilman J. Howard Marshall
Jaclyn Smith (born 1947); actress: "Charlie's Angels", host of Bravo's "Sheer Genius"
Lamar High; graduated 1964
Brent Spiner (Bellaire) (born 1949); actor: "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
Bellaire High; graduated 1962
Patrick Swayze (born 1952, died 2009); actor: "Dirty Dancing", "Ghost"
Waltrip High; graduated 1971
Mark L. Taylor (Garden Villas) (born 1954); actor: "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids", "Arachnophobia"; appearances on "Melrose Place", "Summerland" and "Desperate Housewives"; well known character actor
Marvin Zindler (born 1921, died 2007); flamboyant and iconic television reporter for Houston's KTRK, notorious for helping to close illegal brothel known as "The Chicken Ranch" in La Grange, Texas. His story inspired the musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" in which Dom DeLuise portrayed a character based on Zindler.
BORN IN HOUSTON, RAISED ELSEWHERE:
Mark Ballas (born 1986); dancer: "Dancing With The Stars" regular (raised in London, England)
Son of Corky Ballas
David Cook (born 1982); singer (raised in Missouri)
Shannon Elizabeth (born 1973); actress: "American Pie", Scary Movie" (raised in Waco, TX)
Jennifer Garner (born 1972); actress; "Alias", "13 Going On 30", "Daredevil" (raised in Charleston, WV)
Greg Germann (born 1962); actor; "Ally McBeal" (raised in Colorado)
Melora Hardin(born 1967); actress: "The Office", "Monk" (raised in Los Angeles, CA)
Meredith MacRea (born 1944, died 2000); singer/actress; "Petticoat Junction" (raised in CA)
Barbara Mandrell (born 1948) Country singer/actress (at age 7 her family relocated to CA)
Shane McDermott (born 1976); former '90s teen actor from "All My Children", the film "Airborne" and the teen soap "Swans Crossing" (raised in N.Y.)
Shane quit acting as an adult, moved to Galveston Island and became a realtor. He's also Chairman of the Galveston Landmark Commission and is on the board for Galveston Historical Foundation.
Meredith Monroe (born 1970); actress; "Dawson's Creek" (raised in Hinsdale, Illinois)
Michael Nesmith (born 1942); musician/actor; "The Monkees" (raised in Dallas, TX)
Billy Preston (born 1946, died 2006); singer/songwriter, often credited as "the 5th Beatle" (raised mostly in L.A.)
Missi Pyle (born 1972); actress: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005), "Bringing Down The House" (raised in Tennessee)
Selena Quintanilla (Lake Jackson area) (born 1971, died 1995); tejana/pop singer (raised in Corpus Christi, TX) Performed final concert at the Houston Astrodome one month prior to her death
Kim Smith (born 1983); model/actress (raised in Odessa, TX)
Matt Stone (born 1971); actor/co-creator of "South Park" (raised in Littleton, CO)
Paola Turbay (born 1970); actress: "Cane", former Miss Columbia (moved to Bogota, Columbia at age 10)
Natalie Zea (Pasadena) (born 1975): actress: "Dirty Sexy Money", "Passions" (raised in Monahans, TX)
RAISED IN HOUSTON, BORN ELSEWHERE:
Krista Allen (born 1972 in born in Ventura, CA); model/actress; "Days of our Lives", "Baywatch Hawaii", "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", "What About Brian"
Brandon Barash(born 1979 in St. Louis, MO, raised partly in CA); actor: "General Hospital"
Moved to Houston at age 14.
Memorial High; graduated 1998
Crystal Bernard (born 1961 in Garland, TX); singer/actress; "Wings", "Happy Days" Westfield High
Clint Black (born 1962 in Long Branch, NJ); country singer Married to Houston native Lisa Hartman Black
Roger Clemens (born 1962 in Ohio. Raised partly in Ohio and then Houston); Major League Baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, NY Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays; a seven time recipient of the Cy Young Award.
