Sammi Kane Kraft

Although she never acted a day in her life, 13-year-old Sammi Kane Kraft appeared as starting pitcher Amanda Whurlitzer in the 2005 remake of "Bad News Bears." But even more remarkable is exactly how Kraft won over producers to land the same role that Tatum O'Neal made famous in the original 1976 version of the film. Growing up in New York, Kraft showed an early propensity for sports, particularly baseball. While barely a teen, Kraft was already throwing 70mph fastballs, quite a feat for any pitcher, let alone one who is an 11-year-old. Her family eventually moved to Los Angeles so that Kraft could play baseball all year round. It wasn't long before Hollywood came knocking. Kraft was discovered by producers looking for just the right talent to play the role of Amanda, which led them to Kraft. The role, however, was not immediately offered to her. Kraft had to endure eight separate call backs, as she was competing with dozens of other young girls, most of whom already had a few acting credits to their name, before finally allowing her to audition with the film's star, Billy Bob Thornton. When the film was released in July of 2005, it received mixed reviews and barely broke even at the box office. Undeterred, Kraft continued auditioning for film and TV roles, while also fulfilling a lifelong dream in August of that year by competing in the Junior Olympics.