Shaq writing his own Hollywood script: ‘I want to be the next Rock’
Former NBA star dreams of being an action hero
NEW YORK — Shaquille O’Neal is already known by many names: Superman. The Diesel. The Big Aristotle.
But he would like to add another to the list: Movie Star.
In Uncle Drew, which opens worldwide this week, he plays one of the former basketball stars (all of them real pros under heavy old-man makeup) reunited by Kyrie Irving’s titular character (first created for a TV ad) to compete in a street-ball tournament in Harlem, New York.
Shaq’s character, known as Big Fella, is found running a martial arts dojo.
In real life, his post-NBA career has been far more successful for the four-time NBA champion. He’s an analyst on TNT’s Inside the NBA, a popular pitchman and an active entrepreneur and investor.
Shaq has also had dabbled in everything from professional wrestling to law enforcement. This summer he will tour under the name DJ Diesel.
Uncle Drew is just one of the projects that the 46-year-old O’Neal has going. Among his favorites is a TBS show he’s developing with Ken Jeong. Comparing their chemistry to Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, O’Neal says it will be “Seinfeld epic-ish”.
In a Tuesday interview with Associated Press, O’Neal spoke about his big plans in Hollywood, why the NBA has gotten soft and where he hopes LeBron James lands this offseason.
AP: What do you miss about playing in the NBA?
O’Neal: “I miss all of it. I miss interacting with the fans. I miss having the unexpected adrenaline rush, the doubts, the fear, overcoming the fear. I miss everything.”
AP: Do you play anymore?
O’Neal: “No, not at all.”
AP: How come?
O’Neal: “I ain’t got it. Right now, I’m relinquishing all my powers to my son, who’s going to UCLA.”
AP: That’s a shame. I’d love to see you and Charles Bark- ley play one-on-one.
O’Neal: “Yeah, Charles would lose.”
AP: Your post-NBA career has been uncommonly busy. Why?
O’Neal: “Seventy percent of all professional athletes have nothing, not even a job, after they’re done. The fact that I couldn’t even call a fran- chise to get an interview to be a coach frightened me. So nothing was simple. Educate yourself, be nice to people and save your money. If you do that, you should be OK.”
AP: You have numerous TV shows and films in development. What are your Hollywood aspirations?
O’Neal: “I want to be as big as The Rock (Dwayne Johnson).”
AP: He’s the biggest movie star on the planet. That’s setting a high bar.
O’Neal: “We come from the same place — athletes in transition. That’s my goal. I want similar type movies. I want to get thrillers. I want to get dramas. I want to do comedies. I want to be the next Rock. I want to do a thriller where I’m like a hero and beat up all the bad guys.”
AP: It’s been 24 years since your big-screen debut in Blue
Chips. Do you feel like a veteran actor?
O’Neal: “Well, I have shot 15 movies. I always tell my friends I shot 15 movies but they say, ‘Yeah, but if you play Shaq in nine of the movies, that’s not really acting.’ I say, ‘You make a good point.’ I’m just happy to have the opportunity.”
AP: Your favorite movie?
O’Neal: “Oh, Step Brothers. All day, every day. I know that movie by heart.”
AP: What else do you like?
O’Neal: “I just got done watching Justice League. I thought it was pretty good. But they held Superman out too long.”
AP: In vogue in today’s NBA are big men who can shoot from the perimeter . Could you have developed a three-point game?
O’Neal: “No, I would have played the same way. Because you can’t score 40 points a night shooting jumpers. Nobody has, nobody will. But you can score 40 points a night shooting 60, 70 percent inside the paint. The fact that guys are shooting jumpers, that’s just telling me they don’t like physical contact. Shooting jumpers is easy. Anybody can shoot a jumper. But can you bang a guy four or five times and then still have enough to score two points for your team?”
AP: You think the league has gotten soft?
O’Neal: “Of course.”
AP: The Lakers are rumored to be a likely landing spot for LeBron James. Do you want that to happen?
O’Neal: “I just want the Lakers to be like they were back in the day. I want somebody that can beat Golden State. Golden State has turned into madness. The thing that would make me very excited is if LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard came to the Lakers.”
AP: Have you ever talked to Kyrie Irving about his flat Earth beliefs?
O’Neal: “No, because I said it too. But I was playing.”
AP: You were in make-up for four hours a day for Uncle
Drew. How did you pass the time?
O’Neal: “Sleep. When I woke up, it still wasn’t done.”
I want similar type movies. I want to get thrillers. I want to get dramas. I want to do comedies. I want to be the next Rock.”
Shaquille O’Neal