Famous People From South Carolina & Celebs Born In South Carolina.

Positioned in the southeast region of the United States of America is the state of South Carolina or simply SC. The state covers a distance of 32,007 square miles, making it the 40th biggest state in the United States. With Columbia as its capital and Greenville as its largest city, South Carolina comprises of 46 counties in total. South Carolina is often referred to as ‘The Palmetto State’ with regard to its state tree (the sabal palmetto). Several distinguished personalities who have excelled in various fields such as acting, politics, academics and sports have been born and raised in South Carolina. Former Disney actress Coco Jones, Hollywood Teen TV Award winner Sterling Knight, the hilarious comedian Aziz Ansari and the bold actor Viola Davis, were all born in the state of South Carolina. Athletes such as WWE ‘giant’ Big Show, basketball player Kevin Garnett and football player A J Green are also from the state. Believe it or not, even the former United States president Andrew Jackson was born in the state of South Carolina. Presenting to you, a complete list of celebrities who are from South Carolina.

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Viola Davis

(Only African-American to Achieve the Triple Crown of Acting)

Birthdate: August 11, 1965

Sun Sign: Leo

A popular television, film, and stage actress, Viola Davis became the first African-American actress to be honored with Triple Crown of Acting. She is also known for supporting equal rights for women. In 2012 and 2017, she was named in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world.

Chris Rock

(Ranked No. 5 on Rolling Stone's List of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time)

Birthdate: February 7, 1965

Sun Sign: Aquarius

A high-school drop-out, Chris Rock worked at restaurants before stepping into stand-up comedy. He gained fame with SNL and earned his first role through Eddie Murphy. Known for voicing Marty in the Madagascar franchise, Chris also created the series Everybody Hates Chris and was voted Comedy Central’s fifth-greatest stand-up comedian.

James Brown

(Central Progenitor of Funk Music and Referred to as 'Godfather of Soul')

Birthdate: May 3, 1933

Sun Sign: Taurus

Died: December 25, 2006

Referred to by honorific nicknames, such as Godfather of Soul, James Brown was a prominent figure of 20th century music. A progenitor of funk music, Brown influenced the development of many music genres. An inductee of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame, Brown is ranked seventh in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.

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Birthdate: February 8, 1972

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Big Show is a professional wrestler. Known for his large frame and athleticism, Show is one of the most popular WWE wrestlers of all time. He has won several world championships in WWE. Big Show's large frame is attributed to a condition called acromegaly, which he used to his advantage and established himself in the wrestling world.

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Kevin Garnett

(American Former Professional Basketball Player Who Was Known for His Defensive Ability and Versatility)

Birthdate: May 19, 1976

Sun Sign: Taurus

Former NBA power forward/center Kevin Garnett was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves out of high school. After a 12-year term with the Timberwolves, he joined the Boston Celtics. His accolades include the MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year award, and 15 All-Star games. He also starred in Uncut Gems.

Birthdate: January 12, 1944

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Died: November 7, 2011

Joe Frazier, nicknamed “Smokin' Joe,” was a star heavyweight champion who won the boxing gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Known for his legendary 1971 “Fight of the Century” against Muhammad Ali and his defeat in the “Thrilla in Manila,” Frazier had scored 32 wins in his career.

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Birthdate: November 29, 1976

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Died: August 28, 2020

A versatile actor and an inspiration for a generation of black youths, Chadwick Boseman is best remembered for portraying notable real life black figures like Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall and James Brown in their biopics. His excellent performance in Black Panther, though, turned him into a household name.

Birthdate: August 10, 1999

Sun Sign: Leo

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

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Birthdate: February 18, 1957

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Vanna White is best known for hosting the puzzle-board game show Wheel of Fortune since 1982. She holds the Guinness record for the most claps, after clapping over 3 million times over the show’s 30 seasons. She is fond of crochet and has her own line of yarn.

