Did Shaquille O’Neal just enter another side quest, or could this be as significant to him as DJ-ing? The former Los Angeles Lakers star has had some love for being on the screen, as evident from his cameos in projects like Grown Ups 2, What Men Want, and Scary Movie 4. Those roles had one thing in common: he was always playing himself. But that’s not the case anymore. In his latest venture, Shaq is trading his signature larger-than-life personality for a scripted role, and he recently shared his thoughts about it with The Source.
If you haven’t caught up yet, here’s the deal: Shaq is taking on a key role in Gravesend Season 3. The show streams on Prime Video, a streaming platform from the $2.4 trillion company that is Amazon. Big Diesel will be playing a character named Mustafa.
“I play [an] ’80s old-school gangster, and I’m really good friends with the people that run the neighborhood. And I’m well respected in the neighborhood. That’s all I could tell you,” he said in the interview. Sounds intriguing, right? But how did the big man land the role in the first place?
Well, it turns out Shaq made it happen himself. He slid into William DeMeo’s DMs and shot his shot. For those unaware, DeMeo is the mastermind behind Gravesend—the writer, producer, and director. All it took was a message from Shaq praising the show, and next thing he knew, he was part of the cast.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting—Shaquille O’Neal didn’t just randomly pick the role of Mustafa. He had a real-life inspiration for the character. “It was actually Mustafa in my neighborhood who kind of ran the neighborhood. So I’m from North New Jersey. So it was three guys that really ran the neighborhood—Mustafa, Wadu, and Little Richie,” he revealed.
With a role deeply connected to his roots, Shaq might just bring something special to Gravesend Season 3. And as he gears up for the season’s rollout, he’s more than ready for the challenge. “I had the opportunity to play a lot of roles, mostly Shaq,” he said. “This is the first time in a while I get to play somebody different.”
Could this love for playing a fictional character push him further towards his goal of replicating a 52-year-old WWE star’s success in Hollywood?
“I want to be the next Rock”: The time when Shaquille O’Neal opened up on his Hollywood aspirations
Whether it’s dominating the basketball court, cracking jokes on TV, or diving into business ventures, Shaq does it all with larger-than-life energy. But there’s one arena where he’s still looking to make a real impact—Hollywood. And if there’s anyone who has paved the way for athletes-turned-movie-stars, it’s Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. With his natural charisma and sheer screen presence, Johnson has carved out a space in the industry that Shaq would love to step into.
Back in 2018, Shaq made his aspirations crystal clear when discussing his Hollywood dreams. “We come from the same place: athletes that transition. That’s my goal. I want similar-type movies. I want to get thrillers. And I want to get dramas. I want to do comedies, I want to be the next Rock. I want to do a thriller where I’m like a hero and beat up all the bad guys,” he said.
That’s a big goal, no doubt. Johnson isn’t just an action star—he’s a full-fledged box office powerhouse. He’s even made his way into the superhero realm with Black Adam, and while critics had their opinions, the film’s success was undeniable.
Big Diesel has been down that road before, starring in Steel, though it didn’t exactly turn him into Hollywood’s next action hero. Still, Shaquille O’Neal isn’t one to back down from a challenge. He knows the road is long, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned about him, it’s that he never stops moving forward. And his latest stint as Mufasa could be a big step further.
The post Shaquille O’Neal Taps Into His ’80s New Jersey Roots with $2.4 Trillion Streaming Giant’s Show appeared first on EssentiallySports.