Spring Woods High
Walter Cronkite (born 1916 in St. Joseph, MO); journalist; CBS news broadcaster
San Jacinto High
Chloe Dao (born 1972 in Pakse, Loas); fashion designer
Clyde Drexler (born 1962 in New Orleans, LA); 10 time NBA All-Star, Olympic Gold Medalist, played with the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets who he helped lead to their second NBA title in 1995 Sterling High; graduated 1980
Sean Patrick Flanery (born 1965 in Lake Charles, Louisiana); actor; "Young Indiana Jones", "Powder", "The Dead Zone"
Dulles High; graduated 1984
George Foreman (born 1949 in Marshall, TX); heavyweight boxing campion
Renee Goldsberry actress; "One Life To Live", "Ally McBeal" (born in San Jose, CA, raised in both Houston and Detroit)
Larry Hovis (born 1936 in Wapato, WA. Died in 2003); actor: "Hogan's Heroes"
Ashley Jones (born 1976 in Memphis, TN); actress; "The Bold & The Beautiful", "True Blood" High School for the Performing and Visual Arts; Lamar High
Martha Madison (Cypress Creek) (born 1977 in Newport News, Virginia); actress; "Days of our Lives"
Cy-Fair High; graduated 1995
Amelia Marshall (born 1958 in Albany, GA); actress; "Passions", "All My Children"
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Glenn McCarthy (born 1908 in Beaumont, TX. Died in 1988) lavish oil tycoon, wildcatter and businessman. Was the inspiration for the character of Jett Link, played by James Dean, in 1956's "Giant"
San Jacinto High School
Ann Miller (born 1923 in Chireno, TX. Died 2004) actress; "Kiss Me Kate", "Easter Parade", "Mulholland Dr."
Albert Sidney Johnston High
Lee Pace (Spring) (born 1979 in Chickasha, Oklahoma); actor: ""Pushing Daisies", "Wonderfalls", "The Good Shepherd"
(Moved to Houston in the 7th grade after having lived in Saudi Arabia and New Orleans)
Quit high school temporarily to act at Houston's Alley Theater.
Klein High; graduated 1997
Andy Pettitte (born 1972 in Baton Rouge, LA) Baseball player; pitcher for MLB's New York Yankees. Former pitcher of his home town Houston Astros
Deer Park High; graduated 1990
Cindy Pickett (Bellaire) (born 1947 in Oklahoma); actress: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Son In Law" Bellaire High
Her father, Cecil Pickett, was Bellaire High's drama teacher
Kelly Rowland (born 1981 in Atlanta, GA)); singer/actress; Destiny's Child; "Freddy VS Jason"
Nolan Ryan(born 1947 in Refugio, Texas); Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer; played for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, California Angels and Texas Rangers
Laurie Smith (born 1971 in Atlanta, GA); designer, TV personality: "Trading Spaces"
Alana Stewart (born 1945 in San Diego); former model, actress and TV personality; ex-wife of George Hamilton and Rod Stewart, best friend of Farrah Fawcett Stephen F. Austin High
Gale Storm (born 1922 in Bloomington, TX) died 2009; actress; "My Little Margie", "The Gale Storm Show"
Sherry Stringfield (Spring/Klein) (born 1967 in Colorado Springs, CO); actress; "E.R."
Klein High
Tia Tequila (Aleif) (born 1981 in Singapore); MTV reality show personality
Tommy Tune (born 1939 in Wichita Falls, TX); Broadway star
Lamar High; graduated 1957
HOUSTON RESIDENTS PAST & PRESENT: (Neither born or raised, but at some point have called Houston home)
Baby Bash (born 1975); R&B singer/rapper (born Vallejo, CA)
Frank Beard (born 1949); musician; ZZ Top (born in Dallas, TX)
Craig Biggio (born 1965); Major League Baseball player; played his entire baseball career (1988-2007) with the Houston Astros, four time recipient of the Golden Glove Award, joined the 3000 hit club on June 28, 2007 (born in Smithtown, NY)
David Brinkley (born 1920, died 2003); "NBC Nightly News"; Peabody Award winner (born in North Carolina)
Barbara Bush (born 1925); former First Lady (born in Rye, NY)
George H. Bush (born 1924); 41st President of the United States (born in Massachusetts)
Brett Butler (born 1958); comedian/actress; "Grace Under Fire" (born in Montgomery, Alabama)
Worked the Houston comedy clubs early in her career.