Birthdate: April 21, 1958

Sun Sign: Taurus

From working at a bar and a clothing store, Andie MacDowell eventually became a top model/actor and has now been the face of L'Oréal for over 30 years. Fans adore her for her inspirational and award-winning portrayal of Ann Bishop Mullany in the film Sex, Lies, and Videotape.

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Birthdate: August 2, 1964

Sun Sign: Leo

A popular American actress and Tony Award winner, Mary-Louise Parker is best known for her performance in the television miniseries, Angels in America, in 2003. Since 2007, she has been contributing articles to Esquire magazine. A dedicated transcendental meditation practitioner, Mary-Louise Parker has claimed that transcendental meditation has changed everything in her life.

Nikki Haley

(The First Female Governor of South Carolina)

Birthdate: January 20, 1972

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Nikki Haley went on to become the first Indian-American to hold an office in South Carolina and later became its governor—the first woman and second Indian American to be appointed governor in the US. A published author, she has also served as the US ambassador to the United Nations.

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Birthdate: July 16, 1887

Sun Sign: Cancer

Died: December 5, 1951

MLB player Joseph Jefferson Jackson, or Shoeless Joe, was associated with the Philadelphia Athletics, the Cleveland Naps/Indians, and the Chicago White Sox. He was dragged into the Black Sox Scandal, through which the 1919 Chicago White Sox team members conspired to fix the World Series, leading him to be banned.

Birthdate: December 21, 1997

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Actress, Madelyn Cline, is best known for her role in the Netflix teen drama series Outer Banks. As a child, she began appearing in TV commercials and developed a keen interest in acting. She quit college as a teenager to pursue her passion. She started her career playing minor roles in films and eventually graduated to more serious roles.

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Birthdate: June 22, 1984

Sun Sign: Cancer

In 2021, golfer Dustin Johnson made it to the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. He has won numerous top championships, including the FedEx Cup and the Masters Tournament of 2020. He is also a six-time World Golf Championship winner, with only legendary golfer Tiger Woods ahead of him.

Jaimie Alexander

(Known for Her Role as ‘Jessi Hollander’ in the TV Series ‘Kyle XY’)

Birthdate: March 12, 1984

Sun Sign: Pisces

Jaimie Alexander is best known as Sif from the 2011 movie Thor, a role she reprised in the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and voiced in a subsequent video game. She is also known as Jessi from the series Kyle XY. She faced major accidents while filming for Thor and Blindspot.

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Aziz Ansari

(Actor and Comedian Known For His Role In 'Parks And Recreation')

Birthdate: February 23, 1983

Sun Sign: Pisces

Aziz Ansari is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is credited with creating the popular comedy-drama television series Master of None. His acting skills in the series earned him a Golden Globe, making Ansari the first Asian-American actor to receive the honor. In 2016, he was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list.

Eartha Kitt

(Singer with a Distinctive Voice Known for her Hits "Let's Do It", and "C'est si bon")

Birthdate: January 17, 1927

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Died: December 25, 2008

Eartha Kitt was an American actress, comedian, dancer, and singer-songwriter. Renowned for her distinctive singing style, Kitt recorded several chartbusting songs during the 1950s. Also a well-known activist, Eartha Kitt established a non-profit organization called the Kittsville Youth Foundation, which helped underprivileged youths in Los Angeles. She was also an ardent advocate for same-sex marriage and LGBT rights.

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Anna Camp

(Actress and Singer Best Known for Her Role as the ‘Sarah Newlin’ in the Tv Series ‘True Blood’)

Birthdate: September 27, 1982

Sun Sign: Libra

Anna Camp is an American actress who has made her mark in films, television and theatre. Her notable roles include that of villainous Sarah Newlin in the HBO vampire drama True Blood and Aubrey Posen in the Pitch Perfect film series. Her performance in the Off-Broadway play All New People earned her a nomination for the Drama Desk Award.

Mike Colter

(Best Known for His Roles in the TV Series: ‘Luke Cage’, ‘The Defenders’ and ‘Jessica Jones’)

Birthdate: August 26, 1976

Sun Sign: Virgo

Mike Colter is an American actor known for portraying the eponymous character in the popular streaming television series Luke Cage. Thanks to his association with Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2015, Mike Colter is often credited with playing an important role in improving Marvel Television's business over the last few years.

