The Dirt On Fox
I'm never terribly confident about projects involving David Arquette (although thankfully, it sounds like the spazzy one will remain behind the camera), but I'd tune in to check out Rick Fox's work. Fox is that rare athlete-turned-thespian that can actually act his way into a puppet show. He did a nice job in a small "He Got Game" role and was absolutely terrific as prisoner Jackson Vayhue on "Oz". I have a few movie geek friends who are huge "Oz" fans and don't follow sports whatsoever. They assumed Fox was a professional actor who happens to be very tall. Considering how critical these guys are, thems are hard earned props. I talked with Fox a few times about acting when he was on the team and it's a skill he treats with respect. He took (and may still take) private instruction and wasn't satisfied simply cashing in on his famous name (the "Kazaam"-esque route most athletes use to get into film).
I imagine Fox's role on "Dirt" will be more demanding than Luke Walton's upcoming acting debut (which BK and I will review), but I'm open to being surprised. And who knows what dramatic layers Luke may add to his scenes playing one-on-one ball? All those years spent listening to drunken yahoos imitate Big Red may provide an internal fire the novice can bring to his performance. Until I see proof otherwise, I'm keeping Daytime Emmy hope alive.
Just out of curiosity, which current Laker would you peg as the best legit actor and why? You could obviously go a lot of ways with this question. If Kobe Bryant's ability to chew out a ref translates onto the big screen, he's perfectly capable of a dramatic scene. And he does have that "stare" going for him. Frankly, Kobe's oft been accused of acting since the moment he entered the NBA. Ronny Turiaf certainly has the requisite energy a performer needs and he's obviously not afraid to risk looking silly. Smush Parker spends much of his time poker faced, making him perhaps ideal for an undercover agent role ("Smush Brasco," anyone?). Jordan Farmar is an L.A. native who's barely left the city limits over the course of his lifetime. Hard to believe a little of "the industry" hasn't seeped into the kid. And you obviously can't discount the acting tips Lamar Odom may have picked up on set of "Van Wilder" while playing "Coolidge Chickadee Player."
But I'm gonna go out on a dark horse limb and declare Sasha Vujacic your winner. In his two years as a Laker, I've seen endless variations of "The Sasha Face" each time he's called for a foul. Just when I think it's not humanly possible for Sasha to pull out another version of his classic "What??? Me??? Why???" look after an obvious whistle, the guy finds a way to keep it fresh. So much conviction! So much expression! So much bewilderment as he can't understand how he managed to pick up that foul 30 feet from the action. And while actors often have trouble working in their second language, if Sasha's capable of channeling such emotion into a meaty supporting role, kid's got "Oscar" written all over him.
AK
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Please let the season start!
Posted by: LakerFan4life | August 15, 2006 at 12:45 PM
The Lakers' best actor?
Mitch Kupcake for his impersonation of a General Manager
Letting Shaq go (West would have found a way to keep him), saddling us with Brian Grant's ridiculous contract, staking our future and more big bucks on Kwame at center, leaving the team without a point guard last season and thrusting a hapless Smush into the role - why you'd almost believe he was a real GM. Not to mention his dazed looking and cliche spouting news conferences.
I'm sure Mitch is a nice guy - and I certainly hope Kwame lives up to his potential one day. But I think a great franchise like the Lakes and a great player like Kobe deserve better.
Posted by: Jay Jay | August 15, 2006 at 12:57 PM
I hope none of the guys are spending time on acting lessons. They should all be studying how to play defense - learning to rotate agressively and do more than "matador" defense. Defense wins championships. GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Eagleboy | August 15, 2006 at 12:58 PM
LakerFan4life..i second that thought....He Got Game was a awesome movie..Allen and Fox hitting up all the white chicks..great stuff
Posted by: kleander | August 15, 2006 at 12:58 PM
A former Laker (please god let it be so!) that would be perfect as an actor...is............
Slava! Think about it, (aside from his inconsistent, 20 minute play all season long for like 4 years) he fooled us into thinking he's a basketball player and pay him money! LOL
Course that would probably apply in terms of Von, in that he fooled us into drafting him! lol
No seriously, I'd have to agree...Sasha all the way. He can be my heartthrob anytime lol, jk. He does have those "emotional" moments, and dude knows foreign language, he could like romance women with speaking a foreign language. Or at the very least, he can be the geeky foreing exchange student boy in a high school flick ----I can so picture it haha.
Posted by: Faith | August 15, 2006 at 01:44 PM
Von Wafer, for acting like a basketball stud while in actuality he's the complete opposite.
Posted by: Kevin McK | August 15, 2006 at 01:45 PM
Would love to see Fox opposite Holly Hunter. Now there's a match! Who's got the USA basketball schedule???????????
