{"id":12886,"date":"2022-03-26T10:00:39","date_gmt":"2022-03-26T09:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1614568"},"modified":"2022-03-26T10:22:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-26T09:22:11","slug":"john-c-reilly-the-road-behind-me-is-strewn-with-those-who-underestimated-me","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/john-c-reilly-the-road-behind-me-is-strewn-with-those-who-underestimated-me\/","title":{"rendered":"John C. Reilly: \u201cThe road behind me is strewn with those who underestimated me\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By James Hibbs\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 26 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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John C. Reilly has nothing to prove. Every time he appears to be carving out a niche he\u2019s diverted from it, whether that\u2019s broad comedies, independent films, hard-hitting awards nominees or blockbusters. He\u2019s more than shown that he\u2019s an actor of exceptional versatility, range and taste in projects.<\/p>\n

Yet he is continuing to shake things up, appearing in what he calls \u201cmy first big show\u201d for TV<\/a>, having largely starred in films and on stage. The show is Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, a look at the Los Angeles basketball team\u2019s famous 1980s \u2018Showtime\u2019 era, in which they were led by star players Magic Johnson and\u00a0Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Reilly stars as Jerry Buss, the chemist, businessman and playboy who bought the team in 1979 and led them through their this era, in which they won five NBA championships and brought a sense of showmanship to the game.<\/p>\n

So why this move, and this character now?<\/p>\n

Well one thing that comes up a lot in our chat is ambition, and the potential to be underestimated. \u201cI came up with this line, which is that the road behind me is strewn with those who underestimated me,\u201d Reilly says on our Zoom chat. \u201cWhen people disrespect you, or underestimate you, some people it deflates. But in me, it makes me rise to the challenge and want to do everything I can to prove them wrong. And Jerry was very much like that, that was the secret to his success \u2013 positivity, the power of positive thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Reilly, this role is personal. He sees a lot of himself in the character, relating to Jerry\u2019s ability to keep his cool while those around him think he\u2019s out of his depth. In one particular scene in episode 2, rival team owner Arnold \u2018Red\u2019 Auerbach dresses Jerry down, telling him not to worry about winning and to stay in his lane.<\/p>\n

Reilly explains that \u201cI come from a very working class neighbourhood on the south side of Chicago, and here I am in Hollywood making all these movies, and I\u2019ve become this well-known person. But inside my heart I\u2019m still that kid from the south side of Chicago. And Jerry was still that kid from from rural Wyoming.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo when a situation comes up like that, when Red Auerbach underestimates Jerry and says, \u2018Oh you\u2019re just a party boy, enjoy it, don\u2019t worry about it\u2019, it reminds me of when people underestimated me coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reilly first came on to the acting scene in 1989, with a role in Brian De Palma\u2019s Casualties of War. He went on to work with directors including Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, be nominated for an Oscar and three acting Golden Globes, and star with Will Ferrell in two of the biggest comedies of the noughties. His Step Brothers and Talladega Nights director, Adam McKay, is also an executive producer on Winning Time, and directed the first episode.<\/p>\n

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