‘Ridiculous’ Clipped Casting Slammed by Doc Rivers’ Son Austin: ‘This Is Really Bad… It Looks Nothing Like Him’
The casting on Hulu‘s L.A. Clippers docudrama Clipped is getting harsh reviews… from someone who lived through it.
ESPN basketball analyst Austin Rivers — the son of coach Doc Rivers, played by Laurence Fishburne on Clipped — took time on a recent episode of his Off Guard podcast to rip into the Hulu series for its questionable casting choices. In a clip posted on Instagram, Rivers mocked the casting of NBA great Stephen Curry: “That is Stephen Santiago. That’s, like, the third baseman for the Padres. Who the hell is that guy?”
He also took issue with actor Austin Scott’s resemblance to Clippers star Blake Griffin (“This is really bad. The guy’s hairline’s receding already, and he looks just nothing like Blake”) along with actor J. Alphonse Nicholson’s resemblance to point guard Chris Paul: “That is my local A/C man, Frederick. Who is this? Who the hell is that?” He didn’t mince words when it came to Sheldon Bailey playing Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, either: “There’s no effort in this. That looks nothing like DJ.”
As for his own dad, Austin was careful to say first that “Laurence Fishburne is a legend, and he’s a great actor.” But he did point out a key difference between Fishburne’s physique and Doc Rivers’: “The body of my father is just a little bit different. I’m not saying he’s 100% in shape, but he’s built a little different than Laurence Fishburne. We could’ve done a little AI or something there.”
Clipped — airing Tuesdays on Hulu after premiering earlier this month — follows the scandal that engulfed the NBA’s L.A. Clippers after racist comments by team owner Donald Sterling were leaked to the media. Ed O’Neill stars as Sterling, with Cleopatra Coleman as his assistant V. Stiviano and Fishburne as Clippers coach Doc Rivers. Austin Rivers played for his father as a member of the Clippers beginning in 2015 and is portrayed later in the series.
What do you think of the casting on Clipped? Hit the comments to let us know if you agree with Austin’s assessment.
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I can understand why he was upset, but I would rather have actors who can provide the best performance than look like a carbon copy of the real person.
OK, yes – it would be nice if TPTB used the same casting people who did the casting for Winning Time on HBO, but it is what it is. The leads are killing it though. Laurence Fishburne has my vote for Performer Of The Week.
I do agree with the casting criticisms, but the actors are fine and the show is still entertaining, and that’s the main goal. So, I’ll be sticking with it, even with the less than accurate looks.
Does this dingdong realize a docudrama is not a documentary and the actors do not need to be exact physical doppelgangers of the people they’re portraying? Rhetorical question, because this dude thinking AI would be better is a clear indication that he’s not the brightest crayon in the box.
I definitely agree. Austin Rivers is a nepo baby who wished he had the basketball skills of his father. He has been known throw temper tantrum his entire life.
From what I understand Doc is producer on the show so I’m sure he’s fine with it. His son can chill.