TV work includes: Against the Grain (1993-1994)

Major movies: “Chasing Amy”, “Good Will Hunting”The Oscar-winning screenwriter (for “Good Will Hunting”) played the reluctant star quarterback in a small Texas town in this drama (above). But NBC executives took a while to warm up to the idea of Affleck in a lead role. “They really didn’t want him,” recalls cocreator Dave Alan Johnson, even though Affleck had already appeared in the film “School Ties” and, from 8 to 14, had hosted the PBS documentary series The Voyage of the Mimi. Originally, Johnson says Affleck tried out for the part of a prima donna player. “We were sold on the idea that this guy is a jerk, but he turned around and could play this hero that everyone loved,” Johnson says. “He was so convincing in both roles, yet they were polar opposites.”