Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards, Features EditorIf you happened to catch the new Adam Sandler film “Hustle” on Netflix over the weekend — as many did, judging by the fact it immediately shot to #1 on the streamer — you might have been intrigued by the actor starring opposite the comedy legend.
Sandler plays a Philadelphia 76ers scout named Stanley Sugarman who believes he’s found the next NBA star in Bo Cruz, a temperamental Spanish player who is more than a little rough around the edges.
For the role of Cruz, director Jeremiah Zagar needed to find a great actor who could also play basketball. As it turned out, he found Juancho Hernangómez, an NBA player for the Utah Jazz who, in his acting debut, turns out to be a major onscreen presence.
The 26-year-old Hernangómez is in good company — the film features numerous cameos and performances from other players including Anthony Edwards, Dirk Nowitzki and Boben Marjanović, and counts LeBron James as a producer.
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