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 Arkansas 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.
Wes Bentley
– Born: Jonesboro, Arkansas (9/4/1978)
– Known for:
— Ricky Fitts in “American Beauty” (1999)
— Seneca Crane in “The Hunger Games” (2012)
— Doyle in “Interstellar” (2014)
Billy Bob Thornton
– Born: Hot Springs, Arkansas (8/4/1955)
– Known for:
— Karl Childers in “Sling Blade” (1996)
— Jacob in “A Simple Plan” (1998)
— Ed Crane in “The Man Who Wasn’t There” (2001)
Josh Lucas
– Born: Fayetteville, Arkansas (6/20/1971)
– Known for:
— Leo Beebe in “Ford v Ferrari” (2019)
— Jake Perry in “Sweet Home Alabama” (2002)
— Don Haskins in “Glory Road” (2006)
Clark Duke
– Born: Glenwood, Arkansas (5/5/1985)
– Known for:
— Jacob in “Hot Tub Time Machine” (2010)
— Thunk in “The Croods” (2013)
— Marty in “Kick-Ass 2” (2013)
Daniel Davis
– Born: Gurdon, Arkansas (11/26/1945)
– Known for:
— Moriarty in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1988-1993)
— Niles in “The Nanny” (1993-1999)
— Captain Davenport in “The Hunt for Red October” (1990)
Jacob Lofland
– Born: Arkansas (7/30/1996)
– Known for:
— Neckbone in “Mud” (2012)
— Aris in “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” (2015)
— Owen Briggs in “Little Accidents” (2014)
George Newbern
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (12/30/1964)
– Known for:
— Charlie in “Scandal” (2012-2018)
— Bryan MacKenzie in “Father of the Bride” (1991)
— Bryan MacKenzie in “Father of the Bride Part II” (1995)
Corin Nemec
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (11/5/1971)
– Known for:
— Parker Lloyd Lewis in “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” (1990-1993)
— Dennis Parnell in “I Know My First Name Is Steven” (1989)
— Jimmy Green in “Sand Sharks” (2012)
Dick Powell
– Born: Mountain View, Arkansas (11/14/1904)
– Died: 1/2/1963
– Known for:
— Philip Marlowe in “Murder, My Sweet” (1944)
— James Lee Bartlow in “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952)
— Laurence Gerard in “Cornered” (1945)
Frank Bonner
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (2/28/1942)
– Died: 6/16/2021
– Known for:
— Herb Tarlek in “WKRP in Cincinnati” (1978-1982)
— Jim Hudson in “Equinox” (1970)
— Herb Tarlek in “The New WKRP in Cincinnati” (1991-1993)
Gil Gerard
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (1/23/1943)
– Known for:
— Capt. William ‘Buck’ Rogers in “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” (1979)
— Bergen Paulsen in “The Nice Guys” (2016)
— Frank Powers in “Airport ’77” (1977)
Laurence Luckinbill
– Born: Fort Smith, Arkansas (11/21/1934)
– Known for:
— Sybok in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” (1989)
— Mr. Mooney in “Cocktail” (1988)
— Writer in “Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie” (1993)
Alan Ladd
– Born: Hot Springs, Arkansas (9/3/1913)
– Died: 1/29/1964
– Known for:
— Shane in “Shane” (1953)
— Philip Raven in “This Gun for Hire” (1942)
— Johnny Morrison in “The Blue Dahlia” (1946)
Ben Piazza
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (7/30/1933)
– Died: 9/7/1991
– Known for:
— Father in “The Blues Brothers” (1980)
— Mr. Simms in “Mask” (1985)
— Darryl Zanuck in “Guilty by Suspicion” (1991)
William Ragsdale
– Born: El Dorado, Arkansas (1/19/1961)
– Known for:
— Charley Brewster in “Fright Night” (1985)
— Herman Brooks in “Herman’s Head” (1991-1994)
— Gary Hawkins in “Justified” (2010-2012)
Levon Helm
– Born: Elaine, Arkansas (5/26/1940)
– Died: 4/19/2012
– Known for:
— Mr. Rate in “Shooter” (2007)
— Jack Ridley in “The Right Stuff” (1983)
— Old Man with Radio in “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” (2005)
Tommy Morrison
– Born: Gravette, Arkansas (1/2/1969)
– Died: 9/1/2013
– Known for:
— Tommy in “Rocky V” (1990)
— Leo in “Cybill” (1996)
— Thanks in “HBO Boxing” (1993-2013)
Rodger Bumpass
– Born: Jonesboro, Arkansas (11/20/1951)
– Known for:
— Squidward Tentacles in “SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-2021)
— Doctor in “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” (2015)
— Phil Hilton in “The Running Man” (1987)
Matt Cornett
– Born: Rogers, Arkansas (10/6/1998)
– Known for:
— EJ in “High School Musical: The Musical – The Series” (2019-2022)
— A-Lan in “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3” (2022)
— Logan Wills in “Alex & Me” (2018)
Matt Besser
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (9/22/1967)
– Known for:
— Dave in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” (2007)
— Pawn Shop Owner in “Drillbit Taylor” (2008)
— Abraham Lincoln – Tour Guide in “Bad Teacher” (2011)
