Now more than ever have the financial struggles of professional athletes following the end of their careers in sports been openly analyzed. Football players like Vince Young have been making headlines for rumored money struggles, ESPN has released a slew of documentaries themed around the issue, and now there’s a new film offering its own look at the long standing problem.
The movie is called The Last Fall and is helmed by ex-NFL player Matthew Cherry. Actor Lance Gross stars in the movie about a former NFL player who struggles to transition into a life off the field. Speaking with EBONY.com, the actor opens up about the movie and his role in it.
EBONY: Tell me about your role in “The Last Fall.”
Lance Gross: I play an NFL player by the name of Kyle Bishop, who got cut from his NFL team and had to return home to his family. Everyone is under the assumption that he’s well off, after playing professional football. He deals with stressful relationships with his parents as well as his high school sweetheart and love interest Faith Davis, played by Nicole Beharie.
In a nutshell, I’d like to say it’s a love story. It’s about a man’s love for football, his family and his high school sweetheart.
EBONY: What was your preparation like for this film?
LG: I wanted it to be as authentic as possible. I spoke to all my friends that are in the NFL currently, as well as retired players. I also picked the brain of the director Matthew Cherry, whom this story is based on. He had a career in the NFL and got cut. These are basically his life situations that he chose to write about. We broke down the script a lot, and I got a ton of notes from him. I was in the gym practically every day trying to put on muscle mass. I wanted NFL players to watch this and feel like I’d blend in with the people that they know and train with.
The Last Fall is currently playing in Los Angeles and is set for DVD release on January 15.
You can read Lance’s interview in full over at EBONY.com.
You can see a trailer for the movie below:
