‘Winning Time’ Star Quincy Isaiah Talks the ‘Large Task’ of Portraying Magic Johnson
Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.
In HBO’s “Winning Time,” Quincy Isaiah took on the “large task” of portraying Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. — often regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time after helping the Lakers win five NBA championships across 13 seasons.
“I think being able to make it smaller, in terms of playing this person who just won a championship and who’s just dealing with life issues, I think that’s the way that I have to frame it… really taking this giant of a person and making him relatable to everyday people,” Isaiah told TheWrap. “The way that we are able to do that is with a great script and a great cast, but also just leaning into the humanity of these emotions that you see in Season 2.”
Johnson faces several challenges during the season, including a knee injury and a rivalry with Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics.
“Not knowing if he’s as good as [Larry] Bird or feeling… all these doubts that we as humans have, and seeing that from a person that we know is going to win five titles, that we know is going to be the head of a billion dollar company makes me feel good that people that successful also doubt themselves,” Isaiah added. “I think it’s beautiful that we get to play with that and tell that story.”
Season 2 also explores Johnson’s relationship to the Lakers’ coach Pat Riley, who is played by Adrien Brody.
“It was really fun acting alongside Adrian, but also diving deeper into Magic and Pat’s relationship, where he comes from an announcer to an assistant coach to head coach. Along that journey, he and Magic started building this bond. For Magic, he was somebody he could confide in,” Isaiah said. “He’s very much the person that’s checking Magic’s ego when nobody else can, but also lifting him up when he needs it… Adrian plays that beautifully.”
Brody said the “reminder that these infallible icons had struggles just like you or I along the way” was “very important” in his portrayal of Riley, whom he expressed “tremendous admiration” for.
“Portraying him as he was in Season 1, which really referenced a real turning point in his life where he was transitioning from being a former player and kind of feeling a bit washed up and not sure what the future held, that transition was challenging to play and obviously to live for him,” Brody said. “But I relate to all of that and I didn’t really expect that from what limited understanding I knew with Pat Riley before I did the research.”
Brody praised Isaiah for the “vitality, joy and humanity” that he brought as Magic Johnson and called the dynamic with his co-star “very easy.”
“I really admire Quincy and I like him as a person,” Brody said. “So I feel like it just flowed.”
In addition to Isaiah and Brody, the series stars John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Jason Segel, Hadley Robinson, Sean Patrick Small, Michael Chiklis, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Tamera Tomakili, Brett Cullen, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Spencer Garrett, Molly Gordon, Joey Brooks, Delante Desouza, Jimel Atkins, Austin Aaron, McCabe Slye, Thomas Mann, Gillian Jacobs and Rob Morgan.
“Winning Time” is executive produced by Adam McKay and Kevin Messick for Hyperobject Industries, showrunner, writer, and co-creator Max Borenstein, writer and co-creator Jim Hecht, director Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Scott Stephens, Rodney Barnes and Jason Shuman.
“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” airs Sundays on HBO and streams on Max.
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