One of the things that our local sports scene still needs to work on is the entertainment between live games.
In the US, there is always something going on when the basketball players in the NBA or the footballers in the NFL, are resting. It could be a charismatic mascot running around, drum majorettes or even cheerleaders. It might come as a surprise, but there are people who come just for this part of the game so it is important to make sure the entertainment is top-notch.
This is what we see in Hit the Floor, the drama series airing on Vuzu AMP. It stars Taylour Paige as Ahsha Hayes and Kimberly Elise as her mother, Sloane. All Ahsha dreams of is becoming part of the Los Angeles Devil Girls cheerleading squad which are part of a pro-basketball team.
The show also stars ex-LA Lakers player, Rick Fox who has done well as an actor. He has also starred in Spike Lee’s He Got Game, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and The Game.
It comes as no surprise because, if you are based in LA and you have a high profile, there is a good chance that you can land an acting gig. Last year, the struggling LA Lakers tried to lure New York Knicks player Carmelo Anthony by promising him a big film role. You may be wondering how the two are related, but you need to consider that big names rake in the box office figures, more so than talent. So you can be an unknown, yet talented actor vying for a role with say, Mike Tyson, and there is a big chance they will go with the former boxer.
Here are some sports-people who went on to lead successful acting careers.
Terry Crews
(Everybody Hates Chris, White Girls)
Very few people know that Terry Crews was an American football player for the Los Angeles Rams before going into acting full time. He then hit hard times when he was let go and started drawing portraits of his team mates for cash. When a chance meeting with Denzel Washington on the set of Training Day got him a spot in the film, Crews never looked back. Today he is one of the most sought after actors.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
(The Terminator, True Lies)
The ’90s would have been very different had Arnie not been around. He did a lot of action movies which few directors have topped to this day. While he was big in that world, he first came to attention as a bodybuilder in the ’70s and there are several weight-lifting techniques named after him.
Then the acting bug bit. Schwarzenegger has starred in so many blockbusters, he is considered the poster-boy of action movies.
Dwayne Johnson
(Fast & Furious 7, Snitch)
While Johnson (aka The Rock) struggles to convince with his acting skills, he still gets a lot of work. It probably has to do with his wrestling career on WWE. Once he got a proper taste of Hollywood, The Rock pretty much left wrestling altogether to pursue acting where his large size almost guarantees him badass roles.
• Hit the Floor, Friday, 7.30pm, Vuzu AMP.