List of Cajuns

This is a list of notable Cajuns, often from the Acadiana or Greater New Orleans regions of French Louisiana, though not limited in geographic origin.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Cajuns or must have references showing they are Cajuns and are notable.

List

Arts, culture, and entertainment

• Barry Jean Ancelet - writer, folkorist, linguist^[1]
• Lee Benoit, accordion player and singer
• Al Berard, Cajun fiddler, guitarist, singer and songwriter
• Crystal, swamp pop musician
• Carl A. Brasseaux, historian, writer
• James Lee Burke, writer
• Mary Katherine Campbell, two-time Miss America pageant winner 1922 and 1923.^[2]
• Trishelle Cannatella (1979 - ), American actress, and model of Cajun ancestry.
• Lacey Chabert, actress (father of mostly Cajun descent)
• Amie Comeaux, country music singer
• Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, actress, talk-show host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (father was of part Cajun descent)
• Joe Doucet, Industrial Designer
• Val Dufour (1927–2000), soap opera actor
• Edwin Duhon, musician and co-founder of the Hackberry Ramblers
• Jesse Duplantis (1949 - ), an Evangelical Charismatic Christian minister
• Joe Falcon - (1900 - 1965) American accordionist know for being the first people to record Cajun Music.
• Cléoma Falcon (1906 – 1941) Cajun guitarist and vocalist, known for being the wife of Joe Falcon as well as being one of the first people to record Cajun Music.
• John Folse (1946 - ), Famous Cajun Chef, owner of several Louisiana Restaurants.
• Mary Alice Fontenot, children's author
• Mary Gauthier, folk singer/songwriter
• Bob Hamm, Writer, Humorist
• Hunter Hayes, accordion player and singer, both parents of part Cajun descent
• Leigh Hennessy, film actress and stunt performer
• Lash LaRue (deceased), former actor
• Doug Kershaw, singer, songwriter, fiddler
• Sammy Kershaw, Country Music singer and current candidate for Louisiana Lt. Governor
• Angela Kinsey, actress most known for The Office (US)
• Ali Landry, model and actress, 1996 Miss USA^[3]
• Lisa Landry, stand-up comedian
• Shia LaBeouf, actor, father is of Cajun descent
• Jared Leto, actor, musician, songwriter, director, artist, maternal grandparents Metrejon were both of part Cajun descent
• Shannon Leto, actor, musician, maternal grandparents Metrejon were both of part Cajun descent
• Camille Martin, poet
• Huey P. Meaux, songwriter, music producer. Nicknamed "The Crazy Cajun"
• Elemore Morgan, Jr., (deceased) painter
• Paul Prudhomme, chef of Cajun cuisine^[4]
• Matthew Randazzo V, (March 13, 1984 in New Orleans) is an American true crime writer and historian known for his work on the American Mafia.
• Tyran Richard (1982 - ), Cajun model.
• Zachary Richard, musician, environmentalist, French language preservationist and founder of Action Cadienne
• George Rodrigue, "painter"^[5]
• Amanda Shaw, singer, fiddler and actress
• Floyd Sonnier^[6]
• Stephanie Swift (1972- ), adult actress
• Fabian Thibodeaux, musician, recording artist, known as Isadar
• Clifford Trahan, singer, better known as Johnny Rebel
• Wayne Toups, musician
• Shane West (1978 - ), American actor from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, best known for starring in A Walk To Remember, mother is of Cajun descent
• Justin Wilson, chef,^[7] comedian
• Louis Armstrong (musician), Jazz musician from New Orleans, Louisiana, best known for his trumpet and raspy voice

Law and politics

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

• Kathleen Blanco, Former Louisiana Governor^[8]
• John Breaux, former Louisiana US Senator^[9]
• James Carville, political strategist
• Paul N. Cyr, lieutenant governor in the Huey Pierce Long, Jr., administration
• Reggie Dupre, Terrebonne Parish public official
• Edwin Edwards, former governor of Louisiana^[10]
• F. Edward Hebert, former Congressman, Chairman of Armed Services Committee
• Charlie Melancon, US congressman^[11]
• Billy Tauzin, politician^[12]

Military

• Claire Lee Chennault, the Louisiana-born aviator who commanded the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force nicknamed the "Flying Tigers" during World War II.
• Eugene Roe, World War II medic in the famed Easy Company
• John A. Lejeune Lt. General; 13th and most celebrated Commandant of the Marine Corps In the Marine Corps' annual celebration of the establishment of the Marine Corps on November 10, 1775, his personal message has been read every year since 1921.
• Robert H. Barrow General; 27th Commandant of the Marine Corps
• Jefferson J. DeBlanc (February 15, 1921– November 22, 2007) World War II Marine Corps fighter pilot and ace — shooting down nine Japanese aircraft during two tours of duty in the Pacific at Guadalcanal and Okinawa — and a Medal of Honor recipient. DeBlanc was a 1st Lieutenant when he earned his Medal of Honor over Kolombangara island in the Solomon Islands on 31 January 1943 and retired as a Colonel after serving as commander of Marine Air Reserve Group 18.
• Oliver Naquin, Admiral, US Navy (ret.), commander of the submarine USS Squalus during the Battle of Midway, and was present at the Japanese surrender which ended World War II.
• Alfred Mouton, Brigadier General, Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Sports

