March 5, 2022
Sean Patrick Small on his role as Larry Bird in HBO’s ’Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’
Pop Culture Unplugged w/ EliasAbout this episode
Sean Patrick Small recently joined host Elias in the cave! Sean Patrick Small stars as legendary basketball player Larry Bird in the HBO series 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.' To say he was destined to play the role would be an understatement, and not just because he looks just like the man widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Sean is a basketball superfan who has played the sport from high school through college and into adulthood. As an aspiring actor and writer, Sean decided in college that the best way to pursue both careers was to write a script and try to secure roles both in front of and behind the camera. That script was a miniseries about Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, based on a favorite book Sean read in college called 'When March Went Mad,' by Seth Davis. Sean optioned the book, which captures the early life trials and tribulations of these would-be superstars. His script traces the beginning of their storied rivalry, culminating in the most watched basketball event of all time – the 1979 NCAA championship game. While shopping his script around, and after securing Emmy Award-winning director Thomas Carter to helm the show, Sean learned that HBO Max was doing their own series about the Lakers. 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty' chronicles the rise of the team's success in the 1980s, beginning close to where Sean's script left off. When Bo Burnham, cast as Larry Bird, had to drop out of the project, Sean was able to get in front of their casting team through his representatives. A week later, he landed the role he always wanted to play, and began filming shortly after. You can watch this interview on YouTube https://youtu.be/AVthJZZXFck Have a question? Email us themccpodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Social Media for the latest show updates www.twitter.com/themccpodcast www.instagram.com/themccpodcast www.facebook.com/themancavechroniclespodcast www.themccpodcast.com