Ballers
A retired NFL player becomes a financial manager for other players.
HBO · via Wikipedia: Ballers · Fair use
Ballers is an American television series that blends sports, comedy, and drama. Created by Stephen Levinson, it ran for five seasons on HBO, premiering on June 21, 2015, and concluding on October 13, 2019. The show follows Dwayne Johnson’s character, Spencer Strasmore, a former NFL player forced into retirement by an injury. He then takes on a new role as a financial manager for other active NFL players.
The main cast includes Rob Corddry as Joe Krutel, a financial advisor who guides Spencer through his new workplace at Anderson Financial. John David Washington plays Ricky Jerret, a fiercely competitive and spiritual NFL player. Omar Miller portrays Charles Greane, a likable ex-player searching for his next career move. Donovan W. Carter is Vernon Littlefield, a family-focused defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys. Troy Garity appears as Jason Antolotti, a high-powered sports agent. London Brown plays Reggie, Vernon’s childhood friend who manages his money. Jazmyn Simon is Julie Greane, Charles’ wife. Arielle Kebbel appears as Tracy Legette (season 2, recurring in seasons 1 and 5), a local sportscaster involved with Spencer. Brittany S. Hall plays Amber (seasons 4–5, recurring in season 3), a past fling of Ricky’s who later becomes his girlfriend and the mother of his child.
Recurring characters include Carl McDowell as TTD, Ricky’s friend and assistant; Dulé Hill as Larry Siefert, general manager of the Miami Dolphins; Christopher McDonald as “Boss Man,” an owner of the Dallas Cowboys; Anabelle Acosta as Annabella Ruiz, Ricky’s girlfriend; Taylor Cole as Stephanie Michaels, an ESPN reporter romantically linked to Spencer; LeToya Luckett as Tina, the widow of one of Spencer’s close friends; Ella Thomas as Kara Cooley, Alonzo’s mother and an interior decorator involved with Ricky; Emayatzy Corinealdi as Candace Brewer, a sports executive who clashes with Spencer; Antoine Harris as Alonzo Cooley, Ricky’s passive-aggressive teammate; Taylour Paige as Theresa, Julie’s sister; Sanai L. Johnson as Bey, Theresa’s daughter; Richard Schiff as Brett Anderson, owner of Anderson Financial Management; Clifton Collins, Jr.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy-drama / Sports
- Creator
- Stephen Levinson
- Starring
- Dwayne Johnson / Rob Corddry / John David Washington / Omar Miller / Donovan W. Carter / Troy Garity / London Brown / Arielle Kebbel
- Open Theme
- "Right Above It" by Lil Wayne featuring Drake
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 5
- Num Episodes
- 47
- Executive Producer
- Dwayne Johnson / Dany Garcia / Mark Wahlberg / Peter Berg / Evan Reilly / Stephen Levinson / Rob Weiss / Denis Biggs / Julian Farino
- Producer
- Bret Slater / Peter Sussman / David Levinson / Lori Jo Nemhauser / Karyn McKarthy / Neena Beber / Janace Tashjian
- Location
- Los Angeles / New York / Miami / San Francisco
- Cinematography
- Tobias Schliessler / Jamie Reynoso / Rodney Taylor
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series follows Spencer Strasmore, an NFL player forced into retirement due to injury, as he begins a new career as a financial manager for other NFL players at Anderson Financial. He is guided by Joe Krutel, a financial advisor at the firm. The show also centers on several fictional NFL players: Ricky Jerret, a highly competitive and spiritual player; Charles Greane, an affable former player searching for his next career; and Vernon Littlefield, a family-oriented defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys. Their personal and professional lives intersect with agents, family members, and sports executives.
Recurring characters include Jason Antolotti, a top-tier sports agent; Reggie, Vernon's childhood friend who handles his money; and Julie Greane, Charles' wife. The series features numerous real-life athletes appearing as themselves, as well as actor John Amos, who had a brief stint with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s, playing a retired fictional player. The show aired on HBO in the United States and was broadcast in Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Reader's Guide
Ballers ran for five seasons on HBO, from 2015 to 2019, and was created by Stephen Levinson. The series is notable for starring Dwayne Johnson in a leading television role, bringing his charisma to the part of a retired athlete navigating the business side of professional sports. The show's critical reception was generally favorable, with the first season earning an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 65 out of 100 on Metacritic. Subsequent seasons received similar ratings, with season 2 at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and season 3 at 67%.
The series was released on Blu-ray and DVD, with season 1 arriving on June 14, 2016, and the complete series box set released on DVD on January 28, 2020. In the United States, the series was added to Netflix on August 15, 2023. Ballers is often compared to Entourage for its focus on the lifestyles and financial dealings of professional athletes, and it helped solidify HBO's lineup of sports-themed programming.
Did You Know?
- The series was created by Stephen Levinson and aired for five seasons on HBO.
- Dwayne Johnson stars as Spencer Strasmore, a retired NFL player turned financial manager.
- Real-life athletes such as Terrell Suggs, Larry Csonka, and Jay Glazer made appearances as themselves.
- The complete series box set was released on DVD on January 28, 2020.
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