‘Wanted to Dive Into the Character’ LeBron James Reveals His Approach to Acting While Shooting for Space Jam Sequel

LeBron James is arguably one of the best players NBA has ever seen. Ever since his debut, LeBron was seen as the next Michael Jordan. And 18 years later, things pretty much have been the same.

Given how he always has been compared with Jordan, it is only fitting that James is the superstar for the upcoming film Space Jam: New Legacy, the sequel to the MJ starrer blockbuster Space Jam released in 1996.

C0-Star Don Cheadle explains How LBJ impressed him

LeBron might be a superstar on court, but acting is a new field for the 36-year-old. But it seems that the 18-time All-Star certainly has made some major strides in the same. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, co-star Don Cheadle revealed how James put in the work for his role in the movie and why he was the right person for the role.

“I mean, he had more acting to do [than Jordan]. It’s something that I don’t think people anticipate. Like I said, he takes it very seriously, and it was really important for him to get it right.”

“He could have obviously phoned it in and been like, “I’m LeBron James, deal with it.” But we rehearsed a lot, running lines off to the side, discussing what these characters want, all the stuff you would do with any actor. So I was pretty impressed.” 

LeBron James reveals his approach to acting in Space Jam: New Legacy

LBJ might have had acted in multiple commercials, but a movie is a different ball-park all-together. Given co-star Don Cheadle’s comments, it seems that the King was pretty dialled in for his role in the movie.

In another interview with Entertainment Weekly, James revealed how he approached to the role in the movie and how co-star Don Cheadle and director Malcom D.Lee helped him.

The 36-year-old said, “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 sequel also features a host of superstars like Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis. With the July 14 premiere approaching, the NBA community is absolutely buzzing for the release. Will Space Jam: New Legacy be another blockbuster?