Quinton Aaron
Although his co-star Sandra Bullock was the one who won the Oscar for "The Blind Side," her then-unknown co-star Quinton Aaron garnered much of the critical praise for his sensitive portrayal of real-life disadvantaged high school football player Michael Oher, who went on to become a pro footballer for the Baltimore Ravens. Aaron, born in the inner-city Bronx but raised in Augusta, Georgia, began performing as a youngster in his mother's church. Returning to New York City, Aaron made his feature film debut with a small but memorable role as Q, the video store customer also known as "The Lion King Guy," in Michel Gondry's surreal comedy "Be Kind Rewind," starring Jack Black and Mos Def. After a handful of short films, two guest appearances on "Law & Order," and a small part as a bodyguard in a TV movie legal thriller called "Play or Be Played," Aaron was cast in the prime role as Oher in "The Blind Side" by director John Lee Hancock. After the critical and commercial success of that film, Aaron returned to working primarily in television, with guest appearances in series including the small-town drama "One Tree Hill," the procedural drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and the offbeat legal dramas "Harry's Law" and "Drop Dead Diva."