Shaquille O’Neal has made a name for himself as an NBA legend, businessman, and entertainer, but he has his sights set on another challenge: action movies. The former basketball star has repeatedly expressed interest in landing roles in major franchises, including Marvel. Despite his enthusiasm, however, O’Neal says there’s one “big” obstacle standing in between him and his Hollywood ambitions.
Shaquille O’Neal has proven to be a true multi-hyphenate, building successful careers in sports, music, and business. The former athlete has ventured into acting, appearing in a few roles in the past.
O’Neal wants to add more action roles to his resume, but filmmakers and movie executives have repeatedly rejected him over the years. In an interview with Variety, O’Neal revealed why it has been difficult for him to nab an action role, or any role for that matter.
“I would love to do more action roles, but we were told by top Hollywood executives that I’m too big,” he explained. He stands at just over 7 feet tall, making him an unusual presence on the big screen, where actors of his stature are rarely seen. However, it may not be his height that remains a hindrance.
“What they mean by that is when I pop up on the screen everyone will go, ‘Oh, that’s Shaq!’ So, if I’m trying to play a doctor or anything, my character won’t be believable,” he said.
The Former Basketball Player Faced Rejection From Marvel
O’Neal was eager to appear in the “Avengers” franchise, once jokingly saying that he wanted to “kick Robert Downey Jr.’s a-s.” He decided to shoot his shot at landing a role, but unfortunately, he was rejected.
O’Neal said he talked to someone at Marvel who told him that despite how much they love the sports star and wanted to have him in a movie, they couldn’t do it.
“They were like, ‘Shaq, we f-ckin’ love you, and we’d love to put you in, but if your face pops up on the screen people are going to go, Hey, that’s Shaq!’ He said it truthfully, and I was like, alright… I guess my face is too bigtime,” O’Neal said.
Shaquille O’Neal Portrayed A DC Superhero
Despite being rejected for a role in “Avengers,” O’Neal got the chance to play a DC superhero, taking on the role of Steel in the 1997 film of the same name.
The movie centers on John Henry Irons, a brilliant engineer who creates a high-tech suit of armor and becomes the superhero Steel.
“Steel” bombed at the box office, earning about $1.8 million worldwide on a $16 million budget. Reviewers criticized O’Neal’s acting, while comic book fans slammed the filmmakers for straying from the source material. The film has a 4 percent rating on the Tomatometer and 19 percent on the Popcornmeter.
In 2017, “Steel” writer and director Kenneth Johnson said he was opposed to having O’Neal as the lead from the start, but the studio wanted to proceed. “He was a big persona and great role model for kids and all that, but he’s no movie star,” Johnson told Vice.
The NBA Star Has Several Movies In His Filmography
Before “Steel,” O’Neal appeared in starring roles in two movies, “Blue Chips” and “Kazaam.” In the years that followed, the NBA legend appeared in several other movies in minor roles or as a cameo.
Some of his other movies include “The Wash,” “Grown Ups 2,” “Blended,” and “Hubie Halloween.” He also appeared as himself in movies such as “Good Burger,” “He Got Game,” “Scary Movie 4,” “The House Bunny,” “What Men Want,” and “Hustle.”
Shaquille O’Neal’s Recent TV Projects
O’Neal is now setting his sights on appearing on the big screen alongside Dwayne Johnson. “I want to do a movie with The Rock so I can beat him up,” he said.
Meanwhile, he is busy with other projects. He founded a professional dunking league, with the search for the world’s best dunker set to be chronicled in the upcoming series “DUNKMAN,” which premieres August 25. He also executive produced the docuseries “Game Day Murders,” a true crime show that examines crimes in the sports world, which is currently streaming on Max.
