Nothing could have preparedSonequa Martin-Greenfor her new baller gig.
Not killing zombies, not captaining the USSDiscovery, not even pranking a group wacky loftmates.
“‘How are they going to catch the eye of the youth today?’
Warner Bros. Pictures
And when I read it, I thought, ‘Aha!
That’s how you do it!
That’s genius.'”
Warner Bros. Pictures
So was it a film that you long had a relationship with?
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN:I did, 1,000 percent.
I loved that movie coming up.
It was very special to me, and it was a big deal in my household.
So I’ve carried it with me.
That probably has to be pretty mind-blowing call to get.
That’s exactly what it was.
That’s the best way to describe it, mind-blowing.
It was mind-blowing indeed.
We know you are aSpace Jamfan, but beforeNew Legacywere you also a big LeBron fan?
Basketball is my favorite sport to follow, with the exception of the Olympics.
I just remember thinking, “Oh, that’s interesting.
I hope he does well.”
And then that ended up being LeBron.
It’s just really funny to me.
But you both ended up inSpace Jam!
Because he was on the court and I was still in the audition room.
Well, I think it was everything.
It was a lot of things rolled into one.
It was being able to bring a franchise like this to this generation.
I was really excited about that.
And then I just I really appreciated the script.
I thought that the way they modernized the story was quite clever.
How are they going to catch the eye of the youth today?"
And when I read it, I thought, “Aha!
That’s how you do it!
That’s genius.”
What I really love about this character is it’s not some peripheral wife.
She’s the matriarch and really keeps the family going, and it’s reflected in the story.
This world of fame, this world of impact.
Then I also have a great sense of humor as well, I have to say.
She came to set a few times, and we had lovely conversations and just some good quality time.
I really loved being able to connect with her.
But what I actually did was created this woman from the script.
The parameters of the story are what I imagine in.
Those are the boundaries and that’s where I let my imagination run freely.
And I was grateful to do that too.
LeBron has his championship living mindset, and I saw that.
Because even though it was his first time, he came ready to go.
He came fully-prepared, ready to give his all, ready to give 110 percent.
I respected that and we had a good time.
We hit the ground running, jumped in the deep end.
And so we just had to be a fast family, but it was easy.
Such a great group of people, and the kids were fantastic.
We shared a lot of laughs and I think hopefully you’re able to see it reflected.
Do you have a favorite memory from filming?
Yeah, there’s a few of those.
[Laughs]
LeBron does love his Taco Tuesdays!
That was definitely the theme.
to be a family in this story.
It came as a suggestion from the first director that was onboard, Terence Nance.
And it ended up being so much fun.
I do look back on that memory really fondly.
I think that’s the one I’m going to take with me and possibly cherish the most.
And then add on top of it your personal affection for theSpace Jambrand.
Oh, gosh, yeah.
I maintained that ever essential attitude of gratitude the entire time.
It’s really not.you’re able to only hope for that, right?
But I’ve had the privilege and blessing to be a part of things that already have impact.
They’re a major part of society already.
People already love it.
I’ve had the honor of doing that, and this was the most recent one.
And so there’s the pressure of that.
But I would step back and marvel that I was able to be a part of something like this.
I wonder if he would be interested in doing more.
We never talked about what his plans are in acting from here on.
So, I was impressed just by his fervor.
We were able to come together and have both of them be lifted up, which was really cool.
So, yeah, I mean, Bron can do whatever he sets his mind to.
He’s got enough shine!"
Which I think is a fair way to look at it.
Yeah, if he approached it with the same level of dedication, for sure.
She was so memorable that it felt shocking you weren’t around longer.
So I hope you’re still out there in the world pranking people every now and then.
I know, right?
Thank you for that, Derek.
That’s so funny.
Rhonda is a trip.
That’s not necessarily the person you want to run into, you know?
Space Jam: A New Legacypremieres July 16 in theaters and on HBO Max.
