Steph Curry adds actor to his resume with new show "Mr. Throwback"
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Steph Curry as himself and Tien Tran (right) as Lucy in "Mr. Throwback." Photo: David Moir/Peacock via Getty Images
Steph Curry is riding a high this summer.
Driving the news: Curry, fresh off an Olympic gold medal, makes his TV debut in "Mr. Throwback," a mockumentary-style sitcom about a troubled memorabilia dealer who seeks out his sixth-grade teammate for help.
State of play: The six-episode show tells the story of Danny Grossman (Adam Pally of "Knuckles"), who, in sixth grade, was the best basketball player in the nation — so much so that Curry served as his back-up.
- Decades later, Danny hits rock bottom when the sports memorabilia store he owns, named Mr. Throwback, nears bankruptcy. He decides to "accidentally" run into his now-famous ex-teammate in a bid to finagle financial assistance.
- The show, available now on Peacock, follows the two as Curry is roped into a fraudulent charity scheme, which Danny manages to pull off by lying that his daughter is dying.
How it happened: Pally first met Curry's wife, Ayesha, on a game show a few years ago. After hitting it off with the Warriors guard, they forged ahead on a collaboration with his production company, Unanimous Media.
- Pally told Axios they were careful to plan the production schedule around Curry.
- "Company-wide, top to bottom, there is a policy that we all believe that the Golden State Warriors will win the championship, and so we make our schedule ... around that," he said.
Behind the scenes: Curry, who serves as executive producer of the show, shot all his scenes in California. Pally trained with him there for basketball and says he "almost died."
- "Mr. Throwback" co-creator David Caspe even "texted my wife and asked what kind of life insurance we had, because I really thought I was going to die," Pally told Axios.
- The experience was nonetheless "a thrill," Pally added. "I think we both got to step into each other's worlds a little bit."
Max's thought bubble: Curry's acting and comedic timing feel more natural than I expected. I could tell the two-time MVP has bought in because he leans into the show's silliest moments.
Fun fact: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr makes a surprising cameo in the show.
- Ego Nwodim ("Saturday Night Live") also appears as the CEO of Curry's media company, while Ayden Mayeri ("The Afterparty") plays Danny's ex-wife.
The intrigue: "Mr. Throwback" currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 83% and has received positive reviews from critics at Esquire and The Spool.
- Others call it an enjoyable watch even if it can feel contrived at times.
- "'Mr. Throwback' gets considerable lift from a very game Steph Curry, making for a daffy mockumentary that scores with consistent three-pointers if not slam dunks," Rotten Tomatoes' critics consensus reads.
The big picture: Curry has sought to expand his business ventures in recent years. His production company announced this summer that it's teaming up with the East Bay Film Collective.
What's next: His return to the court is Oct. 9 when the Warriors face off against the Kings in Sacramento in a preseason game. The two teams meet again two nights later in San Francisco.