Is Bo Cruz's Life Based On A True Story?
By Mia Tucker
Plenty of basketball players have made the leap to movies over the years. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar showed off his funny side in "Airplane," while LeBron James follows in Michael Jordan's footsteps with the lead role in "Space Jam: A New Legacy." Juancho Hernangómez had a chance to show off his skills as an actor in "Hustle," both in a dramatic and comedic capacity, especially acting alongside Adam Sandler. But the only reason he did it was because there was nothing else to do during COVID-19 lockdowns.
The athlete-turned-actor had no acting experience before, but a unique opportunity came his way. He explained to Basket News how he was hanging out with his family during the lockdowns, and despite never having an interest in performing before, he decided to give it a shot with a bit of encouragement. He said, "They asked me for like three months before to do the castings and videos. And I just did it because my sister wanted to do videos and to do something as a family. They started liking it, and I kept going through the casting process."
It was a lot of hard work, sometimes putting in 12 or 14 hours a day. But the critical acclaim "Hustle" received proved it was all worth it. And who knows? Maybe Hernangómez will give acting another try down the line.
