Winning Time’s Austin Aaron makes fun of Mark Landsberger’s coming to the show “With A Bang.” –

Austin Aaron makes his debut on “Winning Time” as Mark Landsberger on the March 27 episode. He ONLY spoke with HL about intense training for the show and his decision to start acting.

austin harun He plays the former big man of the Lakers Mark Landsberger in the new HBO series Beating Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty† The actor will first appear in the March 27 episode and his character will make an unforgettable entrance. Mark was part of the Lakers teams that won NBA championships in 1980 and 1982.

HollywoodLife He spoke to Aaron EXCLUSIVELY about taking up the role of Mark after his recurring role on the HBO series. 13 reasons† He also discussed working with: Adrian Brody and his journey into acting after starting his College career as a Division 1 player. Read our questions and answers below:

Did you know Marco? [Landsberger] before? Was it something you and the entire Lakers dynasty were aware of?
Austin Aaron: I actually played college football up north at UC Berkeley, so I’ve been a football kid my whole life but I’ve also played baseball and basketball my whole life. I had no idea who Mark Landsberger was, but when I booked him, I thought okay, I’d do everything I could to research this guy. And now he’s my all-time favorite basketball player and I don’t think he can come close.

did you approach him? Or were you able to talk to him?
Austin Aaron: I have not done yet. I actually spoke to the author of the book, Jeff PearlmanHe said, ‘Okay, contact him. Say this and all. I would definitely like to meet him one day. I think he has a bakery or something in North Dakota now.

This series tells the story of the rise of the Lakers dynasty, and there are so many great actors in it. How was the selection process for you?
Austin Aaron: I actually auditioned for it while I was awake. 13 reasons in 2019. They said, “Okay, it’s probably going to be a recurring role or something.” I presented in 2019 [and] i never heard of it again. They shot the pilot, then the pandemic and everything that happened. I think it was around March last year, I got a call from my manager… [said]”Hey, they want to see you again for this episode.” I was like, ‘Oh, I remember very well doing this.’ I auditioned again and they said, “Okay, we’d like to see you in a production session with our executive producers, Max and Rodney.” So I went there and auditioned. They allowed me to improve many things. So I thought, ‘Okay, that’s funny. A week later I heard that Mark hadn’t been back in a month. He’s getting really organized and you have a week to move in with your wife. It was just an absolute blessing. Then I did all the research on Mark. So I thought I should find out who this guy is before I go here.

Have you ever been told that you look like him because you really…
Austin Aaron: Not really, because no one knows exactly who Mark Landsberger is unless he’s a die-hard fan. Once I saw it, I thought, “Yeah, if I don’t get it, I’ll quit acting because that’s really me.”

You said you played college football. Did you have to work hard for this show?
Austin Aaron: Wonderful. Most of the days were harder than D-1 college football practice at Cal. we had a trainer Idan Ravin who kicked us I was and Quincy [Isaiah] And delant [Desouza] And Solomon [Hughes]† Every day he was guiding us through all these crazy exercises and he learned very well Stephen Curry† LeBron James, you name it. We emerged and were like, we are not. We will do our best, but it definitely helped us a lot.

How are your basketball skills after training?
Austin Aaron: They are in much better shape. I’m 6’5. I can crush. I am a good athlete. So I definitely held my position, but I was a football kid. I can’t shoot very well. Mark Landsberger didn’t shoot very well. He was the best rebounder in Laker history. But he couldn’t shoot anything but his two feet, so he and I are very close.

This is obviously very different. 13 reasons† What was it like for you to move on to something that had its own dramatic moment but was also a lot of comedy?
Austin Aaron: That was so fun. I think we faced very important but very dark issues on set every day. 13 reasonsI mean, it was really nice to come to the set… I guess that was the first day then. Adam McKay he was on set in the pilot, I think he really set the tone, okay, that’s how it will go. Loose, fun, comfortable. I think there’s always lights and laughter on our talk show, even when we’re discussing very intense topics. This is what my character brings. It’s funny relief, so all I had to do or improvise was comedy. To be honest it was much more fun.

