Austin, Film, Music, Pop Culture

The Ultimate List of Celebrities Who Live In Or Frequent Austin

A few days back, the Facebooks was a’flitter with news that Nicolas Cage was chowing down at East Austin’s french bistro Justine’s Brasserie. I contemplated heading down there to get a glimpse of the Dazzling One, but figured I would look as creepy as his hairline by doing so. In fact, there was a small part of that was afraid he’d go all Bad Lieutenant 2-style on me if I said hello.

I still haven’t figured out why Nic Cage was in Austin or if he is even still here, hiding behind a dumpster and shouting unintelligible words at homeless people for fun. Theory is he’s in the new Terrence Malick film shooting here (that is every Austinite’s answer for when they spot a celebrity), but I can’t imagine Malick casting someone like Cage for his highly intellectualized dramas. Cage is way too good of an actor for that stuff.

The Cage spotting got me thinking about all the celebrities that live in Austin or enjoy frequenting Austin. There are a slew of them. Some are from the great state of Texas or went to UT or shot a movie here and have always had a fondness for the capital city. Other celebs, like us regular folk, caught wind it was the next hip city and decided to set up digs here.

Below is a list of celebs you will often see milling about the ATX. Let me know who I’m leaving out!

Several celebrities own houses here including Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant (rumor has it he likes to barter the price of cheese at Whole Foods), recent transplant and Austin lovin’ Billy Bob Thornton, UT grad Matthew McConaughey and Dennis Quaid. I can’t confirm Quaid’s current housing status for his Austin realtor wife, Kimberly Buffington, recently filed for divorce, then retracted it.

Sandra Bullock’s 2.5 mil digs

Sandra Bullock recently put her 2.5 million Barton Creek home up for sale, maybe in part because of her not-even-worth-mentioning-his-name-ex-husband bought a home here shortly after their divorce. The actress is still part-owner in the West 6th Street eateries Bess and Walton’s.

Tennis star Andy Roddick and his model wife, Brooklyn Decker, live in a fancy-ass Lake Austin home equipped with hotel-style carpeting and questionable artwork.

Lance Armstrong proudly calls Austin home both for himself and for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (he owns other homes in Aspen and the Texas Hill Country).

Willie Nelson not only lives in the suburbs of Austin, his ponytails are featured on official Austin t-shirts at the Austin Visitor’s Center.

Hollywood filmmakers Robert Rodriguez (Machete, Spy Kids, Predator), Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed & Confused, Before Sunrise), Terrence Malick (Badlands, Days of Heaven, Tree of Life) and Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-Head, Office Space) all live here and shoot a good chunk of their films in and around Austin.

Various cast members of the now defunct Austin-based Friday Night Lights still live here including Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.

Former news anchor and Texas-born Dan Rather calls both Austin and NYC his home (his daughter, Robin, is a well known environmental activist in ATX).

Musician, artist and schizo-extraordinaire Daniel Johnston has lived in Austin for decades and his famous “Jeremiah the Innocent” mural can be seen off of Guadalupe Street near the UT campus.

As for celeb sightings, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale have been two of the most talked and drooled about as of recently. Both are starring in Terrence Malick’s upcoming untitled film about a “love triangle set amongst the backdrop of Austin’s music scene”.

Drew Barrymore used to be a popular fixture here. Rumor is she had a bf here (Justin Long reportedly has a home here), but considering now she’s married and with child, chances are we won’t see her popping into the SoCo American Apparel as much.

The Dallas-born Wilson Brothers are common fixtures; Owen and Andrew went to UT and Luke really looooves Maudie’s (who doesn’t?)

People often report sightings of nymph-like Elijah Wood. I myself spotted him in a SoCo store and when I pointed him out to my mother, she yelled, “ELIJAH WOOD IS IN THE STORE?!” roughly five feet from his face.

Bill Murray partyin’ during SXSW

Of course there are the legendary Bill Murray stories. I’m not sure if he hangs out here any more than he does in other hip towns where he can get a lot of attention from young people, but we Austinites like to think that Murray thinks of us as special.

David Byrne, Quentin Tarantino and Jason Schwartzman also seem to show up here a few times a year.

Unconfirmed rumor: Kanye West has a condo in downtown Austin.

 

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77 Comments

  • Reply Kimberly October 10, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    I have a good friend who has bumped into Quentin Taratino on a couple of occasions. He says he is such an awesome, needy, regular guy who loves talking about crazy movie ideas :P…not that that’s particularly surprising LOL

    • Reply Caitrin October 6, 2013 at 10:23 pm

      While I have yet to engage in much of a conversation with him, I’ve run into good old Robert Plant over at the Continental Club Gallery on occasion.
      From what I understand, he and Allison live right around the corner, in Travis Heights, (for at least part of the year)…

      • Reply ike January 10, 2014 at 9:23 am

        Robert Plant lives with Patty Griffin. If he now lives with Alison Krauss that would ne new news to me.

