Exclusive: Jason Segel, Tracy Letts and DeVaughn Nixon talk Winning Time The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
Currently playing on HBO is WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY, highlighting the dynamic cast.
WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY is a fast-break series about the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court.
The ensemble cast includes: John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman, Tracy Letts as Jack McKinney, Jason Segel as Paul Westhead, Julianne Nicholson as Cranny McKinney,
Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss, DeVaughn Nixon as Norm Nixon, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tamera Tomakili as Earleatha “Cookie” Kelly, Brett Cullen as Bill Sharman, Stephen Adly Guirgis as Frank Mariani, Spencer Garrett as Chick Hearn, Sarah Ramos as Cheryl Pistono, Molly Gordon as Linda Zafrani, Joey Brooks as Lon Rosen, Delante Desouza as Michael Cooper, Jimel Atkins as Jamaal Wilkes, Austin Aaron as Mark Landsberger, Jon Young as Brad Holland, with Rob Morgan as Earvin Johnson Sr. and Sally Field as Jessie Buss.
Based on the book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” written by Jeff Pearlman, Isaiah has the incredible task of playing Magic Johnson. An alumni of Kalamazoo College, this is Isaiah’s first major and Blackfilmandtv.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with him about the series and playing one of the greats. Segel created, wrote, directed, produced and starred in the praised AMC anthology series, Dispatches From Elsewhere.
Segel plays Paul Westhead, a Shakespeare professor, leaves grading papers behind to be assistant coach of the Lakers. In Los Angeles, Westhead steps into a drama straight off the Bard’s page (of which he is fond of quoting). Segel starred in Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend opposite Dakota Johnson and Casey Affleck and in James Ponsoldt’s The End Of The Tour.
Letts plays Jack McKinney. The unsung hero behind Showtime basketball, Jack McKinney is the original architect of the Lakers’ fast paced running game. Despite having no NBA head coaching experience, McKinney must find a way to translate his groundbreaking vision and unify his new team. Letts is a Pulitzer Prizer and Tony Award winner who was most recently seen in Ford v. Ferrari, HBO’s Divorce, and USA Networks’ The Sinner.
DeVaughn Nixon is playing his father Norm Nixon, who is his father. A debonair playboy who overcomes insurmountable odds to become the All-Star point guard of the Lakers, the elder Nixon expertly maneuvers the complexities of NBA stardom, until talented young rookie Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) arrives in L.A. DeVaughn’s acting credits include a lead role in Disney’s Prom and the Hulu series Marvel’s Runaways. An actor at an early age, he starred opposite Whitney Houston as her son in The Bodyguard and had a role in James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Blackfilmandtv.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with Segel, Letts and Nixon about their roles in the series.
