Greg Kinnear

Actor Greg Kinnear arrives at the premiere of "Little Miss Sunshine" at the Eccles Theatre during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2006 in Park City, Utah.

An Oscar nominee for the film "As Good As It Gets," who has appeared in such films as "Little Miss Sunshine," "Auto Focus" and "Green Zone," Kinnear now stars in the TV series "Rake" and in the film "Heaven Is for Real."

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

"Heaven Is for Real"

Kinnear stars in the new movie "Heaven Is for Real," based on the bestselling account of Todd Burpo, a pastor whose young boy (Connor Corum) claims to have seen visions of the afterlife.

"The title is not ambiguous," Kinnear told CBS News correspondent Mo Rocca. "So how do you tell that story without it feeling like a church sermon for two hours?"

For Kinnear, a family man with a wife and three children, part of how he accepted the film was the father-son connection.

"I probably come out somewhere where Todd at the end of the movie says, 'I believe he saw something.' And you know, I think that's okay for me.

"I have three young daughters, and they have fertile imaginations. But at the same time, some of the most honest observations I've ever received is from my kids. So I think Todd's journey of trying to discern what it was he was hearing was part of what made it interesting."

"Talk Soup"

Greg Kinnear was bitten by the acting bug early, and studied drama at the University of Arizona. But he told Mo Rocca that he realized, "I'm never getting a job as an actor. What am I doing?" He switched to broadcast journalism, and in 1991 landed the job of host of a new cable show, "Talk Soup" -- a roundup of the most outrageous, trashy daytime talk show clips. He followed that with hosting duties on NBC's "Later."

"Sabrina"

Kinnear caught the eye of director Sydney Pollack, who cast him in his first significant film role, the 1995 remake of the romantic comedy, "Sabrina."

"Sabrina"

Greg Kinnear, Julia Ormand and Harrison Ford in "Sabrina."

"As Good As It Gets"

In James L. Brooks' "As Good As It Gets" (1997), Greg Kinnear played a homosexual artist whose dog begins to play an important role in the life of his neighbor, an obsessive-compulsive writer played by Jack Nicholson.

"As Good As It Gets"

Kinnear was asked to an audition at Jack Nicholson's house for "As Good As It Gets," and then, he told Mo Rocca, "He asked me afterwards if I wanted to stick around and have some spaghetti and meatballs. So I figured it had gone okay, and either way I was going to get a nice meal out of it. And a couple of days later I found out I got the role."

His performance in "As Good As It Gets" earned Kinnear an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

"As Good As It Gets"

Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear in "As Good As It Gets."

Kinnear told Rocca that receiving an Oscar nomination, after only a couple of films, was "super cool, and kind of gave me the confidence to try to make a gig out of this."

"You've Got Mail"

Greg Kinnear, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in the romantic comedy, "You've Got Mail" (1998).

"Nurse Betty"

Greg Kinnear starred as a soap opera actor pursued by an obsessive fan (Renee Zellweger) in "Nurse Betty" (2000).

"The Gift"

Cate Blanchett played a clairvoyant whose visions factor into an investigation into the murder of Greg Kinnear's fiancee in "The Gift" (2000).

"Auto Focus"

In Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus" (2002), Greg Kinnear played "Hogan's Heroes" star Bob Crane, the sex-addicted actor whose obsessions were facilitated by a revolutionary new toy: the home video camera.

"Stuck On You"

Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear played conjoined twins in the Farrelly Brothers' 2003 comedy, "Stuck On You."

"Godsend"

Robert De Niro and Greg Kinnear starred in the 2004 thriller "Godsend," about a doctor who offers to create a clone of a couple's deceased child.

"The Matador"

In the black comedy "The Matador" (2005), Pierce Brosnan plays an assassin who crosses paths with a businessman (Greg Kinnear) who ends up following him on a fatal assignment.

"The Bad News Bears"

In the remake of "The Bad News Bears," Greg Kinnear played the coach of the opposing team who was sure - not without justification - that the Bears would never amount to anything.

"Little Miss Sunshine"

In the 2006 indie hit, "Little Miss Sunshine," Greg Kinnear played a father who leads his extended family on a road trip to satisfy the dreams of his daughter of participating in a tykes' beauty pageant. Abigail Breslin and Steve Carell costarred.

"Little Miss Sunshine"

Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Steve Carell and Greg Kinnear in "Little Miss Sunshine."

After shooting "Sunshine," Kinnear appeared in Richard Linklater's adaptation of "Fast Food Nation."

"Baby Mama"

Tina Fey and Greg Kinnear in the 2008 comedy, "Baby Mama."

"Ghost Town"

In "Ghost Town" (2008), dentist Ricky Gervais has the unfortunate ability to see and hear the dead, including deceased businessman Greg Kinnear.

"Flash of Genius"

In the biography "Flash of Genius" (2008), Greg Kinnear played Robert Kearns, whose invention of an improved windshield wiper mechanism sets him up for a grueling legal battle against the Ford Motor Company over his patent.

"Green Zone"

Greg Kinnear played a Pentagon intelligence official and Matt Damon a U.S. Army officer in Baghdad during the 2003 U.S. invasion in Paul Greengrass' "Green Zone" (2010).

"The Kennedys"

Greg Kinnear played President John F. Kennedy in the 2011 TV miniseries, "The Kennedys."

"The Kennedys"

Greg Kinnear as President John F. Kennedy and Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy in the 2011 TV miniseries, "The Kennedys."

"The English Teacher"

Julianne Moore played a high school teacher and Greg Kinnear the father of one of her former students with whom she becomes romantically involved, in the 2013 drama,"The English Teacher."

"Rake"

In the comedy-drama series "Rake" (debuting in 2014), Greg Kinnear plays Keegan Deane, a self-destructive criminal defense attorney.

"Murder of a Cat"

Fran Kranz ("The Cabin in the Woods") and Greg Kinnear star in the comedy "Murder of a Cat" (2014), about the hunt for the neighborhood culprit who killed Franz's pet.

St Andrews

Actor Greg Kinnear, an avid golfer, lines up his putt on the St. Andrews Old Course, in St Andrews, Scotland, on the second day of the Alfred Dunhill Links championship, October 2, 2009.

"I've played in hundred and hundreds of Pro-Am golf tournaments," he told Mo Rocca, "and I think you'll find this an interesting statistic: I've won zero times!"

Fore!

When discussing the possibilities of an afterlife, the star of "Heaven Is for Real" said, "Do you think that there's golf?"

"I know you hope that there's golf," said Mo Rocca.

Kinnear said, "We got to hope for at least a driving range, c'mon!"

For more info:

"Heaven Is for Real" (Official Site)

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan