FX and Hulu recently premiered a new series, Clipped, focusing on the Los Angeles Clippers during the Donald Sterling scandal. However, the series has faced challenges in being taken seriously by basketball fans, largely due to the difficulty in accurately casting NBA players.
Challenges of Casting Professional Athletes
Casting a show about well-known public figures is challenging since viewers are familiar with their appearances. This difficulty is amplified when casting professional basketball players because of their unique height, size, and look, which are seldom found elsewhere. HBO’s Winning Time is noted as an exception, praised for its effective casting and detailed work by the hair and makeup department to accurately portray an NBA team.
Reception of Clipped‘s Casting Choices
In contrast, Clipped has not been as successful in this aspect. Despite the quality of writing and performances, viewers find it hard to look past the casting choices, particularly Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers.
Austin Rivers’ Perspective
Austin Rivers reacts to the casting decisions in “Clipped” (from @austinjrivers on IG)
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Austin Rivers, who played for the Clippers shortly after the events depicted in the series and is also Doc Rivers’ son, has offered his assessments of the casting on his podcast. Rivers humorously critiques the cast, especially noting the portrayal of key players from the Golden State Warriors. Rivers humorously remarks that the actor playing Stephen Santiago resembles a third baseman more than a renowned NBA shooter, and expresses strong discontent with the depiction of Blake Griffin.
Importance of Accurate Casting
Casting for a show about the NBA presents significant challenges. Although the effort put into casting Clipped is evident, some choices have resulted in unintended humor among viewers and former players like Austin Rivers.
Wrapping Up
Accurate casting is crucial for shows based on real-life figures, particularly in sports where physical appearance is a key element of authenticity. FX and Hulu’s attempt with Clipped highlights the complexities involved in such endeavors.
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