Posted by: keifo | August 15, 2006 at 01:54 PM
The Best Laker Actor ever is Kareem for his for his roles in Airplane! and one of The Bruce Lee Movies with Dragon in the Name.
The Best Current player who would be a good actor would probably be Von Wafer, because an actor has to put up with a lot of rejection before he finally makes it, and no one else on the team personifies that better than Von. Also, he has the star name already.
Posted by: Skyhook | August 15, 2006 at 02:03 PM
So long as he never has to play the part of an adult, Kobe will win the nomination hands down.
Posted by: sonnybelfast | August 15, 2006 at 02:15 PM
The Niners packed Rumph off to the Redskins. Cleaning house. I'm liking Nolan better and better.
Go Niners!
Posted by: sonnybelfast | August 15, 2006 at 02:18 PM
Faith,
Slava could pass as junior terminator now that the senior is busy being a Governator. While your hearthrob Sasha could pass as Brad Pitt of Eastern Europe with his tantalizing eyes and say some romantic lines in Slovenian language. They could hit daytime Emmy and give Days of our Lives a run for their money. That could be an incentive of being a Laker, it's a passport to Hollywood. If KG becomes a Laker, he could resurrect, The Return of the Alien.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 15, 2006 at 02:31 PM
LakerFan4life & Jay Jay, shout out to you for the first two posts...my sentiments exactly
Posted by: Taliq | August 15, 2006 at 02:38 PM
I was flipping around the channels and saw Rick Fox on an episode of "Girlfriends" or something, he was freaking AWFUL..
Made his performances in those car commercials look absolutely Shakespearean.
Posted by: john | August 15, 2006 at 02:41 PM
A great Sacramento King actor would be Ron Artest, playing himself in "Testes, The Back Breaker".
Posted by: sonnybelfast | August 15, 2006 at 02:44 PM
Edwin Gueco,
LOL. Heck for KG...we'll give him John Salley's role in Bad Boys II! That's sure to get him packing for LA!
Posted by: Faith | August 15, 2006 at 03:03 PM
My guess is after this season Sasha will have a lot of time on his hands to pursue his acting career, so my money is on him.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 15, 2006 at 03:03 PM
Your all missing by far the best actor in the entire NBA: Dwayne Wade. He didn't win an Academy or an Oscar. He was so good they gave him an NBA championship, all nice and wrapped up. What a great gift. Clearly, he's the best actor th NBA has to offer.
B.
Posted by: TheeCaliKing | August 15, 2006 at 03:04 PM
I'm with you AK, Sasha's expressions do seem almost beleivable sometimes even though we all see him reaching the whole way down the court, at the top of three point line, and as his man drives past him to the lane right into a Mihm foul.
Posted by: LakerReg | August 15, 2006 at 03:13 PM
Sasha could play a girl. They wouldn't even have to change the spelling in the credits.
Posted by: sonnybelfast | August 15, 2006 at 03:18 PM
the ultimate ROLE player
YALL should try to find a 2001 PLAYOFF tape and watch it. YA, thats the year the P&G was dropping DREAM TEAM stuff on the QUEENS and SPURS Azzz. the only PERFECT basketball team I've seen in my life(KAREEM says the 85 LAKERS were perfect too but I missed that one). EVERY TIME somebody talks about RICK or I see RICK it reminds me of that year. the GUY would CLOSE DOWN the best SCORERS, make all the CLUTCH THREES and put the BALL were SHAQ just needed to turn and it was a sure basket. thats what I call an ULTIMATE ROLE PLAYER.
he's a LAKER hall of FAMER.
Posted by: rayray | August 15, 2006 at 03:21 PM
the BEST actor in the history of the NBA
the one and only Velade Divac AKA the flopper
Posted by: rayray | August 15, 2006 at 03:26 PM
Vlade D! With his flopping!
Posted by: exhelodrvr | August 15, 2006 at 03:48 PM
On Sasha:
Wasn't this guy brought in to be a shooter? The Lakers spent a pick on this guy. He can't regularly hit an open jumper. Everytime he puts it up it's a 50/50 whether it goes, or whether it's even close. Even Kareem Rush had a moment for the Lakers, winning a playoff game for them when he lost his mind in 3-Point Land. I watch alot of Laker basketball, so I see Sasha play often, and I have to say that its been years now, and this guy's offense has yet to show any significant improvment, shooting or otherwise. The only positive is he doesn't dribble the ball of his own foot and out of bounds anymore. He has no other game, such as driving to the hoop. He is a born and bred shooter who can't shoot. Anyone ever consider packaging him out?
B.
