Mookie Cook (as LeBron James), Scoot Henderson discuss roles in Shooting Stars
Mookie Cook is one of the top high school players in the country, a blue-chip recruit who will play at Oregon next season.
But not everyone sees Cook just as Cook when he’s in public these days.
Some see a young LeBron James. A version of him anyway.
Cook is one of two elite hoops prospects starring in the movie “Shooting Stars,” which debuts Friday on Peacock. The film is based on the 2009 book with the same name, co-authored by James and Buzz Bissinger, focusing on James, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton and Romeo Travis, friends who met playing youth basketball and competed at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.
A brotherhood that lives up to the phrase "teamwork makes the dream work" 🙌🏀#ShootingStars premieres June 2, only on Peacock. pic.twitter.com/4O1XZ0BCzg
— Shooting Stars (@Shooting_Stars) May 19, 2023
Cook plays James in the movie. He’s a native of Portland, Ore., who played at Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz., and is the 21st-ranked prospect in the Class of 2023, according to ESPN.
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He initially didn’t believe his life would change much after playing James, but he’s now seeing how things are different with every advertisement for the film.
“Definitely a little bit of a different type of feel behind it,” Cook said. “Little kids coming up like, ‘Oh, you’re the one playing LeBron!’ I’m so used to, ‘You’re Mookie Cook!’ because of basketball, not because of a movie.”
Cook has known James for some time. He’s friends with LeBron’s son Bronny, who will play at USC in the fall. Cook and Bronny played on the same summer basketball team in the eighth grade. Cook attended a game in Portland when the Lakers were in town and was able to catch up with LeBron.
Scoot Henderson, a projected top-three pick in this month’s NBA Draft, also is in the movie, as Travis. Henderson is a guard who averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds last season for G League Ignite.
Additionally, Michigan forward Jett Howard is in the movie as Carmelo Anthony, who played against James’ squad while he was at Oak Hill Academy in a 2002 nationally televised game. Howard, also a projected first-round pick, is the youngest son of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard. Jett declared for the draft in March.
Young LeBron & Melo in the upcoming movie SHOOTING STARS
LeBron: Mookie Cook
Melo: Jett Howard
Dru Joyce II: Wood Harris
Dru Joyce III: Caleb McLaughlin
Illya McGee: Algee Smith
Willie McGee: Avery Wills
Romeo: Scoot Henderson
Sian: Khalil Everage
Savannah: Katlyn Nichol pic.twitter.com/M6Ig5dSVpO
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 17, 2022
Both Cook and Henderson worked with acting coaches to prepare for the roles. They studied the way James and Travis moved on the court. Cook said playing like James wasn’t as big of a stretch because he’s 6-foot-7 and feels he plays like a bigger wing.
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The hardest part was getting down James’ mannerisms.
“It definitely did take a little while to embody him,” Cook said. “How straight up he runs, big posture with broad shoulders.”
Chris Robinson, the film’s director, made sure to remind Cook to stay in character.
“I’d have to pull him aside and say, ‘You remember who you’re playing, right?’” Robinson said.
What helped Robinson was tapping into the basketball players’ backgrounds for motivation.
“The thing about them is they are athletes. Scoot and Mookie really get it,” Robinson said. “So then, you hit that repetitive muscle, you do the facial expression, you do the gait, the walk. (Cook) had to be reminded of it sometimes.
“Scoot, he’s really quiet; he’s an observer. If he saw me giving directions to Mookie, he understood what he needed to do to stay on point.”
What also helped was having veteran actor Wood Harris available. Harris was Robinson’s first choice to play Dru Joyce II, the coach of the St. Vincent-St. Mary’s squad.
Harris initially wasn’t aware of Cook’s and Henderson’s athletic background. When he met them, he saw them as actors. He then realized he wasn’t dealing just with actors who happened to play ball, but that they also were potential NBA players.
Robinson spoke highly of Harris’ ability to be a steadying influence with the young actors. Harris said Robinson set the right tone for success.
Cook and Henderson, along with the rest of the cast, appreciated when Robinson allowed them to just play when he wasn’t looking for a specific shot for the film. Robinson also was mindful of not overdoing things, given the pro potential of Cook and Henderson.
“In the actual task that they had, they’re playing young guys that they can relate to, even with the potential of being pros,” Harris said. “I don’t know if it was a stretch stretch, but they were able to fulfill it because they’re playing real-life people, and the real-life people were there for the most part.
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“They did a great job. I’m actually very excited about this movie, very excited.”
There are parts of being a crossover star that Henderson is ready for — including fashion. The NBA already has a lot of players who like to show off their style, and the film gives Henderson more chances to be fashionable.
Henderson already had plans for a special suit for the NBA Draft, which will take place June 22. Being in “Shooting Stars” also meant finding something to wear for the premiere.
The solution: relying on his sister, China Henderson-Peters, a former basketball player at Cal State Fullerton who now is a fashion stylist and CEO and creative director at Mix of Luxe.
“She’s been helping me the last two years with big situations like this where I need a good fit,” Henderson said. “I do have great style myself, but she puts in that flair that everybody loves, and that’s what I want to do.”
With the film completed and with positive feedback, Cook and Henderson don’t sound as if they’re ready to give up acting completely. Cook said he is even open to exploring acting classes at Oregon to hone the craft.
“I mean, why not?” Cook said. “You know, another door opened for me, and it’s just another opportunity to do something.”
Henderson said he isn’t aiming for more acting but also would not pass on a “reasonable” opportunity to perform again. Basketball is his primary focus, but Henderson already is thinking ahead.
“I want to have my foot in everything,” Henderson said. “Being a model, an actor, all of that. So, if the opportunity comes, I’m blessed.”
(Photo: Michael Buckner / Variety via Getty Images)
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