I played a few sports at Snyder High School, but my big thing was football. I played quarterback and defensive back until my senior year, when I quit to start acting in plays. You know what a big deal high school football is: When I quit, some of the coaches questioned my manhood. What I remember most is a junior varsity game against Lamesa. We were ahead until the last play of the game, when Lamesa’s quarterback threw a pass all the way down the field. The receiver caught it, and as he ran for the end zone, I grabbed his legs and tackled him at the seven-yard line. But then he crawled into the end zone, and the referee called a touchdown! There was a brawl, and like everyone else I was outraged. It was one of the first times in my life that I realized the world isn’t necessarily as fair as it’s supposed to be.

Powers Boothe was born and raised in Snyder and attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. His latest movies, Nixon and Sudden Death, opened late last month.