Country music superstar — and now, screen actor – Tim McGraw plays Sean Touhy, the devoted husband of Sandra Bullock’s character, Leigh Anne, in Warner Bros.’ inspirational drama “The Blind Side,” which depicts the remarkable true story of All-American football star Michael Oher.

McGraw asserts that you don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate “The Blind Side.”  “Whether or not you are interested in football, or sports at all, the story behind this movie is so heartwarming, I think it will appeal to everyone.”

The strength of Leigh Anne Tuohy’s personality made casting the role of her husband, Sean Tuohy, in director John Lee Hancock’s words “difficult.”  “When you’re around the Tuohy family, you get the sense that she’s the engine, but he is the glue that holds it all together.  Sean is completely self-assured and comfortable in his own skin.  He has that Southern ex-athlete attitude; there’s a swagger there.”

“We needed an actor who would have a real screen presence opposite the whirlwind that is Leigh Anne,” producer Broderick Johnson confirms.  “We had to have an actor who would make Sean feel just as important as she without having as much screen time.”

Hancock says they found everything they were looking for in Tim McGraw.  “When Tim McGraw’s name came up, I thought he would be a great choice.  I had admired his work in movies and he had all the qualities we were looking for.  It felt like a natural fit and he turned out to be fantastic.  I loved working with him.”

In fact, McGraw fit the role even more naturally than the filmmakers initially thought.  Both McGraw and the real Sean Tuohy had grown up in Louisiana , and, like Sean, the actor had also excelled in sports throughout his life.  McGraw attests, “I was always an athlete; I can’t remember ever not playing sports.  I thought that’s what I was going to do with my life…until I got to college and bought a guitar.  And the rest,” he grins, “is history.”

The actor adds that the similarities between him and Sean Tuohy were only part of the reasons he was drawn to the role.  “Sean is an all-around good guy, and the inspirational story of what he and his family did for this kid—the time, the effort and the love he put out—is pretty incredible.  Also, a positive movie about sports is something I really enjoy seeing because sports, if played the right way and coached the right way, can really teach you a lot about yourself and about life in general.”

As an actor, McGraw has also established a notable presence in feature films, beginning with his well-received 2004 debut in Peter Berg’s “Friday Night Lights.”  He most recently co-starred with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon in 2008’s hit holiday comedy “Four Christmases,” directed by Seth Gordon.  In addition, he was seen in 2007’s action thriller “The Kingdom,” which reunited him with director Peter Berg.

Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 27, “The Blind Side” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.