Texas has always had a magnetic pull, and it turns out Hollywood is no exception. Some of the biggest names in film and television have chosen the Lone Star State as their true home, trading in the glitz of Los Angeles for wide open skies, friendly communities, and authentic Texas charm.
From sprawling ranches to lakeside mansions, these stars have put down real roots across the state. Get ready to discover which iconic actors proudly call Texas their home base.
1. Matthew McConaughey
Few actors wear their Texas pride as openly as Matthew McConaughey. Born in Uvalde, he made Austin his permanent home in 2012, settling into a stunning 10,800-square-foot Spanish-Mediterranean mansion with his family.
Beyond the big screen, McConaughey teaches at the University of Texas and owns a sprawling 1,600-acre ranch in Runnels County. His roots run deep, and he actively champions making Texas a powerhouse hub for film and television production.
2. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock has been quietly claiming Austin as her city for nearly three decades. Though she was born in Arlington, Virginia, she purchased two Austin properties back in 1997 and never really looked back.
Today, she still owns a breathtaking six-acre estate along the shores of Lake Austin. Her long-standing commitment to the city proves that Texas has a way of getting into your heart and staying there permanently.
3. Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is not just a Texan by birth, he is an 8th-generation Texan by blood. Born in San Saba, Texas, his connection to the land goes far beyond any Hollywood role he has ever played.
He owns a 3,000-acre ranch in San Saba County where he raises cattle and keeps horses. Spending time on that land is clearly more than a hobby for Jones, it is simply who he is.
4. Dennis Quaid
Houston born and Texas bred, Dennis Quaid has always carried the Lone Star State with him wherever his career has taken him. What makes his Texas story especially fun is his passion for live music.
Quaid regularly performs country and rock music in Austin, a city already famous for its incredible live music scene. He is not just an actor who happens to live in Texas, he is a musician who genuinely belongs there.
5. Selena Gomez
Grand Prairie, Texas, gave the world Selena Gomez, and she has never forgotten where she came from. In 2015, she purchased a massive 10,000-square-foot mansion in Fort Worth specifically to stay close to her family.
She later sold the property in 2018, but North Texas clearly holds a special place in her heart. Growing up in a tight-knit Texas community shaped her grounded personality and the warm, family-first values she carries into her career.
6. Jensen Ackles
Dallas native Jensen Ackles took Texas living to a whole new level when he and his wife Danneel purchased a gorgeous 7,500-square-foot lake house on Lake Austin around 2014. The home was so stunning that Architectural Digest featured it in their popular “Open Door” series in 2018.
Best known for his long run on the TV show Supernatural, Ackles has always stayed connected to his Texas roots, proving that even after years of fame, home still matters most.
7. Jared Padalecki
San Antonio native Jared Padalecki put down serious roots in Austin when he and his wife Genevieve moved there in 2010 and purchased their current modern farmhouse in 2012. The couple raises their three children and a variety of animals on their Austin homestead.
Padalecki is famously known for Supernatural and the reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger, a role that feels almost perfectly designed for a proud Texan like him. Life on the farm clearly suits him well.
8. Owen Wilson
With that unmistakable Texas drawl and laid-back energy, Owen Wilson fits perfectly into the Lone Star State’s personality. The Dallas native attended the University of Texas at Austin, which is where a big part of his creative story began.
He co-wrote several of his early scripts alongside fellow Texan and filmmaker Wes Anderson. Those Austin years shaped his quirky storytelling voice in ways that continue influencing his work today, proving college towns can spark legendary careers.
9. Luke Wilson
Growing up in Dallas alongside his brothers Owen and Andrew Wilson, Luke Wilson absorbed the relaxed, genuine spirit that Texas is known for. He also attended the University of Texas at Austin, keeping the Wilson family tradition alive on that campus.
Luke has filmed multiple projects in his home state and has openly expressed his love for spending time in Texas during productions. There is something about the state that clearly keeps pulling him back with every opportunity.
10. Woody Harrelson
Born in Midland, Texas, Woody Harrelson made a meaningful return to his home state in 2023, settling just outside of Austin. For a man known for his free-spirited lifestyle, Texas offers exactly the kind of wide-open breathing room he craves.
Alongside Matthew McConaughey, Harrelson has actively lobbied to establish Texas as a major hub for film and television production. Two legendary Texans working together to build something bigger than themselves, that is a story worth watching unfold.
11. Jamie Foxx
Before he was an Oscar-winning actor and comedian, Jamie Foxx was Eric Marlon Bishop from Terrell, Texas. That small-town upbringing gave him the work ethic, humor, and drive that would eventually take him all the way to Hollywood’s highest honors.
The city of Terrell celebrates “Jamie Foxx Day” annually, a tribute that shows just how proud his hometown is of what he has accomplished. Not every town can say one of their own won an Academy Award.
12. Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is as Texas as bluebonnets and barbecue. The legendary musician and actor has long maintained his famous Hill Country retreat, a place that has become almost as iconic as the man himself.
His Texas ranch is not just a home, it is a gathering place where music, friendship, and storytelling flow freely. Nelson has appeared in dozens of films over the decades, but his heart has always stayed firmly planted in the red dirt of the Lone Star State.
13. Kyle Chandler
Kyle Chandler, best known for his Emmy-winning role in Friday Night Lights, lives the kind of life that feels straight out of a Texas story. He and his family reside on a 33-acre ranch in the charming Dripping Springs area, just southwest of Austin.
Chandler also serves on the advisory board for Patriot’s Hall of Dripping Springs, a veterans resource center co-founded by his wife Kathryn. His commitment to community service shows there is much more to him than just great acting.
14. James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek made a bold move in 2020 when he packed up his family and traded Hollywood for the Texas Hill Country. The former Dawson’s Creek star purchased a stunning 36-acre property in Spicewood, Texas, giving his kids a completely different kind of childhood than Tinseltown would offer.
The decision reflected a growing trend of celebrities choosing wide open Texas land over crowded California neighborhoods. For Van Der Beek, it was clearly about raising his family with space, fresh air, and real roots.
15. Glen Powell
Glen Powell is Austin through and through. Born and raised in the Texas capital, he spent over 15 years chasing Hollywood dreams before officially returning home to Austin in 2024, reportedly settling into a $4 million estate in the Barton Creek neighborhood.
After breakout roles in Top Gun: Maverick and Hit Man, Powell has become one of Hollywood’s hottest stars. The fact that he chose to come home to Texas at the peak of his fame says everything about where his loyalty truly lies.
16. Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek was born in Quitman, Texas, a small town that shaped the quiet intensity she brings to every role she plays. The Oscar-winning actress, celebrated for Coal Miner’s Daughter and Carrie, carries her Texas identity with unmistakable pride wherever life has taken her.
Though she primarily resides on a Virginia farm today, she regularly returns to her Texas roots and remains a deeply iconic figure connected to the state. Some bonds, no matter the distance, simply never break.