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Birthdate: May 13, 1966

Sun Sign: Taurus

Darius Rucker gained fame as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. He then launched a solo career, releasing Billboard-charting hits such as Wagon Wheel and True Believers. He became the first Black American singer to win the Country Music Association New Artist Award.

Birthdate: February 11, 1983

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

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Trey Gowdy

(Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 4th district)

Birthdate: August 22, 1964

Sun Sign: Leo

Trey Gowdy, former representative for South Carolina's 4th congressional district, has also been a federal prosecutor and a district attorney. He led the investigations into the Benghazi attack and Hillary Clinton's email server, and has chaired the House Oversight Committee. He now works for Fox News and a legal firm.

Birthdate: July 3, 1962

Sun Sign: Cancer

Thomas Gibson is best known for his Golden Globe-nominated performance as Greg in the hit sitcom Dharma & Greg. He has also played prominent roles in Chicago Hope and Criminal Minds. He is a skilled golf player, too, and participates in the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

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Birthdate: November 17, 1943

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

Lee Thompson Young

(Best Known for His Role in the TV Series ‘The Famous Jett Jackson’)

Birthdate: February 1, 1984

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Died: August 19, 2013

An actor remembered for his role in the television series The Famous Jett Jackson, Lee Thompson Young was a popular young star who died too soon. Interested in acting from an early age, he made his debut as a teenager and went on to have a successful career. Sadly, he suffered from depression and died by suicide, at the age of 29.

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Ainsley Earhardt

(Television News Anchor, Journalist and Co-Host of News Show ‘Fox & Friends’)

Birthdate: September 20, 1976

Sun Sign: Virgo

Ainsley Earhardt is an American journalist and television personality known for her association with Fox News. A co-host of popular daily morning news/talk program Fox & Friends, Ainsley Earhardt has been an important member of Fox News Channel since 2007. She has also had quite an impact as a writer, having published children's books, such as Take Heart, My Child.

Will Patton

(Actor and Audiobook Narrator Known for His Role in the TV Series ‘Falling Skies’)

Birthdate: June 14, 1954

Sun Sign: Gemini

Will Patton is best known as Bill Yoast from Remember the Titans and Dan Weaver from the sci-fi series Falling Skies. He has also appeared in films such as Armageddon and is also an Obie Award-winning theater actor. He has narrated countless books, too, mostly by James Lee Burke.

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Madison Iseman

(Actress)

Birthdate: February 14, 1997

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Height: 5'1" (155 cm)

Young Jeezy

(Rapper and One of the Pioneers Who Popularized Trap Music)

Birthdate: September 28, 1977

Sun Sign: Libra

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Teddy Pendergrass

(Singer)

Birthdate: March 26, 1950

Sun Sign: Aries

Died: January 13, 2010

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

Jesse Jackson

(United States Shadow Senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997)

Birthdate: October 8, 1941

Sun Sign: Libra

Civil rights activist and politician Jesse Jackson, father of former U.S. representative Jesse Jackson Jr., is also a Baptist minister. He has been a shadow U.S. senator from the District of Columbia and established organizations that merged into the non-profit Rainbow/PUSH. He also hosted CNN’s Both Sides with Jesse Jackson.

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DeAndre Hopkins

(American football player)

Birthdate: June 6, 1992

Sun Sign: Gemini

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

Kelsey Chow

(Known for Her Role as ‘Mikayla’ in the TV Sitcom ‘Pair of Kings’)

Birthdate: September 9, 1991

Sun Sign: Virgo

Kelsey Chow is best known as Mikayla from Pair of Kings and Gigi Silveri from One Tree Hill. Fans also loved her as Tracy Stewart in MTV's Teen Wolf. She played Native American roles in Wind River, Yellowstone, and Fargo, under the name “Kelsey Asbille,” claiming to have Cherokee roots.

