PASADENA–Calif.–Can football players become TV stars? They have in the past. Alex Karras (Webster), Fred Dryer (Hunter) to name two. There was a fella named O.J. Simpson who took a stab at movie fame, too.
Now former N.Y. Giant star Michael Strahan (far right, with co-star Daryl Chill Mitchell) is tackling comedy with Fox’s Brothers. He plays a former football star–not a stretch–who comes back home to his parents (played by Carl Weathers and CCH Pounder) and his green with envy brother (Mitchell, who shone in those amazing first two seasons of The John Larroquette Show).
Strahan said at press tour today that he’s learning from his acting peers. Working Fox’s slap-happy NFL Sunday show has also helped him find his TV feet (look for Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw to stumble into his sitcom by November sweeps). Just being surrounded by New York media for 15 years also helped ease him into the biz, he figures.
Strahan was asked after the session about a few NFLers who have screwed up lately. He believes Michael Vick has paid his debt to society and should get a second chance at an NFL career. “There are people walking around who have killed people,” he pointed out. He hopes some of his Giant colleagues get their act together, including trigger happy Plaxico Burress.
Another famous athlete, Mike Tyson, guests on an early Brothers episode. The former boxing champ plays himself, just as he did recently in The Hangover.
Still, some critics didn’t think much of Tyson’s performance. “You tell him he can’t act, says Strahan.
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