Maris Valainis

Maris Valainis (Latvian: Māris Valainis) (born on February 18, 1963) is an American construction consultant and a former actor, best known for his role in the 1986 film Hoosiers. He portrayed Jimmy Chitwood, a basketball player who makes a last-second shot to win the 1952 Indiana state high school championship. Bobby Plump accomplished that feat in 1954. Valainis, a native of Indiana, was invited to an open casting call for Hoosiers after being spotted by the film's casting director playing basketball at an open-gym night. Growing impatient waiting in line with hundreds of other hopefuls, Valainis decided to leave. But then the casting director saw him and asked him to come in and audition. Although Valainis had been cut each of the three times he tried out for his own high school basketball team, he impressed the filmmakers enough that he was invited back the next day to read lines. Aft...