Famous people who call Austin "home" or have ties to Austin:
Lance Armstrong is a 7-time Tour de France winner, cancer survivor and founder of the Livestrong Foundation. Lance moved to Austin after having been raised in Plano, TX. He owns a home in Austin and also a bike shop Mellow Johnny's. The Livestrong Foundation is also based in Austin.
Sandra Bullock had her breakthrough performance in Speed, and has gone on to star in many movies, including Miss Congeniality, Crash, Two Weeks Notice, and most recently Blind Side. She owns a house near lake Austin and has also started two businesses in Austin -- Bess Bistro and Walton's Fancy and Staple.
Matthew McConaughey is an actor who has starred in movies such as Contact, U-571, The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sahara and We Are Marshall. He currently lives in Austin and can be seen often at UT football games. He attended UT and graduated from the College of Communications.
Willie Nelson is a country singer, songwriter, activist, actor, author and poet. He grew up in Texas but moved away to pursue his music career. After a stint in Nasville in the 60s, he retired and moved to Austin, took up music again and saw his popularity soar. He remains active in Austin and the hill country.
Renee Zelleweger is an actress who has starred in such movies as Bridget Jones's Diary and Cinderella Man. She graduated from UT Austin with a major in English.
Michael Dell is the founder of Dell, Inc. He started in the tech world operating a computer busines out of his dormitory while attending UT. The business became successful enough that he dropped out of college to found Dell. Through his philanthropy, Dell has helped fund the Dell Children's Medical Center, the Dell Pediatric Research Institute, the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, and the Dell Computer Science Hall on the UT campus.
Mike Judge is an animator, writer, director and producer best known for creating and starring in King of the Hill and Beavis and Butthead. He was also the writer for Office Space, which was shot in and around Austin. He currently lives in Austin.
Andy Roddick is a professional tennis player who turned pro in 2000. He is best known for his fast serves, which range from around 130-150 mph, and was ranked No. 1 in the world for a stint in 2003, winning the US Open that same year. He grew up in Austin for 7 years and moved back to Austin later in his life.
Robert Rodriguez is a film producer and director, known for making successful indie and low-budget films and often being on the cutting edge of film production. His first big hit was Spy Kids and he went on to direct Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Sin City, and Planet Terror of Grindhouse. In May of 2009, he officialy completed his degree from the UT College of Communications and was the featured speaker at the commencement ceremony.
Mack Brown has been the head coach for the UT football team since 1998. During that time, the team has won 4 Big XII division titles, one Big XII conference title, and one national championship. Brown is active in local affairs, serving as an honorary co-chairman of the Capital Campaign for the Helping Hands of Austin along with his wife.
Drew Brees is a professional NFL player and currently the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. He was born in Austin and played football for Westlake High School.
Darrell Royal is the winningest coach in UT football history, coaching the team from 1957-1976, winning 11 division titles and 3 national championships during that time.
