10 Famous People You May Not Know Have Ties to Southwest Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana - Southwest Louisiana has produced some pretty impressive people. When you think about famous people from the Lake Charles area, a few names probably come to mind. But there are also plenty of people with ties to the area that you may not know about.
For a relatively small part of Louisiana, the Lake Charles area has produced a pretty impressive list of people who have made their mark in sports, music, entertainment, medicine, and beyond.
From Hollywood actors and famous musicians to professional athletes, doctors, and even astronauts, Southwest Louisiana has connections to some big names. Here are 10 people you may be surprised to learn have ties to the area.
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Zachary Levi
You may know Zachary Levi from the TV show Chuck or the movie Shazam!
Levi was born in Lake Charles before his family moved to California when he was young. He went on to become a successful actor and has appeared in movies, television shows, and Broadway productions.
Michael DeBakey
Michael DeBakey is one of the most famous doctors ever connected to Lake Charles.
DeBakey was born in Lake Charles in 1908 and went on to become a world-famous heart surgeon. He helped develop new techniques for heart surgery and played a major role in the development of artificial blood vessels.
Lucinda Williams
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams was born in Lake Charles.
Williams became known for her country, folk, blues, and rock music. She has released numerous albums during a career that has lasted for decades. Her songwriting has also earned her several major awards.
Matt Forte
Lake Charles has produced its share of professional athletes, including former NFL running back Matt Forte. Forte was born here in Lake Charles and played college football at Tulane before becoming a second-round pick of the Chicago Bears in 2008. He spent most of his NFL career with the Bears and became one of the best running backs in team history.
Dominic Gorie
Dominic Gorie was born in Lake Charles and became a NASA astronaut. Gorie flew on four Space Shuttle missions during his career and spent hundreds of hours in space.
Sean Patrick Flanery
Actor Sean Patrick Flanery was born in Lake Charles. He's probably best known for playing Connor MacManus in The Boondock Saints. He also played the young Indiana Jones in the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars isn't from Lake Charles, but he has strong ties to the area.
Dumars played college basketball at McNeese State before becoming an NBA star with the Detroit Pistons. He won two NBA championships, was named an NBA All-Star six times, and was eventually inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Currently, the court inside McNeese's Townsley Law Arena is named after Dumars, and he is the New Orleans Pelicans' current general manager.
Eddie Kennison
Eddie Kennison grew up in Lake Charles and attended Washington-Marion High School. The Lake Charles area has also sent plenty of football talent to the NFL.
He went on to play college football at LSU before beginning an NFL career that included stops with several teams. Kennison spent much of his career as a wide receiver and returned kicks at the professional level.
Other Famous People With SWLA Connections
Southwest Louisiana also has connections to people like baseball Hall of Famer Ted Lyons, former MLB manager Alvin Dark, NFL executive Terry Fontenot, MLB pitcher J.T. Chargois, and Yahoo co-founder David Filo, who has ties to the Moss Bluff area.
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Gallery Credit: Gina Cook