Ever wondered what happens to athletes after their professional careers are over? After all the fame and attention, all the times in training and matches, what happens to these sports stars??? ‘Ballers’ looks into just that by focusing on the lives of former NFL professionals. The show was picked up for another season and stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the role of Spencer Strassmore- a former athlete-turned-financial manager who is now teaching players about the business of the game of football.
While “The Rock” came to the series with much fanfare, the show has seen the rise of many faces. And one of these faces, Omar Benson Miller, recently took to the paparazzi for an interview with WhoSay which talked about the show “Ballers”. Miller plays one of NFL’s ex-stars, Charles Greane, who is now trying to figure out what to do with his life now that his professional career has ended.
When asked about how he prepared for the role of Greane, he said,
“I actually had to gain 30 pounds to prepare for this show. They asked me to gain weight to look as though I had just been sitting around eating. Then I had to do a lot of research with other players—professional athletes who have been retired—to get in the psyche of what it is that they go through. Some of them feel like it's traumatic and it's just a giant letdown. I was talking to one of the swimmers .......………………………part of everyday life. It's a real challenge. I think it's a challenge a lot of people don't have to face, but they don't necessarily recognize how real it is.”
As to the relatability of these high profile figures who live a different life than everyday men, Miller said,
“I actually have the most relatable character for most people. I don't think most people can identify with signing 12 million dollar contacts or driving Ferraris and whatnot. My guy (Charles Grean), he works for a Chevy dealership. He has a wife...................................................As the season unfurls, I think you'll see that the characters become more relatable. “
Playing the role of Grean, the show also depicts Grean’s family life now that he’s retired. Standing at a sturdy height of 6’6”, Omar has been acclaimed for his performance in the show and continues to impress in the coming season’s as well.
Raised in California, not much is known about his family life. Many people mistake Forest Whitaker to be his father, given the striking resemblance. As far as we know, his real father is from Missisipi and he has no connections with Whitaker.
Miller has also appeared in the Miracle at St. Anna ,the hot series Sex, Love & Secrets, American Pie Presents: Band Camp, Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 8 Mile, The Express,Transformers, and Shall We Dance. His most notable presence apart from Ballers remains in CSI: Miami, where he was regular appearing on the crime drama as Walter Simmons. For those who want to know more about Omar, you can find him on both Twitter and Instagram.