"Ballers" Star Omar Miller on Working with The Rock

About this video
Actor Omar Miller hangs out at the YH studio and tells us about his role on the new HBO series, "Ballers"! He talks about how it's like working with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and told us why he loves Miami so much! Also, watch him give our host Nikki Novak his "sexy look"!
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Full Transcript
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It's hedonistic. Let's just say that. It's very Miami in the winter is a great place to be. This is my sexy look. I'm looking at you, right. You see how you see how I'm looking at you. I'm here with the baller himself, Omar Miller. Great to see you. You're gonna get a lot of those references now. I I didn't even think about it. It's all brand new still. It's been baller has been, the word baller has been like that, you know, in the urban dictionary. It's been around for a while. Now you guys are giving a whole new meaning to it. My favorite quote and I can't use all of it because we are young Hollywood and it's gonna get bleeped. I'm going to use part of it. If it drives, flies, floats or lease it. Don't buy it. It's great advice. When is that not true? When should you buy it not lease?
When it depreciates and you don't you should lease it. Absolutely. Otherwise you will be ballerific for a limited time because you'll lose your money.
You say things and it's just like. But they'll get it. They'll get it. HBR everything they do is is off the charts great. They they never miss a beat. But how do you feel like this is a fresh take on anything we've seen on TV before?
I don't think you've ever seen anything like this because most of the other shows that deal with uh football or professional sports usually don't have the endorsement of the league and or the latitude to portray real life, meaning that they may be on network TV or basic cable or something like that. But with the HBO, you have, you know, it's almost as if you're making a movie. And because of that, you've never seen anything like this. You've never seen a bonafide superstar like Dwayne doing a show like this where he's not saving the world.
It's like weirdly saying like this is a great platform for him because he can go deeper and go into a different.
That's what it is. He's a really good actor. You can you can if you give him material, he can rise to the level. He's really competitive and you can tell that he's been a part of a lot of teams because he sets the tone of positivity and it's fun to come to work with him.
You've been in Hollywood for a while. Don't you feel like the people because I feel like the the A-listers that have been around for a while are usually the coolest people because they they they stay on top for a reason. They have nothing to prove. Right. And they get paid a lot of money. Right. So so they're very very relaxed. Let's keep it real. I loved your tweet. You wrote something like about to bust their heads with ballers.
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. We're about to bust their heads with this one. I think people are really gonna enjoy it.
What is it like when you guys are in Miami for several months filming? Is it just like people just love it? Do they go crazy? The locals.
It's uh it's hedonistic. Let's just say that. It's very Miami in the winter is a great place to be and they can sign me up for the next 10 years or so because uh it's a it's nothing but good clean fun. It's like it's one of the best places in the world. I travel a lot. Yeah. And just as far as having a good time and like ease of life, it's really hard to beat Miami.
Well, it's kind of like being on an island somewhere but you're still have the all the comforts of America.
It's what it is. That's what it is. It's like it's like the French Riviera but in America. You know what? City to city, state to state. I get to go places and I get to see so many different ways of life. You know, so many different slices of culture and whatnot and you can come back home and incorporate the ones that you like and leave the ones that you don't. Perspective. It's what it is. You know, it just really opens your head when I go places, I'm open to what the locals are doing. And that's what the travel show is all about.
So, how how did this all come about? Like the love of travel? I knew the show. I know you've traveled before the show and you sort of, you know.
This came about when I was a kid. Really? Yeah, yeah. They're seven of us and my parents were quick to load up the wagon and jump out on the road. My dad was a road warrior and he would drive us all over the place. It was like vacation. It was yes, but just much more tan. A lot darker version of vacation. I love it. I love it. But that's it. Yeah, we were out on the road, man. And all kind of stuff happened with six boys and one girl. So there was like there was a lot going on. But one one thing that it does is is it it acclimates you to change. You know, and so you don't get stagnant when you move and shake, when you travel.
Okay. So, because this is a show about obviously about, you know, you play an ex football player. Um, if you could have been pro in any sport, what sport would you have loved to have gone pro?
Baseball. Yeah. Yeah. Without question. Yeah.
Really?
Yeah. Way more so than any of the other sports. I love the game of baseball. I'm a big huge Dodgers fan. I have to say. I'm uh, you know, I'm from here and I love, I love the Dodgers. Yeah. We're still lightwave. We're still in the lows. I mean, we haven't we haven't gotten any hardware in the last 30 years. So, it's uh it's about time to win something.
Okay. So, if you had been an athlete and you had that, you know, stadium entrance song, cuz every athlete has their own entrance song. What would yours be?
I probably would have kept it retro and hit them with something like the Bee Gees or something.
Really?
I would have tried to lull the defense to sleep and then I hit them. They're thinking, oh, disco jam. And then I get them. See, I feel in surprise. That's a great strategy.
By the way, as we go, I just want to take that photo of you. I mean, we've had a lot of photos up here and that's about.
This is my sexy look. I'm looking at you, right? You see how you see how I'm looking at you? I'm I'm on you right there.
Wait, you're not looking at me like the way you're looking at the No, no, no, that's. Oh, oh, there it is. There it is. Something you take it to the side on and hit. Take it to the side. Did I do it? No, no, I was still in, you know, I had to bring it back. Sometimes you look away and then. Oh. Then you bring it back. Oh, I see that was on purpose. That's when she knows. If you go away and then Now we're here. Oh, no. I'm not coming back yet. No, no, I'm back. No, no. You don't even need to look. I'm back. Oh, I feel it. I'm on you. See that? Yeah. There it is. Feel it. Let me slow it down for things get too hot and heavy in here. Trying to tell you. Thank you for coming in.
No, no, no, it's great. Great show. Thank you. Thank you.
Timestamps are approximate — click one to jump the player.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
- Omar Miller
The interviewed actor and subject of the video.
- Dwayne Johnson
Omar Miller's co-star in the HBO series 'Ballers'.
- Nikki Novak
The Young Hollywood host interviewing Omar Miller.
FAQ
What HBO show is Omar Miller discussing?+
What is it like working with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson?+
Why does Omar Miller love Miami?+
What sport would Omar Miller have gone pro in?+
How did Omar Miller's love for travel begin?+
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