What The Cast Of The Blind Side Looks Like Today

Released in 2009, "The Blind Side" told the purportedly true story of how Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and husband Sean (Tim McGraw) adopted Black teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), who spent his life in and out of the foster care system due to his mother's (Adriane Lenox) addiction. Oher went on to become a high school football sensation and ultimately played eight seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2016. The film became a smash hit, earning more than $309 million at the international box office, and landing an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, while Bullock took home an Oscar for Best Actress. 

In 2023, however, "The Blind Side" received renewed interest when Oher filed a lawsuit against the Tuohys. In the suit, Oher alleges that the Tuohys never actually adopted him, but tricked him into signing a document that placed him in a conservatorship. Oher also contended that the Tuohys made big bucks from the movie while he never saw a dime and that he was duped into signing away the rights to his life story for no compensation. The Tuohys' attorney responded with a statement, as reported by Today, reading, "The idea that the Tuohys have ever sought to profit off Mr. Oher is not only offensive, it is transparently ridiculous." As the situation continues to generate headlines, let's look back at the cast of "The Blind Side" to see what they look like today.

Best known for his success as a country music star, Tim McGraw had already developed a parallel career as an actor before portraying Sean Tuohy in "The Blind Side," having appeared in such films as "Friday Night Lights," "Flicka," The Kingdom," and "Four Christmases." As McGraw told NJ.com at the time of the film's release, he was initially reluctant to take on "The Blind Side," given that he'd recently wrapped "Flicka," but became hooked after reading the script. "I didn't think I would be interested, and I read it and it stuck with me," he explained. "I knew Sandra was going to do it and John Lee Hancock was going to direct and all the reasons to do it started adding up and the reasons not to do it didn't make sense anymore." 

Since then, McGraw has seen continued success with both music and acting; in the years since "The Blind Side," he's recorded several albums and embarked on a few concert tours, in addition to appearing in some films (including "Country Strong," "Tomorrowland," and "The Shack") and starring opposite wife Faith Hill in the 2021 "Yellowstone" spinoff "1883." Juggling acting and music careers led to an awkward moment during a 2021 performance when he was heckled by concertgoers after botching the lyrics to one of his songs — and blamed his forgetfulness on having just finished a long day of shooting "1883." 

Since winning her first (and, so far, only) Oscar for "The Blind Side," Sandra Bullock has remained on Hollywood's A list, starring in such films as "Gravity," "Oceans Eight," and "Bird Box." In the years after "The Blind Side," Bullock definitely hit some speed bumps in her personal life. In 2010, Bullock was in the process of adopting a child when reports emerged that her then-husband, "Monster Garage" host Jesse James, had cheated on her with multiple women. She filed for divorce, which was quickly finalized. Bullock wound up adopting another child, and in 2015 began dating photographer Bryan Randall. While she and Randall never wed, they became a full-fledged couple, raising Bullock's children together until he died of ALS in August 2023. 

Sadly for Bullock, the controversy over "The Blind Side" came weeks after Randall's passing. "She hates that such a wonderful story, a spectacular movie, and a spectacular time in her life now has been tainted," a source told the Daily Mail of Bullock's reaction to Oher's lawsuit and the media attention it had generated. "There was so much hard work put into the film that they all thought was the truth and now that has been questioned, it just upsets Sandra to no end that a time in her life that was so special, is now shadowed with a completely different perspective."

"The Blind Side" was a pivotal role for Quinton Aaron, with his portrayal of Michael Oher propelling him from bit parts to far larger roles. In the wake of the film's success, Aaron became a frequent TV guest star, appearing in series including "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "One Tree Hill," in addition to several films.

While actors who play actual people will often meet them, Aaron told People that he'd wanted to, but was told Oher wasn't available because he was focused on securing a spot on an NFL team at the time. He did, however, meet him after the film came out. "They wanted to kind of portray him more [in the] beginning, kind of like a humble-beginning version of him as opposed to the man he had become, that successful and stuff like that," Aaron explained.

All those years and all those roles later, Aaron remains best known for "The Blind Side." In fact, he spoke about the controversy with TMZ Sports, dismissing those who called for co-star Sandra Bullock to return her Oscar due to Oher's allegations. "To make a statement like that doesn't make any sense. Sandra Bullock didn't have anything to do with the real story that we're reading as of right now," Aaron said. "She gave a brilliant performance," he added. "And that shouldn't be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her."

Child actor Jae Head portrayed the Tuohys' son, Sean "S.J." Tuohy in "The Blind Side." Head was far from an unknown when he was cast, having previously appeared in a few TV series, including "Two and a Half Men," "Friday Night Lights," and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," in addition to sharing the screen with Will Smith in "Hancock."