Posted by: TheeCaliKing | August 15, 2006 at 04:13 PM
i wouldnt mind calling some Laker girls for some private screening. ;)
but seriously, i'd probably go with luke. he's got the right look.
or Farmar in the Little Rascals remake as a grown up Alphilfa.
or Odom in Half Baked 2 as a taller and less funnier version of Dave Chappell.
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 15, 2006 at 04:18 PM
First off, I LOVED OZ!!!!!!! That show had soooo many good actors it was ridiculous. every character was so deep (except Adebisi, even though he was one of my favorites), yet twisted that you were just drawn into how these people ended up the way they did, and what was going to happen to them.
I love movies/TV, and I love to see a good actor at work, and you can believe Rick Fox is a good actor. He played the basketball star/wife beater/drug addict part perfectly on OZ. LOL, hopefully it's not from experience. I like Fox's acting skills, and I think he's one of those cats that can steal a scene if he's in the right genre.
PS: OZ started to go down hill once they killed off Said, and the last episode was horrible!!!!!
Posted by: Weave-Man | August 15, 2006 at 05:21 PM
"Game of Death" Bruce Lee & The Captain
Kareem plays a dude who's eyes are sensitive to light, and he rocks these pimped out shades. The best scene is when this dude gets snathed fron the top of the stairs by Kareem standing on the ground level. Kareem jumped up, reached over the banister and pulled this guy down like an offensive rebound.
For those of you you haven't seen it, you should netflix it for sure!
>_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcalade | August 15, 2006 at 05:50 PM
I need Laker's basketball, I think I'm going to lose my mind!
Posted by: Xavier | August 15, 2006 at 05:54 PM
I love Gary Payton's face...
Even though he's not doing anything...he's face is funny. He got this "TRASH TALKING" face everytime he plays.
Posted by: Digtaz | August 15, 2006 at 06:40 PM
Definetly Sasha that guy knows he got caught but he still tries to convince the refs theyre blind. Kinda annoying and frustrating watching him holding the ball complaining. Maybe if its in a movie itll be more on the comic side if he does that and I can just laugh.
Posted by: Shady | August 15, 2006 at 07:32 PM
nice mentionings... but ya'll are forgetting the Magic Man and his turn as a thespian in michael jackson's "remember the time" video! ... out of retirement and into pop music, magic was the best 6-foot-9 egyptian eye-liner wearing, royal guard i've ever seen. sheer genius.
btw, i'm now looking at espn's the "top five reasons to you can't blame kobe bryant for all things that went wrong in the western civilization" ... good tuesday night television.
Posted by: CBuck | August 15, 2006 at 07:45 PM
btw, roland you were pretty good on that show. sound arguments.
my only complaint: shaq should've been the no. 1 reason
Posted by: CBuck | August 15, 2006 at 07:54 PM
Brian Cook's posture for the "Hunchback of Notre Dame"
or...
Or how about Cookie's oscar winning performance in "Can't Play D II"
with best supporting actor Eric Dampier.
Can't even play respectable D on the pickup courts of $anta Monica. Plays hard enough to get hurt...but can't get in a bent knee stance?
Got to hand it to Mitch, he sure has a gift for making poor defensive players rich.
Posted by: Brandon | August 15, 2006 at 10:07 PM
Skyhook,
Don't leave out Kareem's profoundly moving, Oscar-worthy role in BASEketball.
Posted by: wreakjavik | August 15, 2006 at 10:38 PM
For anybody who didn't see BASEketball, Kareem was awe-inspiring. He sat inside a glass case, and I think I remember him turning his head once.
Posted by: wreakjavik | August 15, 2006 at 10:41 PM
Best non-laker.....RAJA BELL, his continual flops are oscar worthy !
Posted by: LALAKERLOVER | August 15, 2006 at 10:48 PM
Why all this speculation when everyone knows the Lakers have one of the greatest actors Hollywood has ever produced: Jack Nicholson.
He is on the payroll, isn't he?
Posted by: Tsphere | August 15, 2006 at 11:35 PM
Now, I wish Rick Fox all the best...
And he was good in Oz for sure...
but can we just cut to the chase and get the news that we've signed KG and Artest already?
I guess I'll just watch us dribble off of Korean heads and almost double their score...
Posted by: Benjamin | August 15, 2006 at 11:38 PM
yikes! http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/5872400
Posted by: puffcloudy | August 16, 2006 at 01:00 AM
How bad has the off-season become that we find ourselfs talking about Rick Fox getting back to Acting?
Posted by: LakeMan | August 16, 2006 at 01:39 AM
I gotta go non-Laker on this one -- Hands down, Shaq and DWade for acting as though they are both head over hills in love with one another!
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | August 16, 2006 at 04:34 AM
cbuck,
Do you know where i can get a transcript of the espn show on kobe...or can you recap what the top 5 reasons were.
Tsphere,
You're d*mn right, Jack is on the payroll.