        • Reply Creighton Bruton March 19, 2018 at 2:52 am

          He’s got an exquisite home in San Antonio and a ranch out west in San Saba.

      • Reply Creighton Bruton March 19, 2018 at 2:58 am

        Robert Plant bought the house nextdoor to myself and Sheryl Crow several years ago when he and Krause were still a hot item recording together. Lovely and gifted couple!

  • Reply Corrin October 10, 2012 at 12:13 pm

    CHUCK WOOLERY! If the host of Love Connection isn’t a celebrity, I don’t know who is.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 10, 2012 at 2:17 pm

      I didn’t know Chuck Woolery lived here! Neat-o!

      • Reply Robert July 16, 2013 at 10:39 pm

        Horseshoe Bay

    • Reply Redford John July 26, 2019 at 9:46 pm

      Chuck Woolery is a crazy right wing Trumpstain and is every bit as nasty as James Woods. Never bring up this terrible example of an Austinite again.

  • Reply Kimberly October 10, 2012 at 12:15 pm

    Omg nerdy..not needy! Stupid autocorrect insulting people again!

    • Reply hipstercrite October 10, 2012 at 2:16 pm

      Hahaha…needy. Quentin Tarantino always seemed like a cool dude. I love listening to his ADD talk.

  • Reply Dentonista October 10, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    HOW could you leave off Lyle Lovett? I saw him at Guero’s last year.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 10, 2012 at 2:16 pm

      I had no idea that Lyle Lovett lived here! I like him!

    • Reply Unikkorns October 10, 2012 at 7:34 pm

      I saw Lyle at the Four Seasons.

  • Reply Shelley Seale October 10, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    I’ve had several friends spot both Maggie Gyllenhal and Natalie Portman lately, and I have personally met Quinten Tarantino here in the ATX. Love the list! Although I’m troubled that you think Nicholas Cage is a good actor.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 10, 2012 at 2:22 pm

      Natalie Portman is shooting the Malick movie too. I love Maggie Gyllenhaal. As for Cage…I adore him because he’s so bad that he’s good, terrific, AMAZING!

    • Reply Dentonista October 11, 2012 at 3:56 pm

      You girls have to take that back, right now – Nicholas Cage is a GOD, and has been, ever since “Valley Girl.”
      Oh how he broke my teen heart.
      Siiiigh.
      “That chick Julie, she’s truly dazzling.”

  • Reply AmandaC October 10, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    You forgot me!

    • Reply hipstercrite October 10, 2012 at 3:13 pm

      And Amanda C!

  • Reply anonymus October 10, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    Nic Cage is here for the new David Gordon Green movie, another famous director that calls this city home.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 10, 2012 at 3:12 pm

      Ahh…thank you, Ms. H!

  • Reply Lohmans Crossing October 10, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks lives in Austin. One of the most hated Bachelors, Brad Womack, owns a few bars downtown, but I guess he’s not really a celeb. What about Drew Brees of the Saints? He’s a sports a celeb so he should count. Blue October is from ATX too. Austin’s a hotbed for celebs, but celebrity sightings are not as prevalent as LA or NYC.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 10, 2012 at 3:15 pm

      Totally forgot about Womack and Brees (but, yes, Womack’s fame is questionable). That reminds me, forgot about that dude who wrote, “Do They Serve Beer in Hell?”. Didn’t know about Natalie Maines. Thanks!

      • Reply Anthony C February 18, 2014 at 2:57 pm

        Tucker max?

  • Reply Jesse October 10, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Saw Jesse Plemons of FNL and Breaking Bad in Wheatsville fairly recently.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 11, 2012 at 1:04 pm

      I think someone else mentioned him too!

  • Reply Euphoria Girl October 10, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    I see Robert Plant all the time. I’m pretty sure I see a ton of others but am entirely clueless.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 11, 2012 at 1:04 pm

      I still haven’t seen Robert Plant!

  • Reply Jess October 10, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    Since Robert Plant moved to Austin to be with Patty Griffin, it’s kind of a shame she’s not listed lol 🙂 Musical royalty there

    • Reply hipstercrite October 11, 2012 at 1:05 pm

      Ah…well, there ya go.

  • Reply Unikkorns October 10, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    My sister met Johnny Knoxville and the guys from Everclear at a bar during SXSW one year.

    • Reply hipstercrite October 11, 2012 at 1:05 pm

      Were Johnny Knoxville and the guys from Everclear hanging out?1

  • Reply Carrie Clevenger October 18, 2012 at 10:00 am

    Nice list! Also shitloads of musicians here, but listing them would take all day!

