Cleveland Heights High School grad and Cleveland Heights resident Fabien Paul-Blanc told the CH-UH School Board and an audience that he has aspirations to become a professional actor.

His passion came through when he talked about his experience working on the movie Underdogs, which was filmed in the Canton area over the summer, and the support he received from the high school staff.

Paul-Blanc, a 2012 graduate, was recognized by the CH-UH School Board at its meeting Oct. 2.

Paul-Blanc landed a supporting role and plays Big Mack in the film, which may be released in early 2013, but does not have a specific date yet.

The independently financed film, set in the birthplace of football in rural Ohio, tells the story of a Division IV high school playing football against the cross-town rival and perennial powerhouse. Off the field, a local machinist and father of the quarterback is being sued by the city’s main employer over intellectual rights to a new space heater invention amid rumors of company outsourcing.

Nate Lightfoot, a security monitor at the Delisle Options Center, where Paul-Blanc attended, helped him land an interview for the role, as he know Paul-Blanc had dreams of becoming an actor.

Nicole Stempak contributed to this article.