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NORTON -- Nobody lands the first movie role they audition for.

At least that seems to be the rule. But 14-year-old Anthony O'Leary flipped the proverbial script by nabbing the first part he ever tried out for - a role as Drew Walker, the son of Ben Affleck's character in the 2010 drama, "The Company Men."

The film follows three men - played by Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper - whose lives are turned upside down by corporate downsizing. Kevin Costner also stars in the John Wells-directed drama.

Though O'Leary has no prior movie experience, the Norton resident and soon-to-be ninth-grader at Moses Brown School in Providence has speaking parts in 10 scenes and appears in various other scenes in a non-speaking capacity.

The teen filmed over a three-month period in Wellesley, Quincy and Framingham, taking time out of school to go to work when necessary. After a case of the first-day jitters, O'Leary said it was smooth sailing.

"My first day on the set I was really nervous and everything, but John Wells and all the cast and crew were really supportive for me, like made me really less nervous," he said. "I thought it was really phenomenal and really cool and really awesome and everything just to be around them, because some of the time I played basketball with them. I played football with Kevin Costner and basketball with Ben."

Nerves would be understandable for a teen with just a three-hour acting seminar and a single TV commercial to his credit, but O'Leary said he found constructive outlets for stress during the long days of shooting, including juggling tennis balls between scenes and listening to relaxing music on his iPod.

He also seems to have a healthy dose of natural talent that helped him hold his own among his big league co-stars. He even garnered compliments on his acting ability from Wells, Affleck and a number of producers on set.

That same talent has made O'Leary a stranger to rejection in the world of performance.

When O'Leary, the youngest child of Deneen and Dan O'Leary, outgrew singing and acting around the house, he began performing in school concerts and landing lead roles in local theater productions. He secured an agent in Boston-based Model Club, quickly scored print work for companies, including Timberland and Coca-Cola and landed a TV commercial.

Then he auditioned for "The Company Men," and after two call-backs, got the part.

"He's landed everything he's gone for - it's kind of good and bad in a way," said mom Deneen O'Leary. "I think when we found out that he landed the movie job, I had to sit in my recliner for about a week and stare at the ceiling. It was very overwhelming But I must say, this was probably the perfect beginning for him, because John Wells and that crew were probably the most professional people. He's had nothing but good experiences right now.

"And as a mother, I couldn't ask for anything more," she added. "You try to shelter them all along the way. And with this movie, I had no control over what was going to happen and what he was going to be exposed to, and that is scary in itself. But the professionalism - I couldn't have asked for anything better."

O'Leary doesn't have a pack of paparazzi documenting his every move just yet, but he has gotten his taste of the star treatment both on set and off. He attended the film's wrap party at Lucky's Lounge in Boston and will attend the movie premiere, location as-yet undisclosed. He's been asked for his autograph by friends, strangers and fawning girls. One group of admirers even invited him to their school dance and offered to cook him chicken parmesan.

In his free time, O'Leary enjoys playing baseball and basketball, singing, riding his ATV and hanging out with friends. For the past three years he has worked with disabled children during his study period at Norton Middle School, which he said "really got me in a good mood."

In terms of his career, O'Leary has no more auditions lined up just yet, but he also has no Plan B. He said he hopes to eventually turn acting into a full-time gig.

"It's incredible. I just love being on set," he said. "I don't know really how to explain it. It's just something that I really enjoy, but I can't figure out why. Because if you think about it, it sounds really boring and really, why would you do that? But when I'm there in front of the camera, I really like it. It's really interesting to me."

For mom Deneen, the pride of witnessing her son's success comes with concerns about letting a teen enter the potentially shady world of show business. She said she'll continue to support his dream with a watchful eye.

"I don't necessarily agree with a child star. I look at those children stars, and I think the parents pushed them when they were little, or whatever," she said. "But Anthony is pushing us. Anthony is pushing us hard. He's not going to let up until he gets what he wants.

"We're not pushing him at all. We're kind of like, 'Hold on,' you know what I mean?

"But he handled himself very maturely," she added, "and I think from this point forward, hopefully he just grows with it, and with the support he has we can keep him in line on the right path."