Bruno Campos (born 1973); actor; "Nip/Tuck", "Jesse", "Resurrection Blvd" (born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Houston is one of several cities where he lived growing up.
Michael E. DeBakey (born 1908, died 2008); World-renowned heart surgeon and medical pioneer. (born in Lake Charles, LA)
Tom Delay (born 1947); former House Majority Leader (born in Laredo, TX and partly raised in Venezula)
Farrah Fawcett (born 1947, died 2009); actress; "Charlie's Angels" (born in Corpus Christi, TX)
Often stays at her parents' home in the Champions area
Clark Gable (born 1901, died 1960); actor; "Gone With The Wind", "It Happened One Night", "The Misfits" (born in Ohio)
Worked in a Houston stock company from 1927-28
Janeane Garofalo (born 1964); actress; "Reality Bites", "The Truth About Cats And Dogs" (born in Newton,NJ)
Spent her senior year of high school at Katy's James E. Taylor High; got her start in Houston comedy clubs
Amy Grant (born 1960); Christian/Pop Artist (born in Nashville, TN)
Lived in Houston briefly as a child.
Salma Hayek (born 1966); actress; "Desperado", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "54" (born in Veracruz, Mexico)
Lived with aunt in Houston as a teenager.
Dusty Hill (born 1949); musician; ZZ Top (born in Dallas, TX)
Frankie J. (born 1977); R&B singer (born in Tijuana, raised in San Diego)
Béla Károlyi (born 1942); World-renowned gymnastics coach. He along with wife Marta have trained numerous Olympic medalists at their Houston area gym.(born in Romainia)
Tara Lipinski (born 1982); Olympic champion (born in Philadelphia) Lived in the Sugar Land area attended River Oaks Academy
Is best friends with Houston-raised actress Ashley Jones
Ralphie May (born 1972); Comedian (born in Chattanooga, TN) Moved to Houston after high school to start his comedy career.
Debra Paget (born 1933); actress: "The Ten Commandments", "Love Me Tender" (born in Denver, CO) Retired from acting and moved to Houston.
Mary Lou Retton (born 1968): Olympic gold-medal gymnast (born in Virginia)
Hannah Storm (born 1962): Television Journalist; anchor for EPSN's SportsCenter. She considers Houston her hometown. (born in Atlanta, GA)
Sharon Tate (born 1943, died 1969); actress: "Valley Of The Dolls" Murdered by members of the Charles Manson cult.
As a child she lived in Pasadena, TX, just outside of Houston and attended St. Pius V Catholic School from kindergarden to second grade. (born in Dallas, TX)
Billy Bob Thornton (born 1955); actor: "Friday Night Lights", "The Alamo", "Sling Blade" (born in Arkansas)
Lived in Houston for a period in the '80s
Clay Walker (born 1969); country singer (born in Beaumont, TX)
Michelle Williams (born 1980); member of Destiny's Child, gospel singer (born in Rockford, Illinois)
Robert Wuhl (born 1951); comedian, comedy writer, actor; "Arli$$" (born in Union Township, NJ) Moved to Houston after high school to attend the University of Houston; had a job selling beer at the Astrodome.
GALVESTON ISLAND NATIVES:
Bill Engvall (born 1957); actor/comedian; "Blue Collar TV", "The Bill Engvall Show"
Katherine Helmond (born 1928); actress; "Soap", "Who's The Boss", "Everybody Loves Raymond"
