There’s always the question of whether film stars play 100% of their roles, especially when it comes to demonstrating skills that don’t come naturally to them. So, what’s the story about Varsity Blues?
Varsity Blues (1999) is a high school football film distributed by Paramount Films and produced by MTV Films and Tollin/Robbins Productions. It’s a classic coming-of-age film set in the fictional town of West Canaan, Texas, and the script centers around the town’s high school football team, The West Canaan Coyotes.
James Van Der Beek in Varsity Blues (photo, Hollywood Reporter)
Texas is known for its high school football, so the production team set it up in Austin and its vicinity. James Van Der Beek, a recognizable name because of his role on Dawson’s Creek, a hit TV show at the time, starred in the film. See a photo of Van Der Beek to the left.
Peter Gardere (photo, The History of Longhorn Sports)
Van Der Beek played Jonathan Moxon, a backup quarterback who became the team’s star quarterback, taking over from an injured Lance Harbor, who the late Paul Walker played. Van Der Beek worked out intensely for the role because it was important for moviegoers to see him as a believable signal caller.
The problem is, he wasn’t. So, the studio turned to Peter Gardere, the former University of Texas Longhorns quarterback, who doubled for Van Der Beek in the football scenes.
Gardere, who played from 1989 to 1992, was revered at the time of the film and is still revered today for his play on the field. He is the only Texas quarterback to have been a four-time winner in the UT-Oklahoma Red River Shootout played in Dallas annually. During his time at Texas, Gardere passed for nearly 7400 yards and threw nearly 50 touchdowns. Gardere also set ten school records, and the Longhorns won the Southwest Conference football championship (UT’s affiliation at the time) during his junior and senior years.
So, if you watch Varsity Blues, know that Peter Gardere is throwing passes, not actor James Van Der Beek.
(Watch the film’s trailer below. The complete film is available on various platforms, including YouTube.)