In Kobe we trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 16, 2006 at 07:24 AM
Taliq,
The show that you were refering to was on espn classic. I checked the guide and it doesn't appear to be on again at leat this week. I caught the last two reasons last night, but I'll wait for cbuck to comment. I don't want to give away the ending.
>_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcalade | August 16, 2006 at 08:55 AM
I liked Kareem's cameo on Scrubs. Good show.
Posted by: Emma | August 16, 2006 at 09:18 AM
ok ok no more arguing. we all know the best movie of all time was KAZZAM!!! Shaq brought that movie to life and should have won an Oscar for that.
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 16, 2006 at 09:48 AM
yeah a transcript or something for that show would be really cool
jon(inJapan)
Posted by: joninjapan | August 16, 2006 at 09:48 AM
by the way, incase some of you guys didnt catch TOP 5 REASON YOU CANT BLAME KOBE FOR SHAQ LEAVING on tv yesterday.... here they are:
5. Jerry West's departure
4. Malone & Payton not winning a championship due to Payton's inability to play in the triangle.
3. Shaq for wanting to be the man when Kobe was the best player. Thought Kobe would be his little brother like Hardaway did, except Kobe wasnt going to be anyone's little bro.
2. Phil Jackson for isolating Kobe and not developing a good relationship between the two. Using Kobe as the scapecoat. Not liked by his players due to his cocky attitude.
1. Jerry Buss for wanting to change the Lakers into the 80's style Showtime team. Never liked the Triangle offense.
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 16, 2006 at 10:06 AM
In extending what the Lamar show wrote about the top five reasons you can't blame Kobe.
On #3, that Shaq is the kind of person that he needs to be liked by everyone and if someone doesn't like him, he takes it personal. Kobe did not like him(according to them)so Shaq thought it was personal and did everything to make Kobe an outsider.
On #2, Phil Jackson, they said that Phil never embraced Kobe, that Phil made sure Kobe was the outsider that way the others would have a reason to get angry and work better. He used Kobe as a spark to light up the team. That Phil did the same thing in Chicago with the general manager. But this time he used Kobe.
Posted by: lakofan | August 16, 2006 at 10:26 AM
I've got a HUGE BEEF to get off of my chest....
First, I'm tired of all of the negative talk concerning Mitch Kupchak. I could make this argument long, but I'll keep it short and sweet. How many championships did the Lakers win in the 1990's? Who was the General Manager during all of those years? Until 12 years have past without another Laker Championship, I think we all should get off of Mitch's back. By the way, his last name is KUPCHAK....not cupcake or any other 2-cent attempt to be funny! It's amazing how we get upset if someone call sus out of our name but then we in turn call another person out of theirs just because we feel that there is probably no way they'd ever find out that we did it.
Second, I have grown tired of the Kwame Brown bashing. Except for Kobe Bryant there is no other player that dawned a Laker's uniform last season that is exempt of criticism. Unless every single one of them get equal time on the hot seat in here, I believe that it is high time that the criticism stop. Besides, the critism of Kwame in reference to having poor hands and weak finishes in the paint should also go for Chris Mihm, who would rather shoot layups in the paint most times than dunk. He fumbled and missed his share of baskets last season as well. Get off Kwame's back and let the guy play basketball.
Third, I am tired of these unrealistic expectations on individual players. If you would only take the time to look at past performances of some of the championships of the past you will see that what you are trying to say should be required, really isn't. Kwame doesn't have to give 15-10 a night for the Lakers to win a championship. Lamar doesn't have to give 20-10 a night for the Lakers to win a championship. Pippen never avaeraged 20-10. Horace never averaged 15-10. It wasn't necessary because collectively as a team, they performed at a high level.
In closing, I fail to understand how certain players can be unrealistically expected to achieve the things that some of you are proposing, yet your expectations for the team itself, remain low? That seems highly inconsistent to me.
That's my BEEF, for now!
Posted by: JJ | August 16, 2006 at 10:28 AM
The Lamar Show,
Since you are big L.O. fan, I've been meaning to ask you if you saw that special on Foxsports that Smush hosted? Well, L.o. was sitting in his car and Smush brought the camera around and called out "big time" because L.O. was waiting on his driver. :) A driver?! L.O. is from the hardcore Bronx right? I just wondered if you think that it's "soft" to have a driver.
p.s. I am an L.O. fan I don't think he is soft, but I just don't know about having a driver. :)
Posted by: Ken | August 16, 2006 at 10:33 AM
Ken -- Lamar is from the the SOUFFSIDE !! QUEENS NY and went to Christ the King H.S..
as for having a driver -- maybe he goes that route sometimes -- still kinda interesting...
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | August 16, 2006 at 10:39 AM