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The Fabulous Moolah

(Professional Wrestler)

Birthdate: July 22, 1923

Sun Sign: Cancer

Died: November 2, 2007

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Mary McLeod Bethune

(American Civil Rights Activist and Founder of the 'National Council of Negro Women')

Birthdate: July 10, 1875

Sun Sign: Cancer

Died: May 18, 1955

Mary McLeod Bethune was an American civil rights activist, educator, womanist, humanitarian, and philanthropist. She is credited with founding the National Council of Negro Women. Bethune also played a key role in the creation of the Black Cabinet while serving as an adviser to Franklin Roosevelt. In 1973, Bethune was made an indutee of the National Women's Hall of Fame.

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Althea Gibson

( The First African American to Win a Grand Slam Title )

Birthdate: August 25, 1927

Sun Sign: Virgo

Died: September 28, 2003

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

Deebo Samuel

(American football player)

Birthdate: January 15, 1996

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

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Birthdate: January 9, 1878

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Died: September 25, 1958

John B. Watson was the first to introduce the theory of behaviorism to psychology. He believed human behavior, like animal behavior, should be studied under objective and experimental conditions. One of his experiments included conditioning the fear of white rats into an 11-year-old boy he named Little Albert.

Birthdate: October 21, 1917

Sun Sign: Libra

Died: January 6, 1993

Jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and singer Dizzy Gillespie developed the virtuoso style of Roy Eldridge, modifying it with innovative harmony and rhythm. He popularized the bebop style of music and was famous for his signature horn-rimmed spectacles. His contribution to modern jazz earned him the title of the Ambassador of Jazz.

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Khris Middleton

(Basketball player)

Birthdate: August 12, 1991

Sun Sign: Leo

Height: 6'7" (201 cm)

Shawnee Smith

(Actress and Singer Known for Her Role as ‘Amanda Young’ in the Film ‘Saw’)

Birthdate: July 3, 1969

Sun Sign: Cancer

Actress and singer, Shawnee Smith, is best known for her role of Amanda Young in the Saw horror franchise. She began acting as a child and joined the Screen Actors Guild when she was just nine. Making her feature film debut as a young teenager, she went on to establish herself as a popular character actress in the ensuing years.

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William Gibson

(Science-Fiction Writer Known for His Novel ‘Neuromancer’ and a Pinoeer of 'Cyberpunk' Genre)

Birthdate: March 17, 1948

Sun Sign: Pisces

William Gibson is an American-Canadian essayist and speculative fiction writer. He is widely credited with pioneering cyberpunk, a science fiction subgenre. His early works, which he produced during the late-1970s and early-1980s, helped create an iconography for the information age even before the dawn of the Internet in the 1990s. William Gibson is also credited with coining the term cyberspace.

A. J. Green

(Former American Football Wide Receiver)

Birthdate: July 31, 1988

Sun Sign: Leo

Height: 6'4" (193 cm)

Lee Haney

(Regarded as One of the Greatest Bodybuilders to Ever Grace the Stage)

Birthdate: November 11, 1959

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

Jessica Stroup

(Actress)

Birthdate: October 23, 1986

Sun Sign: Libra

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

Kwame Brown

(Basketball player)

Birthdate: March 10, 1982

Sun Sign: Pisces

Height: 6'11" (211 cm)

Shanola Hampton

(Best Known for Her Role as ‘Veronica Fisher’ in the TV Series ‘Shameless’)

Birthdate: May 27, 1977

Sun Sign: Gemini

Shanola Hampton is an American actress known for her portrayal of Veronica Fisher in the popular comedy-drama television series Shameless, for which she received critical appreciation. In 2013, she won the Best Actor award at the American Black Film Festival for her performance in the drama film Things Never Said, in which she played Kalindra Stepney.

Shelton Benjamin

(American Professional Wrestler)

Birthdate: July 9, 1975

Sun Sign: Cancer

Height: 6'2" (188 cm)

Alex English

(American Former Professional Basketball Player, Coach, and Businessman)

Birthdate: January 5, 1954

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Height: 6'8" (203 cm)