Jackie Earle Haley

Jackie Earle Haley was known for playing scrappy, restless, juvenile delinquents in a series of high profile 1970s movies as a teen. The major source of his fame was his role as a reluctant athlete in the "Bad News Bears" franchise, where he won over fans with his restless energy and negative attitude while looking as hardened and world-weary as a pimply 15-year-old could possibly look. Following Haley's excellent dramatic performance in the acclaimed small town coming-of-age drama "Breaking Away" (1979), however, the actor was unable to parlay his early success into adult roles. After a troubled post-child-star adjustment period, Haley reestablished himself as a successful commercial director and had finally put his past behind him when he was unexpectedly summoned by Hollywood in 2006. In Haley's second act, the middle-aged actor proved there had been more to his early appeal than just feathered hair and a devil-may-care attitude, when he turned out an Academy Award-nominated performance as a convicted sex offender adjusting to suburban life in "Little Children" (2006). He was well-cast as other emotionally complex characters, enjoying star status in the comic book actioner "Watchmen" (2009), working with Martin Scorsese in "Shutter Island" (2009) and Steven Spielberg in "Lincoln" (2012), and going down in history as one of Hollywood's most heartwarming comeback stories.