Zachary Levi Found Common Ground With Kurt Warner ‘As a Person of Faith’
By Movieguide® Staff
Actor Zachary Levi, best known SHAZAM!, recently discussed his role as MVP NFL player Kurt Warner in the Kingdom Story Company upcoming movie, AMERICAN UNDERDOG.
Levi previously appeared in Movieguide® Award Winner THE STAR, and Jon and Andy Erwin founded the Kingdom story Company and previously won Movieguide® Awards for their work on I STILL BELIEVE, as well as I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. Levi will appear in another Erwin movie next year, UNBREAKABLE BOY.
Levi, who grew up in Ventura, California, said that sports played a significant part in his childhood.
“Sports were important to me – though not as important to me as the arts,” Levi told Gio. “Obviously, I found myself diving into being an actor more than an athlete. But I love sports, and have always loved sports.
“I think sports and athletics are incredibly important not just for our bodies but for our hearts and minds,” he added.
Levi said that in preparation for AMERICAN UNDERDOG, he spent a few days talking to Warner before production started and received training on what it was like to be a professional quarterback.
“Physically, the movie came together pretty fast once it got green light,” he said. “I was able to have a month and a half of physical training learning how to be a quarterback, which was an intense little boot camp. It was very cool, helpful, and informative.
“Mentally, I only had a few days of hanging out with Kurt before we started shooting the movie. Fortunately, he and Brenda were on set quite a bit while we were shooting the movie, so I was almost able to prepare on the go,” he continued. “Getting more and more of his essence and personality and the truth of their relationship and applying that as much as I can into the movie.”
Levi revealed that one of the biggest draws to the role of playing Warner was the Hall of Fame’s reliance on faith.
“Before I was offered the role, I knew a good amount of Kurt’s story,” he said. “It was Nashville news and also as a person of faith, it had an even more relatable aspect to it. Just an incredible true sports, Cinderella story, that everyone was in awe about. It was just incredible – so I knew all that but after accepting the role I learned so much more about his relationship with Brenda and who he was at the time and who she was at the time. Her two kids, and the relationship that Kurt formed with her son Zac and how meaningful that was to their own relationship – so there was so much more to uncover and unpack.
“I don’t find ‘Underdog’ to be a negative word, I also don’t equally find it to be a positive word or term rather,” he continued. “I think it’s from what position you are looking at it from. You know if you are the ‘Underdog,’ it can feel very negative and that the odds are against you – or you can also be very inspired by that. If you are looking at someone who is an ‘Underdog,’ you can feel pity for them, and have more of a negative feel for them. Or you can feel encouragement for them and root them on. It’s really how you choose to see being an ‘Underdog,’ and are you applying a positive or negative spin to that.”
Check back to movieguide.org in December for the AMERICAN UNDERDOG review, due out on Christmas Day this year.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
