Megan Fox
Anyone who saw this summer’s blockbuster Transformers knows why Tennessean Megan Fox is a rising Southerner. Besides being a “fox,” Fox has talent. The 21-year-old, who grew up in Oak Ridge, Tenn., has already appeared in some of our favorite television shows like Two And A Half Men

and Hope And Faith. She has also had a starring role opposite Lindsay Lohan in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Fox is set to star in How To Lose Friends And Alienate People, with Jeff Bridges and Kirsten Dunst, out next year.

An interesting fact about Fox is that she has several tattoos: a portrait of Marilyn Monroe graces her right arm, and the words made famous by Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” “We will all laugh at gilded butterflies,” adorns Fox’s right shoulder blade.

12 Stones
Hailing from Mandeville, La., 12 Stones is one of the best new rock bands you have probably never heard of. If the band sounds familiar to you, it is because their songs have been featured in popular movie soundtracks like The Scorpion King and Daredevil and lead singer, Paul McCoy, loaned his talents to Arkansas band Evanescence for their hit single “Bring Me to Life.” Their song “Shadows” was used to help promote one of the biggest movies of 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

Like all good Southern boys, the members of 12 Stones have stuck with their values and Christian upbringing. The group’s name is a reference to the 12 stones that the Israelites built after crossing the Jordan River as well as the 12 disciples of Jesus.

12 Stones recently released their third studio album, Anthem For The Underdog, and have already seen their single, “Lie To Me,” become one of the top 25 songs on the mainstream rock charts. The new CD pays homage to their hometown and references the damage to the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coasts caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Consider yourself warned. This quintet of underdogs is going places, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Denny Hamlin
So he may never actually take the place of Dale Jr. in many hearts, but you have to admit that the No. 11 driver Denny Hamlin is quickly becoming one of the drivers to be reckoned with in NASCAR.

The 26-year-old from Chesterfield, Va., wrapped up the 2006 chase for the cup at a very solid third in the points standing. Not bad for a rookie; not bad at all. The Fed-Ex driver also became the first rookie driver ever to finish on the lead lap at Bristol on the first attempt.

Hamlin is all about the business of driving fast come race day and has continued to prove himself throughout the 2007 racing season. He even races on the Internet in his spare time.

With a little luck and a good career, who knows, Hamlin just might top records set by racing legend and Georgia native Bill Elliot—Hamlin’s own racing hero.

Miley Cyrus
Little “Hannah Montana” is growing up. With her breakout Disney TV show she co-stars on with her real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley is quickly becoming a household name. She most recently won the 2007 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for “Favorite TV Actress” and has proved to be a double threat with the release of her new album, Hannah Montana 2:Meet Miley Cyrus. The double disc set was designed to be a soundtrack for the Hannah Montana series and the second disc is an introduction to Miley Cyrus as an individual. Cyrus even penned eight of the 10 songs on the second disc.

Born into a show-business family in Nashville in 1992, Cyrus came by her love of performing naturally—by watching her father. We Southerners would say that she got her talent “honest.”

Miley’s real name is Destiny Hope Cyrus. She came by the nickname “Miley” because everyone would call her Smiley because of her non-stop grinning. In her spare time, she enjoys cheerleading and dancing.

Logan Marshall-Green
He’s everywhere. Green has had starring roles on Law and Order: SVU, 24, and The O.C. Green even made sure that the months of June and July had something worth watching on television with the hit show Traveler. The Charleston, S.C., native and University of Tennessee graduate is on the edge of superstardom and we are happy to watch his star get bigger and bigger.

Lucas Black
This 24-year-old Speake, Ala., native brought a Southern accent to the Fast And Furious: Tokyo Drift. Black burst into the movie scene in 1994 with Kevin Costner in The War and has been working steadily ever since. He has since starred in memorable movies like Friday Night Lights with Louisiana native Tim McGraw, Jarhead with Jake Gyllenhall, and Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman.

An interesting fact about the young rising actor is that he remains true to his Southern roots. He is proud of his Southern accent in a business where accents tend to be looked down upon. When Black was offered a role in Robert Redford’s Horse Whisperer, he turned it down because they asked him to tone down his Alabama accent.

Black is a fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide and bass fishing.