    • Reply hipstercrite October 18, 2012 at 12:29 pm

      Hahaha. Very true! Anyone I’m forgetting that is a must-add?

    • Reply tommy lee August 9, 2019 at 11:12 am

      check on Mick Jones ..am curious

  • Reply Anon October 29, 2012 at 9:39 pm

    Nic Cage was seated at a table next to me at TRIO today.

  • Reply Gus Dark November 7, 2012 at 10:33 am

    Wow, lovely list, I love Nic cage too … I wish I was there, I’d love to see him in my small island of Bali 😉 Brava Hipstercrite …

  • Reply BUKU May 13, 2013 at 10:15 pm

    Nolan Ryan
    Deb from 101x

    • Reply 23tlc23 February 6, 2015 at 12:44 pm

      Nolan Ryan and his wife are true blue neat ass people. I see them regularly and they are awesome..and he can take a joke..thank G–!!

  • Reply glanzer June 19, 2013 at 4:13 pm

    Meat Loaf now lives in Hill Country!

  • Reply Submissions from a golfer/rager June 24, 2013 at 4:43 pm

    How about PGA golfers and legends of golf such as Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw? Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas also lives here and currently plays on the PGA tour (look him up he has a pretty awesome story about his journey). I have also personally met Fred “boom boom” Couples another legendary golfer with Masters wins at a gas station on Bee Caves road. You also have the guys from Tritonal (Dave Reed and Chad Cisneros) who are massive in the EDM scene and playing major festivals all over the world. Speaking of that, some of my buds used to see Cedric Benson at some clubs downtown. I know he is mentioned, but have also personally seen Andy Roddick at a bar on dirty 6th a few years back and talked to him briefly. Both Fred Couples and Andy Roddick were very approachable and friendly guys. Wow! I almost forgot one of the biggest names in golf ever, Jack Nicklaus was just north of here a few years back to oversee one of his new ventures, a pristine golf course close to Horseshoe Bay. Also quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played a round at Lakecliff Country Club a few years back. Of course there are many more but I really can’t believe Michael Dell was left off the list! Anyone know who he is? Haha! Oh and TMZ loved it when UFC fighter Roger Huerta (who i heard grew up wrestling at Crockett High School) got some vigilante justice downtown when a guy blindsided a girl on the street.

  • Reply RunWay Underground July 3, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    Yall forgot the people of colour: Earl Campbell, Hollywood Henderson, Ms. Lavelle White, Kyle Turner… Just sayin…

  • Reply Lala July 6, 2013 at 4:15 pm

    Johnny Depp occasionally visits soco. You forgot Johnny!

  • Reply Kip July 7, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    Add Backdoor Teen Mom Farrah Abraham to the list (or not).

    • Reply Rachel February 13, 2014 at 12:10 pm

      Dawww, Thank god I live in Houston…a safe distance away from that thing.

      • Reply thing1 February 1, 2015 at 8:16 am

        @Rachel, Houston sucks and so do the people there… I hope you stay forever.

        • Reply teri July 13, 2017 at 9:41 am

          @thing1 WHA… I live in Dirty Bay (Baytown) 33 mi. from downtown Houston….How hard is it to MOVE THERE… its a 4 hr. drive and a coupla trux…I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE because I have 12 family members who MOVED THERE…FROM AUSTIN TO KERRVILLE…we have infiltrated your town and u don’t even know it….I SPENT TIME WITH STEVIE RAY VAUGHN at Steamboat Springs B4 U WERE BORN…Doubt u would even know Leonard Cohen if u ran into him..i’m jus’ sayin

  • Reply Susan July 8, 2013 at 6:29 pm

    Had to laugh at your mom yelling, “ELIJAH WOOD IS IN THE STORE?!” because we had a similar oopsie with Sandra Bullock a few years ago. We were in Waterloo records and I saw her and her then boyfriend, musician Bob Schneider. We were in the large room on the right, and there were only a couple of other people there. I walked up to my husband and whispered, “To the right is Sandra Bullock.”

    He replied, in that loud, booming voice that he has, “WHO’S TO THE RIGHT OF SANDRA BULLOCK?!” He thought I was making some sort of political statement, and I just avoided eye contact with her and slunk off to make my purchases in the other room.

  • Reply kristina July 12, 2013 at 2:26 am

    A friend saw drew berrymore last night at Barbarellos.

  • Reply kristina July 12, 2013 at 2:29 am

    And Justin long definitely has a place near. A friend of ours is a model/artist who’s friends with him. He threw her a bday party about a month ago

  • Reply HAPPY July 13, 2013 at 12:38 pm

    DOES TOMMY LEE JONES STILL THERE? I KNOW HE USED TO.

