Sixth Man - Prod Note 1

About The Production
From the earliest stages of gestation of "The Sixth Man," producer David Hoberman had very definite ideas about who he wanted cast to play the story's main characters, Kenny Tyler and his brother Antoine. "I always wanted to work with Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison as a team and this seemed the perfect opportunity," Hoberman says. "The script is magical and uplifting," he continues. "But it has so many other qualities: comedy, drama, emotion and sports, all rolled into one, and I thought Kadeem and Marlon were exactly right for the roles. It's very rare in this business that you end up with the people you set out to get."

For Marlon Wayans, the youngest sibling in a family of celebrated brothers and sisters, the role of Kenny was familiar ground. "Kenny's very much like myself. He's a little brother and as such he's often placed in his older brother's shadow. I'm kin to three stars, Damon, Keenen and Kim, and I'm working to make my way and find my identity. So it was easy for me to relate to the character."

Kadeem Hardison, best known to audiences for his seven years co-starring as Dwayne Wayne on the popular sitcom "A Different World," has his own insights into the ghostly Antoine, whom he plays in "The Sixth Man." "As the leader of the team, he's basically a good guy, but he wants everyone to do things his way. Meanwhile, he wants to make every shot and win the big game. He loves the pressure of it, because that's when he's in the spotlight. He's a little arrogant, and now, he's died before he gets to live out his dream of an NCAA championship. There's unfinished business for him. More than about basketball, the movie reveals what can happen when you lose someone close to you."

As described by director Randall Miller, "'The Sixth Man' is a movie about two brothers who have a dream and go all the way to win an NCAA championship.

However, the dream gets derailed and one has to go on without the other. It's a universal story about togetherness and loss."

Wayans adds, "The movie is about Kenny learning to deal with grief and becoming a man. When his brother Antoine dies, Kenny is scared, lonely and confused. He's a good kid, but he doesn't have the initiative to be the star athlete that Antoine was. So he's dealing not only with the loss of his brother, but also with the reality that all his life, he's been his brother's shadow and he doesn't know how to live any other way. He thinks he can't go on. This movie is about finding self-confidence and becoming a man."

Executive producer Jody Savin says, "Even though the story takes place in the world of college basketball, 'The Sixth Man' is not really a basketball film. It's the story of two brothers; it's about learning to say good-bye to someone you really love after you've spent your entire life believing they would always be there for you. This is a story that will touch everyone, because everybody will in some way go through this experience in his or her life."

Although Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison hadn't worked together before, once they got on the film set, it seemed as if they'd known each other all their lives. Producer Hoberman says, "I was delighted by the fact that take after take, Kadeem and Marlon still hugged and played around together. Some actors would just turn around and go back to their trailer and wait alone for the next scene. But the two really got along great and have become buddies. They hang out together. Actually the whole team ended up hanging out together. Marlon told me he had such a great time just being with these guys, it's like they developed their own little family."

Executive producer Jody Savin adds. "A kinship developed between Marlon and Kadeem that comes across beautifully on screen. You can feel and believe that these two are brothers."

Like their characters in "The Sixth Man," Kadeem Hardison is two years older than co-star Marlon Wayans. And the two men developed an off-screen closeness that strongly parallels the relationship between the two brothers. "There are aspects of Marlon that remind me of myself when I was younger," Hardison says. "Also, his talent is undeniable. You can't help but sit there and watch him perform."

New York-based actress Michael Michele, whom audiences will recognize from her starring role in the acclaimed feature "New Jack City," and her television appearances on "Central Park West," brings a delightful feistiness to the role of R.C. St. John, a sports-savvy college journalist, determined to become a bigger sports writer than her idols, Jack MacCallum, Red Smith or Jim Murray.

"As a reporter, R.C. second-guesses everything," Michele says. "She's always trying to find the scoop or get the angle and, in doing so, assumes that there's something going on that's not quite up to par with the NCAA ethics standards. R.C. sees herself first and foremost as a reporter who wants to get her story, in spite of the fact that she's personally interested in Kenny. This could become a problem because having any kind of relationship with an athlete you're supposed to be covering is a major faux pas for a sportswriter. You would definitely risk your career if you were to act on those emotions. But she really likes Kenny and what she sees in him."

"To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about taking this role because Marlon Wayans is so good and his comedy timing is unbelievable; and Kadeem Hardison is equally talented," Michele continues. "I didn't think I could keep up. But I was able to rise to the challenge."

Michele's second thoughts about taking the role in "The Sixth Man" turned out to be right. "It was fun," she says of the experience. "Marion and Kadeem are two of the sweetest guys I have ever worked with in the business. Both were extremely supportive of me. It means a lot for an actor to walk onto a set and have camaraderie with others who know that it may be foreign ground for another actor. They were great and I just love them. And director Randall Miller also made the atmosphere very comfortable. The guys made me feel at home, as though I had a ton of brothers!"

Executive producer Jody Savin has a great deal of admiration for Michele and the way she handled the role. "She came in and read for us and just blew us away. She had a lot of really smart questions about the character, which allowed us to go in and look at R.C. again and improve what we had written. It's always great to have an actor who can help you that way."

Academy Award nominee David Paymer ("Mr. Saturday Night") as the Huskies' basketball coach Gunnar Pederson, acts as a surrogate father to many of the young men on the team, especially Kenny. Paymer observes, "I try to help him get through the tragic loss of his brother and make him understand that he can play well without his brother. He can step out of his brother's shadow and be successful on his own. I also try to impart to him that Antoine can still be alive in his heart and that he can still play with his brother's spirit.

"This is one of the things I liked so much about this movie; it works on two levels," Paymer continues. "There is a lot of fun and comedy with the ghost and then, on a deeper level, Kenny learns how to play with his brother's spirit and we become a winning team as a result of that. Even though there's a lot of fun with the ghost, there's a pretty good message about the grieving process, family and brotherly love and how we can keep our family alive, even when they're no longer here."

Paymer believes that one of the reasons he was cast in the film was the fact that he bears a resemblance to a real-life coach. "Last year, a friend called me during the NCAA playoffs to tell me that one of the ESPN announcers had commented that Jeff Van Grundy, the new coach of the Knicks, 'looks just like David Paymer from "Quiz Show." A week later, my agent called and told me that I was offered this role."

Producer Hoberman says, "As an actor, David Paymer keeps surprising audiences. In this movie, his character does a complete arc, which is always a tremendous challenge for an actor. As coach of the team, his character gets more and more confidence in himself through his respect and compassion for his players. His insight with them is marvelous."

Hoberman is equally enthusiastic about the job done by director Randall Miller, especially for the enthusiasm he encouraged on the set. "I saw in Randy someone who has grown with each of his projects throughout the years," Hoberman says. "He is the best cheerleader on the set. He works tirelessly and always wants to go the extra mile, to get one more performance from the actors and from everybody around him. He works hard and he's an enthusiast, which is a wonderful thing to have in a director. He knows what he wants, what he's going for and the type of film he wants to make."

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