These famous celebrities were all born in San Antonio
You may be surprised how many celebrities were born in the Alamo City. While we don't have the glitzy profile of LA, New York or even Dallas, plenty of talented folks have come up in the 210 — and some have hit the big time.
These film, music and TV stars were all born in San Antonio, and while some quickly moved away, many stayed around for the long haul.
Scroll down to view images
Wikimedia Commons / Pearly Gates Korea
Mina Sharon Myoi
K-Pop idol Mina was born in San Antonio in 1997. She didn’t stay in the Alamo City long, but moved with her family to Japan when she was a toddler. She was later scouted by JYP Entertainment while shopping in Osaka, and rocketed to success as a member of TWICE. In a promotional vlog for a 2022 TWICE show in Ft. Worth, Myoi said that she didn’t remember living in Texas, but that she did return to visit every two years with her parents for a while.
Universal Studios
Michelle Rodriguez
Action star Michelle Rodriguez came out kicking in San Antonio in 1978, and lived in Texas until she was 8. Her family later moved to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Rodriguez may be best known for playing Letty in the Fast & Furious movies, but she's also appeared in other iconic franchises including Machete and Resident Evil. In 2023, she starred in the new Dungeons and Dragons movie, as well as Fast X.
Netflix / Eike Schroter
Henry Thomas
Most often recognized for his breakout role at Elliott in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, San Antonio native Henry Thomas has become a horror fixture of late with roles in Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher. The actor was born in SA in 1971 and went to East Central HS.
AMC
Nicolas Cantu
Nicolas Cantu spent his first 10 years in San Antonio before moving to LA to pursue acting. His various film and television appearances include The Walking Dead: World Beyond, The Fabelmans and The Amazing World of Gumball, and he recently starred as Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Larami Serrano
Shea Serrano
New York Times best-selling author, journalist and former teacher Shea Serrano proudly reps San Antonio – more specifically the South Side. Widely known for his addictive Twitter personality, Serrano graduated from Southwest HS. In 2021, he completed his bestselling book trilogy (And Other Things) with Hip Hop (And Other Things), and in 2023 his TV series Primo debuted on Amazon Freevee.
Wikimedia Commons / Studio production still
Joan Crawford
Actress Joan Crawford, known for her roles in films like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Mildred Pierce, was born in San Antonio at the turn of the 20th century. The Academy Award winner attained a level of infamy in the wake of her adoptive daughter Christina Crawford’s 1978 autobiography Mommie Dearest, which alleged that Joan — who had passed in 1977 — was abusive and an alcoholic. In 1981, the book was adapted into a film of the same name starring Faye Dunaway.
Photo via Shutterstock / lev radin
Ally Brooke
Born Ally Brooke Hernandez in 1993, San Antonio native Ally Brooke rose to pop stardom as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. She went to Cornerstone Elementary School, but no high school can claim her since she completed her studies through home-schooling. Since Fifth Harmony went on hiatus in 2018, she has released the book Finding Your Harmony and holiday-themed EP Under the Tree. In late 2023, Brooke told People that she is still working on her planned solo album, and hinted about “possible Fifth Harmony adventures ahead.”
Courtesy Photo / HBO
Jeff Hiller
Comedian and actor Jeff Hiller grew up in San Antonio and graduated from Churchill High School. Though he originally planned to become a pastor, he graduated from Texas Lutheran University with a degree in theater. He made a name for himself with appearances in shows like 30 Rock, Community, Broad City and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Recently, he starred as Joel in HBO’s Somebody Somewhere.
Shutterstock / Featureflash Photo Agency
Steve Howey
Though he was born in San Antonio in 1977, Steve Howey actually spent most of his childhood on a boat his parents sailed up and down the Pacific Coast before his family settled down in Colorado when he was a teen. Howey starred in Reba from 2001-2007, but most people would likely recognize him as Kevin Ball in Showtime's Shameless. Recently, he starred in the TV series True Lies.
FX
Emilio Rivera
It's not often that an actor gets to play the same role on multiple TV shows, but that's just what Emilio Rivera did as Marcus Alvarez on AMC's Sons of Anarchy and its spinoff Mayans M.C. Born in San Antonio in 1961, Rivera grew up on the outskirts of L.A. and launched his acting career in the '90s. He also starred in Eva Longoria’s film Flamin’ Hot, which tells the alleged origin story of the beloved local snack.