Some of these actors and actresses include Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, Denzel Washington, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Julia Roberts, Dennis Hopper, Cicely Tyson, Elvis Presley, Dennis Quaid, John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleason, James Spader, Dolly Parton, Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Yul Brenner, David Niven, Jimmy Stewart, James Mason, Brad Pitt, Charles Bronson, and Daryl Hannah.
[15] In terms of scenery, Louisiana offers swamps and cypress trees, public and private college campuses, antebellum plantations, and urban environments.
These diverse locations are often credited for Louisiana's ability to stand in as multiple settings such as Texas, Colorado, Utah, Washington, DC, and London.
As Patrick Lussier, director of Drive Angry 3D, commented in USA Today, "The film industry wants to find places it can reinvent and make look like anything it needs.
"[16] The film industry’s emergence in the Pelican State has also bolstered the hiring of local talent for Louisiana casting calls and auditions, [17] especially in New Orleans.