Jack Reynor to Star in Casey Affleck's Biopic of MLB Slugger Josh Hamilton

While Jack Reynor may not be a household name yet, by the end of this weekend that's likely to change. He's earned the praise of directors and critics for his performance in the indie What Richard Did, but it will  be Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction that will make him famous. After he's done helping to save the world alongside Optimus Prime, Reynor will help tell the inspirational life story of MLB slugger Josh Hamilton in Casey Affleck's biopic.

Reynor will portray Hamilton in the untitled adaptation of his book, Beyond Belief: Finding The Strength To Come Back, which Affleck wrote the script for and will direct. A drug problem derailed Hamilton's baseball career, hitting rock bottom at one point when he was forced to become a janitor at a baseball training facility. But he fought back, kicked the habit, and now he's belting home runs for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

There was a wide search for the right guy to play Hamilton and Affleck believes he's found the right guy in Reynor, who is quickly establishing his dramatic range. He'll also be seen with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in Macbeth.