As a kid who grew up in Detroit in the 80's and 90's, John Salley is sports royalty to me! So when I got a chance to interview one of my boyhood idols about his newest acting role, I said ''yes" immediately.
Sneakerella on Disney+
Hearing the concept for the new Disney+ movie musical; Sneakerella, my first thought was...'why didn't I think of that'?!
It's such a great idea! After all, Cinderella is the most famous story ever, about shoes! So, why not use today's obsession with sneakers to retell the classic tale in a modern way?
That's just what Disney has done with this new film. Not only has the glass slipper been replaced with 'kicks' but instead of Prince Charming rescuing a damsel in distress, it's a Sneaker-family Princess helping to change the life of an orphan boy (who lives with his wicked step-father and two lousy step-brothers). Genius!
Chosen Jacobs is adorably charming as El (love that name) the aforementioned orphan, obsessed with designing his own sneakers.
And Lexi Underwood is equally likeable as the daughter of retired basketball star, turned sneaker magnate; Darius King, played by the great John Salley.
You'd think John had already accomplished all his dreams, as a 4 time NBA champion, popular tv personality and frequent actor. But it turns out he still had more he wanted to do, most notably appearing in a Disney musical, as he told me during our interview:
"I've been in a lot of movies, but this one is the one I wanted to be in. I always wanted to be in a musical. You get to see me rhyme in this little battle. I love it, I love it. It's one of my favorite things to this point. I used to dream about it, being a rapper. I finally get to live my life out on stage. It was scary, but you know I like being scared."
"I'm so proud to be in this movie".
Sneakerella is streaming now on Disney+
