LeBron James has become one of basketball’s biggest stars, thanks to his dominant play and impeccable resume. Now, he’s also building up his fame on the big screen, as he dons the lead role in “Space Jam: New Legacy.”
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, James explained a bit about the experience and his approach to acting in one of the year’s most anticipated releases.
“I wanted to dive into the character, even though I was playing LeBron James. And if there were times where I needed to be emotional, I wanted to dive into that.”
If there were times where I needed to be more outspoken or funny or whatever the case may be, I wanted to become that. It was fun to be able to be coached. Just like in the NBA, I like to be coached by my coaches. I was the same way on set, either from Don or from Malcolm, and just tried to tap into some things that maybe, like you said, surprised me as well.”
The idea of having to be “coached” to play yourself sounds ridiculous, but selling a story is too often taken for granted.
Acting with passion and sincerity isn’t a walk in the park, and it’s good to hear that LeBron is so open to being coached and molded by the experts.
It sounds like he has really invested himself in the movie, no doubt making its debut all the more exciting.
“Space Jam” New Legacy” is set to release on July 16, 2021.