    • Reply HAPPY July 13, 2013 at 12:44 pm

      *LIVE

      • Reply Dan October 17, 2013 at 6:08 pm

        He has a large ranch close to San Saba.

  • Reply Girly1 August 10, 2013 at 12:52 am

    Kim kardashian

    • Reply Rachel February 13, 2014 at 12:11 pm

      Nnnnnnno!

  • Reply Karen September 3, 2013 at 5:06 pm

    Ian McLagen, folks!

  • Reply Amelia October 14, 2013 at 2:10 am

    Celebrity Liam Stone and his wife was at Bouldin Creek Cafe today. i waited on him.. They said they bought a house there this week..

  • Reply Crystal January 19, 2014 at 10:41 am

    I don’t know if someone mentioned it already but Taylor Kitsch from FNL lives in Austin too.

  • Reply simon delaplaya February 2, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    you forgot LouLou from Thievery Corp…

    just sayin’…

  • Reply Andrea Force February 4, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    I assume the cast of the NBC series, Revolution, are living in or around Austin … at least temporarily. Not when the post was written back in 2012, but since production moved here.

  • Reply Tom March 8, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    I have heard that Aggie Yell Leader Rick Perry has lived in Austin for many years. Also Nobel Prize winner Steven Weinberg. Also acclaimed classical pianist Anton Nel. Also international counter-terrorism expert Fred Burton of Stratfor. Also historian and author H.W. Brands.

    • Reply emily July 28, 2014 at 11:47 am

      well of course rick perry lives here…in the governor’s mansion! 😉

  • Reply Leluxe March 20, 2014 at 7:23 pm

    Ethan Green Hawke is a frequent SoCo shopper,he was born in 1970 in To UT students.. 🙂

  • Reply Jonathan July 28, 2014 at 12:52 pm

    Elijah Wood has a victorian mansion in Austin

  • Reply Twistedtexan August 22, 2014 at 3:40 am

    I run into Billy Burke often, and have also shared a few conversations with Peter Burg. Very cool cats.

  • Reply Kristi October 14, 2014 at 5:57 am

    I get mistaken for Natalie Maines REGULARLY. Of all the Texans, I get to be her doppelganger. I don’t even wear hats anymore because people think I’m trying to hide. Good grief. Can’t I be mistaken for well…ANYONE ELSE? Anyone at all? Ran into her at Nordstrom, took all I had not to trip her.
    Hahahahaha! Blah.

  • Reply Mike November 10, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    Mike McCarthy coach of the Packers lives in West Lake!

  • Reply Annessa March 26, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    I realize this post was from a while back, but do you have any tips on contacting Austin-based celebrities for charity events? We have a Bug Run coming up, and would love a celebrity judge to gain more awareness of our nonprofit, Drive a Senior. Any recent updates or movie shoots to be aware of? Thanks for any help!

    • Reply hipstercrite March 27, 2015 at 3:23 pm

      Hi, Annessa!
      I’d love to help you, but I have no idea. I think the film scene is quiet for the time being.
      Malick still might be shooting stuff.

  • Reply Why are Texans so dumb? - Page 5 May 18, 2015 at 8:35 pm

    […] […]

  • Reply Southernsweetie October 11, 2015 at 5:27 pm

    Jared Padalecki of Gilmore Girls and Supernatural fame lives in Austin. He’s from San Antonio.

  • Reply lovelywarren February 17, 2016 at 11:36 am

    I know I am pretty late to the party but…Jensen Ackles joined his Supernatural co-star Jared Padalecki and now also resides in Austin. He’s from Dallas.

  • Reply Kate February 25, 2016 at 11:05 pm

    As said before, you left out Jared Padalecki, and I have heard that Jensen Ackles also lives in Austin now. I also live in Austin, and now that I’ve heard that some celebs live here, I kind of hope to run into one!

  • Reply JOCELYN VEYLUPEK May 8, 2016 at 10:08 am

    I remember years ago that Brad Pitt had a home here as well as Emilo Estavez. I also have seen Joe Rogen, & Kevin Fowler frequents Midnight Rodeo.

  • Reply Michael May 16, 2016 at 5:05 pm

    WWE Mark Henry has a home in Austin he is a UT Alumni

  • Reply Nadia Dalleh May 4, 2019 at 7:00 am

    I almost quite literally ran into Elijah Wood leaving the Alamo Draft house off of 6th a few years back. My friend and I had noticed that we were sitting a few seats away from him during a, Master Pankcake showing! I embarrassed myself by being my natural awkward self but mumbled lord knows what lol.

  • Reply TDunlap August 9, 2019 at 11:06 am

    I saw Mick Jones **Foriegnor** interviewed in Austin ..curious?

  • Leave a Reply to TDunlap Cancel Reply