(Image Source: Instagram – @osheajacksonjr)
O’Shea Jackson Jr. continues to build his acting resume as he stars in the Kevin Durant executive produced drama series “Swagger” on Apple TV+. The series is based on the early life of the two-time NBA champion and his childhood basketball experiences.
Jackson, who is the son of Hollywood boss and gangster rap pillar Ice Cube, plays a character named Ike who’s a former star player and now a youth basketball coach. Jackson stopped by “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” this week and revealed how the late great Kobe Bryant had an affect on his career as an actor.
“I was at the house a little intoxicated, do not judge me. And yeah, Kobe follows me on Twitter and I’m like, ‘You know what? I am going to DM Kobe. I am drunk, I am going to DM Kobe.’ So I hit up Kobe and I am like, ‘Listen man, I just want to know how do you keep going? How can you not be content? Can you give me any books, any movies you watch, any quotes? Give me something,’” Jackson explained.
The Just Mercy actor also stated that Kobe responded with a message and his phone number and called Jackson a few days later.
“He talked to me for 25 minutes. We talked about our parents. He had a dad who was in the league … kind of the same world I was in. We talked about work ethic, not feeling content, not feeling like he has done enough even [though] he had just won the Academy Award — like you know, and he still had that feeling.
“And it is something that I will always hold dear, that the first phone call with my hero was also the last. That is something that I’ve taken to heart. So my entire performance in ‘Swagger,’ which I hope you all see, is dedicated to Kobe Bryant,” O’Shea explained.
Check out the interview below as O’Shea Jackson relives his Kobe Bryant moment below.
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