• Calvin Borel, hall of fame jockey
• Bubby Brister, Former NFL quarterback for the Steelers, Eagles, Broncos and others
• Lance Cormier, baseball pitcher
• Eddie Delahoussaye, Hall of Fame jockey^[13]
• Jake Delhomme, NFL quarterback for the Cleveland Browns^[14]
• Kent Desormeaux, hall of fame jockey
• Brett Favre, NFL quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings
• Roy Corcoran, baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros
• Gil Meche, baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals
• *Andy Pettitte, Starting Pitcher for the NY Yankees
• Bob Pettit, hall of fame basketball forward.
• Mike Fontenot, Philadelphia Phillies baseball player
• Eric Guerin, hall of fame jockey^[15]
• Ron Guidry, former baseball player^[5]
• Bobby Hebert, former NFL quarterback^[16]
• Leigh Hennessy, world champion gymnast
• Tom Landry, coach, Dallas Cowboys
• Stefan LeFors, football quarterback^[17]
• John LeRoux, professional wrestler
• Ryan Theriot, infielder for the San Francisco Giants, born in Baton Rouge, La.^[18]
• Reid Brignac, The self-proclaimed "Cajun God of Baseball", shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays, born in St. Amant, Louisiana.^[19]
• Xavier Paul, Cincinnati Reds outfielder

Fictional characters

• Amos Moses, from Jerry Reed's song "Amos Moses"
• Leatherhead is considered a Cajun for the 1987 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Remy LeBeau, a.k.a. Gambit, a long-standing member of the X-Men, is a New Orleans native who is proud of his Cajun heritage.
• In the film The Magnificent Seven (1960), the lead character Chris Adams, played by Yul Brynner is a Cajun.
• Bobby Boucher, main character played by Adam Sandler in the film The Waterboy.
• Guillaume "Bill" Dauterive from the cartoon King of the Hill. At one point, they travel to Louisiana in the episode titled "A Beer Can Named Desire", where Bill demonstrates his proficiency in Creole French. As Bill had never learned French before, it's implied that he just instinctively knew it.
• Jay "Chef" Hicks, a US Navy Swiftboat engineman who brings Captain Benjamin Willard to Colonel Walter E. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now.
• Polycarp, host of the children's TV show "Polycarp and Pals" broadcast locally by KATC (TV) television channel 3, Lafayette, Louisiana.
• Bayou Billy, video game and comic book character in The Adventures of Bayou Billy for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Konami.
• Emile Dufraisne, video game character in Splinter Cell Double Agent.
• Dave Robicheaux, the central character of James Lee Burke's award winning crime novels set in New Iberia and New Orleans.
• In the 1960s TV series Combat!, about a US Army infantry squad in World War II France, regular squad member PFC Paul LeMay was Cajun and known as "Caje"; he often served as the interpreter when interacting with the French locals. "Caje" was played by Pierre Jalbert, who was actually French-Canadian.
• In the film Universal Soldier, the lead character Luc Devreaux, played by Van Damme is a Cajun from the town of Meraux.
• In the film Hard Target, the lead character Chance Boudreaux, played by Van Damme is a Cajun from Bayou Lafourche in Southern Louisiana.
• In the webcomic Lackadaisy by Tracy J. Butler, two anthropomorphic cats, Nico and Serafine Savoy, are Cajuns.
• In David Lynch's film Wild at Heart, sisters Perdita and Juana Durango are Cajun.
• Rene Lenier, in the HBO series True Blood.
• Louisiana Story (1948, B&W) director: Robert Flaherty
• Southern Comfort (1981, color) directed by Walter Hill depicting Cajuns deep in the Louisiana swamps defending their homes from a perceived assault from a small unit of the Louisiana Army National Guard.
• Virgil, a boat pilot in the video game Left 4 Dead 2, is likely a Cajun.
• Ray, the firefly in Disney's The Princess and the Frog (2009).
• Abby Sciuto, the forensic scientist in the CBS prime-time adventure/crime series NCIS (TV series).
• Aloysius Pendergast, a special agent with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and a central character in the novels of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
• Nick Gautier - Character in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series.
• Leon Micheaux - A Cajun jockey on the HBO drama Luck.
• Raoul "Gator" Fontenot - Character in Christine Feehan's GhostWalkers series, protagonist in the book Night Game.
• Remy Mackswain - Character in the movie The Big Easy played by Dennis Quaid
• Misty Day - A Cajun witch played by Lily Rabe in the FX (TV channel) mini series American Horror Story: Coven.

See also

• List of French Americans
• List of Louisiana Creoles
• List of Notable People Related to Cajun Music

References