BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana. It’s home to Louisiana State University, Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College. The city is famous for landmarks like the Old State Capitol and Magnolia Mound Plantation. With a population of more than 200,000 people, Baton Rouge is home to many celebrities.

Baton Rouge has a strong culture of creating people who shoot for the stars. We created a list of famous people you didn’t know were from Baton Rouge, including writers, journalists, athletes, musical artists, actors and prominent leaders.

Don Lemon was born on March 1, 1966. According to IMDb, Lemon attended Louisiana State University and Brooklyn College and majored in broadcast journalism. He is a writer and producer, known for his roles in “Zoolander 2” (2016), “Into the Storm” (2014), and “Black-ish” (2014). Lemon has worked for CNN since 2006. He received an Edward R. Murrow Award and three regional Emmy awards.

Ted DiBiase Jr. was born on Nov. 8, 1982. DiBiase is known for his professional wrestling career, following his father Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase Sr. IMDb says DiBiase is an actor known for his roles in World Wrestling Entertainment episodes and “The Marine 2” (2009). DiBiase received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mississippi College and currently works in Mississippi as a business development executive, according to LinkedIn.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis was born on Jan. 1, 1986. Davis attended Louisiana State University and played for the Tigers from 2005-07 until he was drafted into the NBA, according to LSU Sports. Davis was a second-round, 35th-overall pick for the Seattle Supersonics. Davis was traded to the Boston Celtics not much longer after being drafted by Seattle. Davis won an NBA Championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics. Davis is the head coach of the Charlotte Purple Jackets in The Basketball League (TBL).

Randy Jackson was born on June 23, 1956. Jackson is prominently known for his time on American Idol. Jackson attended Southern University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in music. Jackson began his music career by playing for artists like Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan, according to Biography. Jackson began working as a producer and executive for Columbia and MCA Records. Jackson then became one of the judges for the hit TV series “American Idol” in 2002, alongside other judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. A few years later, Jackson helped create MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” in 2008. By 2013, Jackson decided to leave “American Idol.” Now, Jackson serves as the bandleader on the TV series “Name That Tune.”

Lynn Whitfield is a Baton Rouge native born on Feb. 15, 1953. Whitfield is known for her roles in movies like “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” (1996), “The Josephine Baker Story” (1991), and “Madea’s Family Reunion” (2006). Whitfield attended Howard University and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre, according to IMDb. Whitfield won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special for “The Josephine Baker Story” and received seven NAACP Awards and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. Whitfield currently is an activist and keynote speaker.

Carly Patterson was born on Feb. 4, 1988. She was known for being the first woman all-around gold medalist in gymnastics in the 2004 Olympics. Patterson began gymnastics in 1994, after attending a cousin’s birthday party. By 2003, Patterson had made her debut at the senior international elite level, winning back-to-back American Cup titles, according to USA Gymnastics. After returning from the Olympics, Patterson began a music career and was signed to Music Mind Records in 2007. Her first single was released in 2008. Her song, “Here I Am”, was used in the TV show, “Make It or Break It”. Patterson is now a public speaker.

Piyush “Bobby” Jindal was born on June 10, 1971. Jindal was the 55th governor of Louisiana from 2008-16. He graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1988 before receiving his degrees in biology and public policy from Brown University in Rhode Island. According to the U.S. House of Representatives archives, Jindal interned in State Rep. Jim McCrery’s office. Jindal ran a campaign to run for the congressional seat after losing to Kathleen Blanco in the governor’s race in 2003. In 2007, Jindal ran for the Louisiana governor once again and won. In 2015, he suspended his campaign to run for president. Jindal is still working to serve the state of Louisiana.

Odell Beckham Jr. was born on Nov. 5, 1992. Beckham is known for his spectacular football catches. Beckham began playing football for LSU in 2011 before being drafted in 2014 as a first-round, No. 12 overall pick by the New York Giants, according to LSU Sports. Beckham wore No. 33 his freshman year, before switching to No. 3 his last two years. Beckham currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire was born on April 11, 1999. Edwards-Helaire currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and is now a Super Bowl champion. LSU Sports says Edwards-Helaire graduated from Catholic High School and attended LSU from 2017-19 before being drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 as a 32nd pick. At LSU, Edwards-Helaire was named the 2019 LSU MVP and permanent team captain.

Did we miss someone? Email Keymonte Avery at kavery@brproud.com to suggest updates.