Brandon Keener
– Born: Fort Smith, Arkansas (10/1/1974)
– Known for:
— Garrus Vakarian in “Mass Effect 3” (2012)
— Warren Grass in “The Purge: Anarchy” (2014)
— Tourist Man in “Traffic” (2000)
Arthur Hunnicutt
– Born: Gravelly, Arkansas (2/17/1910)
– Died: 9/26/1979
– Known for:
— Bull in “El Dorado” (1966)
— Zeb Calloway in “The Big Sky” (1952)
— Butch Cassidy in “Cat Ballou” (1965)
Ben Murphy
– Born: Jonesboro, Arkansas (3/6/1942)
– Known for:
— Jed ‘Kid’ Curry (alias Thaddeus Jones) in “Alias Smith and Jones” (1971-1973)
— Sam Casey in “Riding with Death” (1976)
— Ethan Cooper in “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” (1993-1995)
Hunter Doohan
– Born: Fort Smith, Arkansas (1/19/1994)
– Known for:
— Adam Desiato in “Your Honor” (2020-2021)
— Tyler Galpin in “Wednesday” (2022)
— Teenage Warren in “Truth Be Told” (2019-2020)
Leon Russom
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (12/6/1941)
– Known for:
— Man in the Woods in “A Quiet Place” (2018)
— Victor in “The Midnighters” (2016)
— Sheriff in “True Grit” (2010)
Brent Jennings
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (4/13/1951)
– Known for:
— Carter in “Witness” (1985)
— Abdul Elijah in “Red Heat” (1988)
— Ron Washington in “Moneyball” (2011)
Jason Douglas
– Born: Arkansas (2/14/1973)
– Known for:
— Nick Marshall in “Cruel Summer” (2021)
— Tobin in “The Walking Dead” (2015-2018)
— Satan in “Preacher” (2018)
Rudy Ray Moore
– Born: Fort Smith, Arkansas (3/17/1927)
– Died: 10/19/2008
– Known for:
— Dolemite in “Dolemite” (1975)
— Dolemite in “The Human Tornado” (1976)
— Tucker Williams in “Disco Godfather” (1979)
Kyle Dean Massey
– Born: Jonesboro, Arkansas (11/17/1981)
– Known for:
— Wedding Chorus in “Sex and the City 2” (2010)
— Kevin Bicks in “Nashville” (2015-2017)
— Squirrel Nutkin in “Peter Rabbit” (2012-2016)
Roger Clinton
– Born: Hot Springs, Arkansas (7/25/1956)
– Known for:
— Roger Clinton in “Fred Claus” (2007)
— Agent Clinton in “Spy Hard” (1996)
— Prof. Bloom in “Bio-Dome” (1996)
Ne-Yo
– Born: Camden, Arkansas (10/18/1982)
– Known for:
— Cpl. Kevin Harris in “Battle Los Angeles” (2011)
— Andrew ‘Smokey’ Salem in “Red Tails” (2012)
— Soundtrack in “The Princess and the Frog” (2009)
Trevor Bardette
– Born: Nashville, Arkansas (11/19/1902)
– Died: 11/28/1977
– Known for:
— Chief Rivanoak in “The Deerslayer” (1943)
— Vernon Doolin in “Thunder Road” (1958)
— Prof. Arthur Flanders in “The Monolith Monsters” (1957)
Jimmie F. Skaggs
– Born: Hot Springs, Arkansas (12/20/1944)
– Died: 7/6/2004
– Known for:
— Drug Dealer #1 in “Lethal Weapon” (1987)
— Wino in “Hollow Man” (2000)
— Scully in “Cutthroat Island” (1995)
Jay C. Flippen
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (3/6/1899)
– Died: 2/3/1971
– Known for:
— Marvin Unger in “The Killing” (1956)
— Skidmore in “Oklahoma!” (1955)
— Sgt. Wilkes in “Winchester ’73” (1950)
Josh Cowdery
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (12/23/1978)
– Known for:
— FBI Agent Hubbard in “Wrath of Man” (2021)
— Mike Peters in “Fate: The Winx Saga” (2021)
— Henry Shaw Jnr in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (2016)
John Hancock
– Born: Hazen, Arkansas (3/4/1941)
– Died: 10/12/1992
– Known for:
— Controller #1 in “Airplane II: The Sequel” (1982)
— T Man #1 in “The In-Laws” (1979)
— Mess Sergeant in “Tank” (1984)
Conlan Carter
– Born: Center Ridge, Arkansas (10/3/1934)
– Known for:
— Doc in “Combat!” (1963-1967)
— C.E. Carruthers in “The Law and Mr. Jones” (1960-1962)
— Lyman Frank Baum in “Death Valley Days” (1962-1970)
John Carter
– Born: Center Ridge, Arkansas (11/26/1927)
– Died: 5/23/2015
– Known for:
— MP Capt. Morton in “The Andromeda Strain” (1971)
— Rich Man in “Badlands” (1973)
— Father Gladden in “Celebrity” (1998)
Scott Reeves
– Born: Delight, Arkansas (5/16/1966)
– Known for:
— Ryan McNeil in “The Young and the Restless” (1991-2020)
— Sean Robertson in “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1989)
— Dustin Nelson in “The Munsters Today” (1988-1989)
Gordon Anderson
– Born: Batesville, Arkansas (8/2/1944)
– Known for:
— Aaron in “A Reflection of Fear” (1972)
— Ratboy in “Ratboy” (1986)
— Self in “The 26th Annual Golden Globe Awards” (1969)
Lil J.J.
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (10/31/1990)
– Known for:
— Josh in “Twenty to One” (2019)
— Deshawn in “Tales” (2019)
— Self in “Wild ‘N Out” (2019)
Norman Snow
– Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (3/29/1950)
– Known for:
— Xur in “The Last Starfighter” (1984)
— Springfield in “Manhunter” (1986)
— Mr. Brand in “The Europeans” (1979)