Interview: John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side)

Director John Lee Hancock was immediately inspired when he heard about The Tuohy family. He just knew once he met them that their inspirational story was one he had to tell on the big screen. Based on the best-selling novel, "The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game," the movie The Blind Side stars Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw as The Tuohys, a well-to-do white family who took Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, into their home and helped him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Tuohys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faced a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher worked hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, became an All-American offensive left tackle and now plays in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.

Tribute’s Bonnie Laufer recently spoke to Hancock about tackling this story for the big screen and how it ultimately changed his life.