After "The Blind Side," Head continued acting, but on a far more infrequent basis than he had before. A big reason for that was that he'd also pursued a non-Hollywood career, becoming assistant of football operations for the University of Arkansas. "Everyone wants me to stay as this 11-year-old kid," Tuohy, then assistant director of football operations, said to KATV of how identified he'd become with "The Blind Side." He continued, "Some people think I 'Benjamin Button'-ed it, never aged or went backward. I think it's disappointing to someone when I say 'That's me.' 'Oh man, I thought you were much smaller and cuter!'"

Head took a humorous approach in responding to the scandal. In a TikTok video he posted, Head shared a tweet from Barstool Sports, featuring a photo of his grinning kid self from "The Blind Side," along with the caption, "This little f***er probably took all of Big Mike Oher's money for himself." His adult self then appeared, lip-syncing dialogue: "I didn't do f***ing s—t! I didn't f***ing do this! I'm not worried about this!"

When Kathy Bates was cast in "The Blind Side," she'd already enjoyed a Hollywood career that would be the envy of any actor. After all, she'd delivered critically acclaimed performances in "Titanic," "Fried Green Tomatoes," and "Misery" (winning an Oscar for the latter and earning nominations for "About Schmidt," "Richard Jewell," and "Primary Colors"). Not surprisingly, after "The Blind Side," Bates continued to dazzle fans with incredible performances, ranging from a hilarious recurring role on "The Office," to some truly creepy characters on "American Horror Story," to her starring role in a reboot of "Matlock," set to debut in 2024. In "The Blind Side," Bates played Sue "Miss Sue" Mitchell, who tutored Mike Oher to help get his GPA to a level that would allow him to get into a top college on a football scholarship. 

In the years after she filmed "The Blind Side," Bates also embarked on an effort to lose weight, ultimately shedding 60 lbs. "I feel like a completely different person. I can move, I can walk. I just wish I had done it years ago," Bates told Us Weekly, explaining that it didn't happen overnight. "It took a few years," she added. "I would say you have to be really patient ... I don't like the word willpower, but I like the word determination."

When Lily Collins was cast in "The Blind Side" as Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy's daughter, Collins Tuohy — her first onscreen role — she was an aspiring actor best known for being the daughter of Genesis frontman Phil Collins. Since then, however, Collins has enjoyed a thriving Hollywood career, landing roles in films such as "Mirror Mirror," "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones," and the girlfriend of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix movie "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile." Her association with Netflix continued when she was cast as the titular Emily Cooper in the streamer's hit rom-com series, "Emily in Paris."

"You film something and you hope it gets a good reaction, and you work with amazing people that are so talented, and seasoned, and you hope that you're getting the best reaction, and it just makes me so happy that everyone is enjoying it," she told Tribute while promoting "The Blind Side." 

In 2019, a decade after the film's release, Collins took to Instagram to reflect on the importance of "The Blind Side" to the career she built in its wake. "Ten years ago today, my first film 'The Blindside' premiered," she wrote in the caption, accompanying some photos from the film and the premiere. "I'm forever grateful for this experience and the incredible journey it has sent me on. Insane how time flies ..."

Ray McKinnon played Burt Cotton in "The Blind Side," Michael Oher's fictional high school football coach. The coach proved to be a high-profile supporting role for the actor, who is also a writer, director, and producer. Since appearing in the film, McKinnon has racked up further screen credits in film ("Footloose," "Mud") and television ("Fear the Walking Dead," "Dopesick"). However, he's best known for playing U.S. Attorney Lincoln "Linc" Potter on "Sons of Anarchy," reprising the role in the biker-gang drama's spinoff, "Mayans M.C." Meanwhile, he wrote the critically acclaimed series "Rectify" and directed a few episodes. He also stepped behind the camera to direct a 2019 episode of "Law & Order: SVU," and the films "Chrystal," and "Randy and the Mob," in addition to writing their screenplays.

In an on-set interview conducted while the movie was being shot, McKinnon discussed the appeal of "The Blind Side" to viewers. "Things can be heartwarming and still be good," he said. "And when I read it, I felt that. I felt the better side of humanity, and that's always heartening, because we see so much about the other side of humanity." 

Prior to being cast in "The Blind Side" as schoolteacher Mrs. Boswell, Kim Dickens was best known for playing Joannie Stubbs in the gritty HBO western "Deadwood." Following the film's release, further roles for Dickens included Shelby Saracen in the TV series, "Friday Night Lights," the big-screen remake of "Footloose" (playing the wife of fellow "The Blind Side" alum, Ray McKinnon), and chef Janette Desautel in HBO drama, "Treme." She also landed a recurring role in "House of Cards" and a starring role in "Fear the Walking Dead."

