Movie role is ‘a dream come true’
Loyola High’s Wright ‘having a great time’ as son of Lakers’ James in ‘Space Jam 2.’
Ceyair Wright, a junior cornerback and wide receiver at Los Angeles Loyola High, had a good excuse for missing football workouts last week. He was busy playing the role of LeBron James’ son in the new movie “Space Jam 2,” filming in Los Angeles.
“It’s been amazing. It’s still crazy thinking about it,” Wright said Monday after football practice. “It’s a dream come true.”
Teammates have teased him by calling him “Bronny,” the name of James’ oldest son, a freshman basketball player at Chatsworth Sierra Canyon High.
Wright auditioned for the role in March, came back for a reading and got a call while visiting Stanford on a recruiting trip that the film’s executives wanted him. He has been filming since June around L.A. The movie is scheduled to debut in July 2021, when he will be a high school graduate and expects to be preparing to play college football.
“It’s really fun,” he said. “I’m having a great time.”
Wright said he has met several NBA players and taken photos he will be able to show friends later.
As for LeBron James, Wright said: “He’s such a humble guy. He’s just like a friend. He’s a mentor now.”
Wright said he hopes he can convince James to come to a Loyola football game.
Wright, 16, plays a 15year-old in the film. Even though football is his main sport at Loyola, he has used his athleticism to show off some basketball skills.
Wright said he made a music video at age 4, was modeling at 5 and worked in commercials at 9, but this movie role is the biggest job of his acting career.
Filming should be complete by the end of this week, clearing the way for Wright to focus on the football season. He ran 100 meters in 10.84 seconds during the track season, but everyone will have to wait until 2021 to see his basketball skills.