Emmy winner Michael Chiklis admits he is nervous about Mike Flynt, the oldest college football guard in NCAA history.
Chiklis talked about his new sports drama movie The Senior and told our entertainment journalist Courtney Tezeno that it was “daunting” to say the least. Flynt rejoined his college football team at the age of 59, and he was kicked out in 1971 and returned to his alma mater, Sul Ross State, Texas, nearly forty years later, where he made history.
“First of all, it's intimidating because he's with us every day,” the actor said. “I'm the guy who's playing him, so it's hard at first. But then he made me feel very relaxed. His wife is adorable. They're really supportive and they're not shocking, so it's big.”
Chiklis, 62, said he was “fired” to play his role, revealing that he was the captain of the high school football team until his senior year.
“I'm a solid ball player. I could have played Level II football. I got a few scholarships, but I wanted to keep my teeth.” “I love competitive sports. The only difference is that Mike did it with the 59th abnormal situation.”
Flynt’s true story not only inspired Chiklis, but “Senior Years” is a film adaptation of a movie in which Lebron James, the oldest basketball player in the NBA, wrote the Preface.
“Listen, I think anyone who has ever been in a sport, male or female, I don’t care what a competitive sport it is, we all wake up and look at the ceiling and think about that moment, things, regrets, what you want and what you want you to do, and that’s the same.”
The film produced by Angel Studios is a redemption story directed by Rod Lurie. Chiklis plays Sam Weston of Rob Corddry, Brandon Flynn as son Micah Flynt, while Mary Stuart Masterson plays his wife Eileen Flynt.
“I adore her. I mean, she's a beautiful person, that's a benchmark.” He shouted to work with his wife on screen. “And you get Rod Lurie, who is a great director of the Academy Award nominee. That's the actors, and that's what we want. We're looking for a great story and then who tells it, who will be in it.”
“Premium” will be released on September 19.