What happens when athletes decide to act? And what doesn’t happen? Wesley Morris and Bill Simmons, sportswriter and founder of The Ringer, break down the history of athletes in movies. They start with Jackie Robinson playing himself in 1950, discuss the Blaxpoitation-era stars and make their way to the ’90s, from “He Got Game” (where Ray Allen turns in a solid performance opposite Denzel Washington, directed by Spike Lee) to “Space Jam” (the less said, the better). They trace this phenomenon all the way to Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock, arguably the most successful athlete-turned-actor of all time — who seems to be playing the long game. Then, they imagine a new kind of renaissance for the sports movie.
We're Going Black(er) AKA Dear Woke People
We Watch Trump TV with Emily Nussbaum
We Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston
We Feud About “Feud”
We Relive the Oscars with Barry Jenkins
We Listen to Kendrick Lamar & Talk to Valerie Jarrett
We Go To S-Town
Season Finale with Jordan Peele | Episode 26
Oscars Preview with A.O. Scott | Episode 25
Beyoncé to Baldwin and Back Again | Episode 24
The Women of “Girls” | Episode 23
‘You Only Leave Home When Home Won’t Let You Stay’ | Episode 22
Wesley and Jenna’s Existential Fears | Episode 21
Show Me the (Read) Receipts! | Episode 20
Batman vs. Joker | Episode 19
‘The Perfect Movie for Our Time’ | Episode 18
The Kanye-thon | Episode 17
The Lives They Lived | Episode 16
Best of 2016 with Bill Simmons, Heben Nigatu, Tracy Clayton and Ezra Edelman | Episode 15
Beyoncé vs. Adele? No Contest | Episode 14
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