Record with some pretty big legends: John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, Sally Field. Who scared you first?
Austin Aaron: Dude, probably Adrien Brody. One hundred percent. One of our executive producers, Max Borenstein, approached me and it was like one of our first days on set. It was like two in the morning. I was absolutely exhausted. I wanted to go home then, and now it comes to me. “Okay, I want you to do an impromptu scene with Adrien Brody. Go out for a while. He’s going to ask you something. See what happens. I say, this is an Oscar winner. I needed a week to stop acting for this role. But I’m getting there and He comes up to me at the end-of-year party and says, “This was by far the most fun time of the season.”

Have you ever been improvised before? Or was it your first acquaintance?
Austin Aaron: No, no, not at all. I think the important part is to just relax and stay loose and see what comes to mind. But last year I read so many books that I was trying to immerse myself in the true art of improvisation because I knew absolutely nothing, and when I saw how much the producers and directors were enjoying this show, I was like, ‘Okay. , Do this. Throw this away. We’ll start the stage in a minute. That’s a lot, just go with it. I’ve definitely dived into many different books and videos to try and explore some of the swaps during the off-season.

What can you tease a little about Mark’s debut?
Austin Aaron: Enter with a bang. It will probably be fun. You will most likely have a smile on your face. But I hope that whatever people see me on the show, I hope people laugh and smile because I think that’s really important. I think Mark brought him on the team. He wasn’t the best player. It wasn’t Kareem or Magic, but you can’t stay on a team for more than four years and win two championships if you don’t add significant value. It’s one of the best rebounds in the history of the game, but I think what it brought – and I spoke to Jeff Pearlman about it – brought a lot of laughter and joy to the team. I think that put all the guys at ease and ultimately helped them win games. I hope people do this with my character and his image.

What is its history? What is your relationship with Magic? [Johnson] and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]†
Austin Aaron: I couldn’t tell you honestly. He was just an asshole. They always laughed at him. I don’t know if he was laughing at her or her. But I think they fought towards the end because it’s a big… if you read the book, there’s a big story about how he outstripped all the Lakers and eventually got traded for cheating on their wives. We hope it’s at the end of the road. We hope he likes them a little more. As I mentioned, he now owns a bakery in North Dakota. I hope they stop by the bakery once in a while. I definitely want to go sometime.

Quincy and Solomon are the two main protagonists. What was it like working with them and creating this magic?
Austin Aaron: I took a heavy turn 13 [Reasons Why], but this is our first regular jobs, as if you were working every day. Me, Quincy, Solomon, Delante, we all live together. Jimel [Atkins] He plays Jamaal Wilkes. It’s really cool to go through the whole process. All these guys were at my wedding a few months ago. They are definitely friends for life. Not just co-workers, but people you can always turn to and true friends. I am so excited to be with them on this journey as they are all wonderful people.

I find it very impressive that you became a college football player and then started acting. How was it? Have you always wanted to be an actress?
Austin Aaron: In my senior year of high school, I did a skit before returning home to play Troy Bolton, and our little audience went wild at the rallies. I love to entertain. I’ve reached the next level in college football and I’m not fast enough. I’m not strong enough. I’m not going to the competition I thought I was going to. I’m going out. I don’t care if I have a full-time scholarship. I’ll find a way to help my family pay for college. So I gave up the scholarship for the entire run in the coach’s office and said, ‘I can’t take it anymore. I hate the game. I’m depressed I don’t want to play anymore because I realized I love fun. Since my childhood, I always dreamed of being an actor and I watched very good movies with my family. I say, when I don’t have any money, let’s go back and see what’s going on in this day and age when I don’t have the pressure to take care of the kids or the other part that comes into your life. This hit me and then I made a joke in one of the episodes. 13 [Reasons Why]They say, ‘Okay, we like you. We will take you back. And then it started to recur for the two years I was in all episodes. That’s how I started and I don’t want any other way.