AUSTIN (KXAN) — Being the Live Music Capital of the World, you could say Austin has a knack for creating and attracting talent.
Over the years, a number of stars have moved in and enjoyed many of the same activities and sites locals do.
Here’s a list of celebrities who call the Austin area home.
Jensen Ackles
The actor, best known for his longtime role in the CW show “Supernatural,” has a five-bedroom home on Lake Austin, according to a 2018 article from Architectural Digest.
Ackles is also a cofounder of Dripping Springs brewery Family Business Beer Co., along with his wife and General Manager Gino Graul, according to its website. Aside from the brewery’s physical location in Dripping Springs, you can find it on store shelves at H-E-B, Specs and Whole Foods.
Sandra Bullock
The starlet has been a part-time Austin resident for at least a couple decades now. A May 1998 story from Texas Monthly reported she began the process of moving to Austin the year before.
The actress has dabbled in the restaurant industry in Austin, opening Bess Bistro and Walton’s Fancy and Staple in the 2000s, DiversityWomanMedia said.
One of Bullock’s most-notable movies, “Miss Congeniality,” was also filmed partly in Austin, including at the Starbucks location on Sixth Street and Congress Avenue, which closed its doors in late August 2022.
In a December 2021 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Bullock called Austin “a good place,” but said she spends most of her time in Los Angeles at the moment because of her kids.
“Austin has the vibe of whatever you have going on, it’s OK,” she said.
Christy Carlson Romano
The actress and singer gave the TODAY show a tour of her home in Austin in March 2022. In the 12-minute video, she described Austin as “a really magical place.”
“And it’s got this really amazing spirit, great food, great music, and it’s a really wonderful place to raise a family,” Carlson Romano said.
Kyle Chandler
The actor widely known for his role in “Friday Night Lights” has a ranch in Dripping Springs in Hays County, where he lives with his family, according to multiple reports.
Gary Clark Jr.
According to Realtor.com, the four-time Grammy award-winning musician purchased a 50-acre ranch in Kyle in Hays County in January 2017. The property went for $1.6 million.
The home on the ranch has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and three half-baths.
Haylie Duff
The actress and sister of Hilary Duff is originally from Texas and moved back in 2020 during the pandemic, according to a New York Times article.
Adrian Grenier
In a September 2021 interview with Austin Monthly, Grenier said he purchased a farm in Bastrop. He said he’s had a home in the area since 2016 but moved to Texas full time during the pandemic.
The actor starred in HBO’s “Entourage” and “The Devil Wears Prada” alongside Anne Hathaway.
Chris Harrison
The former host of ABC’s “The Bachelor” and its spinoffs and his wife Lauren Zima, who is a host on “Entertainment Tonight,” bought an Austin home in the summer of 2020, according to a story with Austin Lifestyle.
Harrison is originally from Dallas. He told the lifestyle magazine, “my favorite thing about Austin is what’s always been my favorite thing about Texas – the people.”
Zachary Levi
In February 2018, the actor posted to Twitter, saying he recently moved to the city of Bastrop, which is about 30 minutes east of Austin.
“Hey folks! So, I recently moved to a town by the name of Bastrop, TX, just outside of Austin, and Bastrop is in the running to get a major infusion of economic growth/help. If you helped vote and push it over the top, I’d be much obliged,” the post read, referencing the Small Business Revolution series.
He’s known for the television series “Chuck” and “Shazam!”.
Richard Linklater
The director and filmmaker is originally from Houston but relocated to Austin in the 80s. The Austin Film Society was founded by the filmmaker around that time as well.
Parts of his 2011 film “Bernie” were shot in neighboring Bastrop County, and Mount Bonnell made an appearance in the 1991 film “Slacker.”
You can learn more about popular locations Linklater has filmed at on the Texas Film Commission website.
James Marsden
In January 2022 it was reported property records showed the “X-Men” and “Enchanted” actor bought a home near Lake Austin west of West Lake Hills.
Marsden talked about moving to Austin on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” in December 2020, saying, “it’s still got that small-town feel to it, but it’s definitely booming at the moment.”
Matthew McConaughey
Being a professor at the University of Texas and part owner of Austin FC, it’s pretty clear the actor and his family love Austin. McConaughey and his wife, Camila Alves, also host an annual fundraising event for the Mack, Jack & McConaughey foundation. They celebrated 10 years of helping children through the foundation in May 2022, according to Yahoo.com.
McConaughey is originally from the Texas town of Uvalde, where in May, 21 people were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school. He spoke out about the shooting on social media, saying, “once again, we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us.
Willie Nelson
The country music star lives in Spicewood, Texas, about 40 minutes outside of Austin. He owns a property there called Luck Ranch, which has hosted various music performances and events. Lucktoberfest is slated to take place on the ranch in late October 2022, featuring 10 nights of music.
Jared Padalecki
The native Texan and longtime “Supernatural” star who’s now the lead in the CW’s “Walker” came to Austin with his family in 2010, according to a July 2021 report from “Architectural Digest”. The magazine describes their home as a “modern farmhouse.”
Much of the “Walker, Texas Ranger” reboot Padalecki stars in was also shot in the Austin area.
In a January 2021 interview with KXAN, Padalecki said he just “wanted to show that there are a lot of us who live here in the great state of Texas and call it home and have for our whole lives, who care about people as people, you know.”
Dennis Quaid
He might not live in Austin anymore, but the actor used to own a nearly 5,000-square-foot home overlooking Lake Austin, according to a 2017 article from Austin Business Journal. Quaid is originally from Houston.
Wall Street Journal reported in 2018 the actor sold the home for $3.5 million.
Robert Rodriguez
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez has made Austin the home for his production company, Troublemaker Studios, according to Dujour Magazine.
The city has also been where several of his films have been shot, including “Spy Kids” and its sequels.
Joe Rogan
According to multiple reports, the podcast host and comedian lives in a mansion worth millions of dollars on Lake Austin. He’s also been known to perform in comedy shows downtown.
Austin Business Journal reported in March 2022 a company that bought The Ritz on E. Sixth Street, a historic building, is linked to Rogan, and the building is set to potentially be turned into a comedy club.
Rogan had Austin Mayor Steve Adler on his podcast in May 2021 to discuss homelessness response and the city’s camping ordinance.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
“The Sopranos” and “Big Sky” actress moved to Austin in 2021, according to an Architectural Digest report.
“It’s all about outdoors and nature which I really appreciate since I never had it growing up in New York and L.A,” she told People.com in January 2022.
Emma Stone
The “La La Land” and “Cruella” actress bought a home in west Austin in May 2021, according to a report. The article stated a business manager connected to Stone purchased the home.
Property records show the home sits on a 1.24-acre lot and has four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and was originally built in 1940.
James Van Der Beek
The “Dawson’s Creek” actor relocated from California to the Austin area, more specifically, Spicewood, circa fall 2020, according to Culture Map Austin. Van Der Beek made the announcement on Instagram in October 2020, saying “drastic changes” brought his family to Texas.
In a 2021 interview with “Austin Lifestyle” magazine, he said he “felt an energy to Austin.” The magazine reported the family lives on a 36-acre property.
Jonathan Van Ness
According to reports, the “Queer Eye” cast member fell in love with Austin after filming season six of the show in the city. He decided to move here shortly after.
This list will be updated as more celebrities come to call the Austin area home.
