The old adage goes that truth is stranger than fiction. But, more often than not in Hollywood, what's true makes for great fiction. Audiences love to see a person who feels real to them as they learn, grow, and succeed. Maybe that's why so many of the most beloved films and shows come from the world of sports, like The CW high school sports drama "All American." It was one of their freshman shows in 2018. It's often compared to "Friday Night Lights," which also offered a healthy dose of sports storylines and slice-of-life intricacies.
In fact, both shows are very much rooted in the real world. "Friday Night Lights" found inspiration in the intense world of Texas football culture. Meanwhile, "All American" was not only inspired by a true story but pitched and produced by retired NFL star, Spencer Paysinger.
So, who is Spencer Paysinger, and how did his story shape the world of "All American?"
An NFL Star Becomes a Hollywood Producer
The CW
From 2011 to 2017, Spencer Paysinger played for the NFL, spending most of his time as part of the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. When it came time to leave football behind, Paysinger was ready. In an ESPN article, he said, "I remember sitting in my locker that day, packing all my stuff, smiling. I never wanted football to be my highest peak."
Indeed, Paysinger's plan didn't involve his future in football, but his past. Before retiring, he put his efforts into developing and pitching a show inspired by his time as a high school football player for Beverly Hills High School. Paysinger had a unique viewpoint to bring to the field; while he attended and played football for Beverly Hills, he was from the less affluent world of South Central Los Angeles. The show grapples with these two worlds combining, and a helmeted, padded-up "fish out of water" at its center.
Producer Robbie Rogers, (who also produced "Love, Simon," so he knows his way around a high school drama) put it simply when speaking to ESPN in the same article: "It's a real story, it's inspired by a true story."
Spencer Paysinger vs. Spencer James
The CW
The theme of "real and true" allows "All American" to take liberties and not feel completely attached to Paysinger's past, beat for beat. "All American" first allowed this distance by changing Spencer's last name to James. Actor Daniel Ezra plays the lead role. His version of Spencer finds himself scouted in the first season by Beverly Hills High School's Coach Baker, played by Taye Diggs. Baker wants to make his team great and sees James as the one to do that. However, in order to play for Beverly Hills, he'd need the right zip code to back him up. James is encouraged to take the life-changing opportunity to move in with Baker and his family in order to become part of the Beverly Hills team.
In reality, Paysinger never left his family to attend Beverly Hills. He had family who attended the school in their youth and also worked for the school later in life. A multicultural program allowed for Paysinger to attend once he was ready for high school.
Paysinger and James also play different positions on the field. Paysinger was a wide receiver and a safety, while the James character is even more versatile when the story calls for it. His character plays as a receiver, defensive back, and sometimes even a kicker.
We don't want to spoil too many of the other changes between the lives of Paysinger and James. For that, you'll want to check out the show, which is returning to The CW for its fourth season on October 25, 2021 after a fairly shocking season 3. You might even see Paysinger himself on the show. He plays Assistant Coach Davis in several episodes of the series, bringing his influence even closer to the world of "All American."
There are some stories that just stick and they’re so good (in a bad or a good way) that we see them made into television shows. That’s the case for the CW’s All American.
Inspired by the true-life story of former football star Spencer Paysinger, the series's star, Daniel Ezra, makes transforming into an athlete look easy, but does he play football? Here’s what we know.
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All American first premiered in 2018 and it’s become a surprise hit. While it’s inspired by a true-life story, the television show does take creative liberties and it’s not an exact true story. In the show, Daniel delivers a convincing performance of Spencer James, the character based on Spencer Paysinger.
Source: The CW
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Does Daniel Ezra play football though?
Much like medical dramas, sport-based television shows can be picked apart if they’re not close to real life. Football is more than just throwing and kicking around a weird-shaped ball, and that means the plays in the game on the television show have to be as realistic as possible.
Athleticism doesn’t come easy, and while it would be most ideal to hire an actor who is really skilled at football, that’s likely really hard to come by. So, producers and showrunners often go to the next best thing.
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A post shared by Daniel Ezra (@danielezra)
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In this case, it was Daniel Ezra, a British television star who has never played American football before. But he’s already athletically built and can fake-it-till-he-makes-it to a certain degree. According to an interview with Media Village, Daniel put in a lot of work before the show aired.
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“I came out early to do the pilot, so I trained pretty much every day,” he recalled. “They put me on a strict fitness regime and diet, too. I felt that slightly easy to do given I knew how to, and my dad is actually a fitness coach, but for the pilot, I was waking up about 4 a.m. to get to the gym and then head to the set.”
Source: The CW
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Does Daniel have a stunt double on ‘All American’?
The fact that football on television isn’t the same as football in a real, professional game helps Daniel's performance. Instead of playing strategically using skills and practice, Daniel’s football plays on the television show are all choreographed.
"The real stars of the show are the guys that design the football plays,” he said. “They are not just plays; they are also characters [on the show].” The chorographers on All American, just like we’d see in dance or fighting scenes in other movies and TV shows, mark every move, and it’s Daniel’s job to “dance” out the plays. And doing this helps keep the show and the football plays as accurate as possible.
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“Everyone wants the football to be as accurate as we possibly can” Daniel said, “so we spend a lot of time in the field.” It helps that Daniel also has a stunt double to take on the scenes that are tiresome and maybe a little more involved.
“I have an unbelievable stunt double that does half the plays for me,” Daniel said to Media Village. “So, I'll run some, he'll run some, and we make the best out of both.”