From Staunton native and trailblazer William Haines to Fairfax native and “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis, Virginia has produced a fair share of notable actors.
Here is a look at just some of them, representing each of the decades for the past 100 years – with birthplace, year born and, if appropriate, year of death:
1920s: George C. Scott (Wise, 1927-1999) He won two Golden Globes and was nominated for a Tony five times – he portrayed tough characters, such Gen. George S. Patton. Scott went to high school in Detroit, and while in the Marine Corps was assigned to serving as an honor guard at Arlington National Cemetery. He died in California in 1999.
1930s: William Haines (Staunton, 1900-1973) Haines was born in Staunton on Jan. 2, 1900, before making his way to New York and then Hollywood. Perhaps the first openly gay actor, he made the transition to interior designer in 1935 when his acting career dried up. He died in California the same year as his long-time partner, Jimmie Shields.
1940s: Wayne Newton (Norfolk, 1942) Known more as a lounge singer, Newton was also an actor during his career and played himself in many roles. Newton lived in Fredericksburg in his early years.
1950s: Shirley McLaine (Richmond, 1934) She went to high school in Arlington and went on to win an Emmy Award, six Golden Globes, and many other awards. One of her roles in the 1950s was in “Around the World in 80 Days.”
1960s: Warren Beatty (Richmond, 1937) The younger brother of McLaine also went to what was then Washington-Lee High in Arlington. They have relatives with ties to Front Royal. Beatty received an Academy Award and three Golden Globes. He played Clyde Barrow in “Bonnie and Clyde” in 1967.
1970s: David Arquette (Bentonville, 1971) Also a professional wrestler, he was born on a commune in Warren County. He was married from 1999-2014 to actor Courteney Cox, a star on “Friends.”
1980s: Rob Lowe (Charlottesville, 1964) Lowe was very busy during the 1980s with roles in “The Outsiders” (1983), “Class” (1984), “The Hotel New Hampshire” (1984), and “St. Elmo’s Fire” (1985), among others. He lived in Ohio before going to Santa Monica High in California.
1990s: Blair Underwood (Washington state, 1964) Underwood went to Petersburg High. From 1987-1994, he played attorney Jonathan Rollins in “L.A. Law,” a legal drama series.
2000s: Sandra Bullock (Arlington, 1964) The Yorktown High graduate, who also attended East Carolina University, starred in “Miss Congeniality” in 2000, among her many movies.
2010s: Katherine Heigl (Washington, D.C., 1978) She lived in Northern Virginia at a young age before moving to Connecticut. Her work this decade included “One for the Money” in 2012 and “The Big Wedding” the following year.
2020s: Jason Sudeikis (Fairfax, 1975) He lived in Northern Virginia briefly before settling in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park with his family. Before gaining fame for his role as a soccer coach in England, he was with “Saturday Night Live.” Season 4 of “Ted Lasso” began in August.
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David Driver
