On the baseball diamond, Derek Jeter, repeatedly proved his mettle during his active years. He was equally proficient as a batter and fielder. Successful people often have talents beyond their field of profession. Likewise, Jeter had his own additional flair toward a certain form of artistry.
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Derek Jeter became a legendary icon of baseball playing his entire MLB career, as the New York Yankees shortstop. The milestones he achieved made him one of the best performers in that particular field position. Thus, he turned into a baseball elite forever standing among the all-time greats. Jeter made 14 All-Star appearances, and won five World Series championships with the Yankees.
Jeter often single-handedly took the Yankees to numerous victories like a genuine sporting hero. He earned his place as one of the favorite celebrities in New York. But he wasn’t content in just being a baseball player, as he later gave glimpses of many other interests of his. So Jeter once expressed his desire to act in front of the $50 million worth of world-renowned filmmaker, Spike Lee.
Derek Jeter expressed his desire to act
Despite his shy and reclusive nature, Derek Jeter loved being one of the most publicly recognized figures in New York. Even more so, he enjoyed living in New York. He relished the New York pizzas and the long drives. For Jeter, there was always a life beyond the ballpark.
Jeter once met globally popular filmmaker Spike Lee at Yankee Stadium. Lee is an award-winning filmmaker who has won the British Academy Film Award, Emmy Award, and Academy Award. He won all of those honors twice each. Also, Lee is a well-known sports lover.
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Jeter met Lee when the film director was shooting a commercial at Yankee Stadium. Taking the opportunity to let out his hidden desire, Jeter asked Lee, “When are you going to let me be in one of your movies?” Lee asked in return, “Can you act?” Jeter nodded his head in reply. Lee then said, “Well, act like a shortstop tonight.”
A brief note on Derek Jeter’s acting ventures
Jeter did go on to fulfill his desire of acting in films. On television, he appeared in the popular shows Saturday Night Live and Seinfeld. Whereas, on the big screen, he made brief appearances in the critically acclaimed film, The Other Guys. Interestingly, Lee recently directed Jeter’s docuseries titled, The Captain, which got released this year on ESPN networks.
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What do you think of Derek Jeter as an actor?