Ben Affleck is wearing two hats for his new “Air” movie. Not only is he playing Nike Co-founder Paul Knight, he’s also directing the film.
When it came to casting his new movie, Michael Jordan had strong opinions about who should play his mother many times about the script and who should play his mother, Deloris Jordan. For Jordan, the choice was obvious: Academy Award winner Viola Davis.
“Viola Davis is the best actor I’ve ever seen,” said Affleck at the film’s premiere. “Honest to God, I always felt that if I was a director one day and I had Viola Davis in a movie, that would really be something. That would mean the world to me. And I got to say, it really does.”
In an interview with Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan, Davis debunked the rumor that Jordan himself had called to offer her the role. Although it wasn’t the NBA champion who called, Davis still had too think hard about taking the role.
“That’s an enormous responsibility to play someone who’s real” Davis told GMA. “I’m like, I can’t mess it up. I had to believe there are some qualities in me that reminded me of his mother, which people love me as mama — except with my kid, who’s always rolling her eyes.”
“Air” follows an ambitious Nike rep, Sonny Vaccaro, as he pursues then-rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionizes the world of sports and contemporary culture.
“I know Michael Jordan but didn’t know that Deloris brokered this deal to get him a huge stake in the shoe and, in turn, protected her son’s legacy,” said Davis to the Hollywood Reporter. “For Deloris to have this insight and progressive vision, to stand her ground in the negotiation room — which I know can be the hardest part of the job — makes her an incredible woman. That made me lean into this project.”
Also joining the cast are Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman and Marlon Wayans. “Air” will be in theaters April 5.
