Disney star, Superdrag front man reflect on growing up in Farragut

What do “The Walking Dead,” ’90s hit song “Sucked Out” and the meme “Sing to me, Paulo” have in common? They all have ties to the town of Farragut.

The Farragut Museum is honoring celebrated local artists with its “Farragut Focus: A Creative Community,” including Linds Edwards, who appeared in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” and “The Walking Dead”; Jake Thomas, who notably played Lizzie McGuire’s younger brother, Matt McGuire; and John Davis, lead singer of rock band Superdrag.

Today, their careers in entertainment are being honored in their hometown. But what was life like for these three as teenagers at Farragut High School?

Linds Edwards

Edwards moved to Farragut from Tampa, Florida, as a kid, and the change took some adjusting to, he told Knox News. But it wasn’t long before “the beauty and the people” made him fall in love with Tennessee.

At Farragut High School, Edwards was involved in the theater program, although he already had his sights set on being in films, not plays. He recalled one day when his teacher Lea McMahan told him she could tell he just wanted to make movies.

“Without realizing it, she gave me the biggest amount of encouragement I could ever have being 16, 17 years old,” Edwards said.

A new movie, “Nightingale,” featuring Edwards is slated to be released in 2026.

Jake Thomas

As a kid, Thomas bounced back and forth between Los Angeles and Knoxville. By the time he started at Farragut High School, he had already appeared in Disney’s “Lizzie McGuire” and “Cory in the House.”

“For a while, I kind of just kept to myself and was pretty quiet − and then slowly kind of found my people,” Thomas said. He joined newspaper and the improv team and took photography classes, the latter of which he said might have inspired his directing.

Thomas played Marco Silva in “Mindseye,” a video game that debuted in summer 2025.

John Davis

John Davis remembers doing a lot of skateboarding as a student at Farragut High School − and writing songs and playing music.

Today, he’s working on writing a new Superdrag LP, the band’s first since 2009. He told Knox News being included in the Farragut Museum’s exhibit is “a big honor.”

“I was surprised and very stoked that they reached out to me,” he said. “But I’m definitely a proud Admiral all the way.”