Montana Jordan

"Overnight star" might be a well-worn turn of phrase, but it's also an apt description for actor Montana Jordan, who went from relative obscurity in his Texas hometown to starring roles in not one but two high-profile projects: the Josh Brolin drama "The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter" (2017) and the much-anticipated CBS sitcom "Young Sheldon" (2017-) Born and raised in the East Texas town of Ore City, Jordan enjoyed what most would describe as an ordinary and happy childhood, which included dirt bike racing, playing on his school's football team and spending time in the outdoors. He also displayed a talent for performing for his parents, which prompted his mother, teacher Kelli Smith, to suggest that the then-12-year-old try out for a feature film project starring Josh Brolin. Jordan flew with his family to Asheville, North Carolina, to audition, and to his surprise, he won the role of Brolin's son in "The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter," a drama produced by Scott Rudin. Buoyed by this initial flush of success, Jordan and Smith headed for Los Angeles, where the 14-year-old auditioned for "Young Sheldon," a sitcom spun off from the wildly popular "Big Bang Theory." Again, he struck gold, landing the coveted role of George Cooper, Jr., the eldest brother of a younger version of Jim Parsons' Sheldon Cooper (played in the series by Ian Armitage).