Although they're superstars now, George Clooney and Brad Pitt had to cut their teeth on movies with titles such as Return to Horror High and Hunk before getting to work with the likes of director Steven Soderbergh.

So what did Lincoln-Way North High School senior Brian J. O'Donnell have to do to work with the Oscar-winning filmmaker?

Audition.

O'Donnell, a 17-year-old from Frankfort, stars in Soderbergh's latest movie, Contagion, alongside Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, Jude Law, Kate Winslet ... well, the list of A-list Hollywood talent goes on. He plays the boyfriend of Damon's daughter, and he shot his scenes in November and June in Skokie (which doubled for Minnesota), said his mom, Denise. The movie opens Sept. 9.

And did I mention this is O'Donnell's first movie? He's been modeling and acting since he was 6, Denise added. 

Want to learn more about O'Donnell and his experience on the movie set? Check with Frankfort Patch next week for a full interview with the teen actor.

L-W East Grad Earns Student-Athlete Honors at Northwestern

Frankfort native and Lincoln-Way East High School grad Erin Reilly was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar as senior during the 2010-11 school year.

The award honors Big Ten student-athletes who earn a minimum 3.7 GPA. Reilly was one of 534 student-athletes selected across the conference's 11 schools. 

Reilly was a member of Northwestern's swimming and diving team, with a major in human communication sciences.