The Top 5 Actors From Lafayette
A colleague of mine got to talking about famous people from the Acadiana area. We all know of the many athletes, musicians and politicians. But there is one sector that we don't usually associate with this region, and that is acting.
So I got curious and decided to do a little research on some of the famous folks from Lafayette. As suspected, the list isn't too long and perhaps we don't have that many "A" type superstars.
However, we do have some very accomplished thespians who were born in the Hub City.
Here are the top 5 most popular actors and actresses from Lafayette according to IMDb.
- IMDb
IMDb 1RJ Mitte
24 Years OldRJ moved to Los Angeles in 2006 with his family to support his sister who is an actress. However, a few acting lessons later he ended landing a role on the popular Disney show "Hannah Montana".
His biggest role to date though has been as Walt White, Jr. on the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning AMC series "Breaking Bad". Since the show, RJ has been involved mostly in independent films.
- IMDb
IMDb 2Danneel Ackles
37 Years OldBorn in Lafayette as Elta Danneel Graul but professionally goes by Danneel Ackles. She had a recurring role on "One Tree Hill" for two seasons as Rachel Gatina.
Ackles also had roles on the daytime soap "One Life To Live" and the 2008 movie Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.
She has been married to actor Jensen Ackles since May 15, 2010. They have one child.
- IMDb
IMDb 3Angela Kinsey
44 Years OldAlthough she was born in Lafayette, her family moved to Indonesia when she was two. (Her dad was a drilling engineer.)
She later grew up in Texas and attended Baylor University. After college, she got a job interning on the "Conan O'Brien Show".
Later got her real start in commercials and her first TV gig was on the ABC sit-com "Step By Step". Her breakthrough role came when she was cast as Angela in the hit TV comedy "The Office".
- IMDb
IMDb 4Erin Cummings
38 Years OldBorn in Lafayette but much of her youth was spent in Huntsville, Texas after also spending time in Lafayette, Korea and Nebraska because her dad was in the military.
Erin studied Shakespeare at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Most recently seen as Sura in the Starz original action-adventure drama series "Spartacus: War of the Damned" (2010). Has had a recurring role on the hit AMC series "Mad Men", alongside Martin Lawrence in the movie Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins, and many more TV and movie roles.
- 5
Richard Keith
65 Years OldKeith Raymond Thibodeaux may be the most recognized name on this list. Everyone remembers him as Little Ricky on one of the all-time great sit-coms, "I Love Lucy".
Keith would go on to have various acting stints including "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960), "Route 66" (1960), "Shirley Temple's Storybook" (1958), and "Hazel" (1961).
He's been married since 1976 to his wife Kathy and they have one daughter (Tara). Presently, he is the executive director of Ballet Magnificat! in Jackson, Mississippi and still plays the drums and spends time in the recording studio.