Speaking with The AV Club, Dickens revealed she was a last-minute addition to the film. "I got involved late with that movie, so I just flew in and did it," she said. "I didn't have any rehearsals or anything. I played it the way it read, this sort of well-meaning teacher who went the extra mile. I have an aunt who's a really cool teacher, like a speech pathologist, and I always watched how she dealt with kids — like adults, like people." Her one regret about the film, she added, was that she didn't get to work more with Sandra Bullock. "I had one tiny scene where we exchanged a line, and then that ended up being cut out," Dickens explained.

Adriane Lenox was cast in "The Blind Side" as Michael Oher's drug-addicted mother, Denise Oher. Following the film's success, Lenox's star continued to rise, leading to numerous film and television credits. These included recurring roles on TV series "30 Rock," "Damages," "Daredevil," "The Blacklist," "The Path," "Manifest," and HBO's Julia Child bio-series, "Julia." Despite her lengthy list of screen credits, Lenox is best known for her work on Broadway in such productions as "Kiss Me, Kate," "Caroline, or Change," "Funny Girl," "Dreamgirls," and "Doubt: A Parable," for which she won a Tony Award. 

Going back and forth between stage and screen has become second nature for Lenox, but she's agreed that each medium requires a different approach. "As far as the character in the work is concerned, the truth is the truth. So you tell the same truth whether you're on stage or whether you're on film," Lenox explained during a Q&A for Broadway Artists Alliance. "Except there are certain restrictions in film that you have to adhere to ... you can be more subtle in front of the camera, let the camera work, because that's what they do."

Catherine Dyer appeared in "The Blind Side" in the small role of Mrs. Smith, just one of her more than 80 screen credits. Since "The Blind Side," these credits have included some top TV series, including the drama "The Morning Show" with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Netflix phenom "Stranger Things," and a recurring role in Fox medical drama, "The Resident."

Dyer has also kept busy when not on camera as an acting instructor at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio in New York City. Other behind-the-scenes roles have included serving as a development assistant for Lifetime Television's Original Movies Department, programming coordinator for A&E's "Biography" series, and then becoming A&E's manager of documentary programming.

In an interview for Fandom Spotlight, Dyer admitted that her "Stranger Things" role — as a government agent trying to maintain the secrecy of the work being done at Hawkins National Laboratory — was something of a departure for her. "I adored it, because I don't get to play those types of characters very often," she said. "I play upscale women ... I played the White House chief of staff, but being able to play a henchwoman, a badass, that's fun."

IronE Singleton has come a long way since he played gang kingpin Alton, who encounters Michael Oher in his old neighborhood, in "The Blind Side." Since that job — his first film — Singleton appeared in several TV series before landing what would be his biggest role to date, as Theodore "T-Dog" Douglas in "The Walking Dead." He appeared in 20 episodes of the zombie apocalypse hit from 2010 until 2012, when his character was killed off by a fatal zombie bite.

During an appearance on Atlanta's V-103 radio, Singleton explained how his decision to tell his own story in a one-person show led to being cast in "The Blind Side," a role that changed everything for him. "I had my back against the wall, I got tired of struggling, my wife was taking care of all the bills, she had the nine-to-five," he said. "So God had put it on my heart to do my one-man show ... I kept putting it off. Once I decided to tell my one-man story, I finally got an agent. Once I got my agent, a couple of months after that I landed 'The Blind Side.'" Several years later, Singleton revived that one-person show and updated it to include his Hollywood success, giving it a new title referencing his two most well-known projects: "Blindsided By the Walking Dead."

Before being cast in "The Blind Side" as Michael Oher's mentor, "Big Tony" Hamilton, Omar J. Dorsey had a lengthy roster of screen credits in TV series ranging from "ER" to "The Shield," and in films including "Starsky and Hutch" and "School for Scoundrels." After "The Blind Side," Dorsey continued acting in film and television, appearing in numerous series over the years. Most notably, he was a series regular on the OWN drama "Queen Sugar," playing fan-favorite character Hollywood Desonier throughout the series' seven-season run.

"Queen Sugar" was Dorsey's first starring role after years of playing smaller supporting parts. Speaking with Imprint, he credited the series' creator, Ava DuVernay, for casting him in her feature film, "Selma," which led to his "Queen Sugar" role. "No one knew who we [cast members] were before that movie, yet we had been working 10 to 12 years prior to that. She believed in me. I didn't even have a fan base at the time but she didn't care," Dorsey said. "You have to have so much drive, there's no privilege in being a Black woman director. I look up to her."