What is Marshawn Lynch's movie? Inside the cast, trailer & more to know about 'Bottoms' comedy | Sporting News Canada (2024)

Marshawn Lynch has spent the better part of his life entertaining audiences with his performance and antics on the football field. From his famous hijacking of the injury cart in his college days at Cal to his "Beastquake" run with the Seahawks, Lynch has always managed to captivate fans with his performances.

Now, the former NFL running back is hoping that skill will carry over to the big screen. He is making his major motion picture debut in an MGM-produced film that was released late in August.

Lynch's role in "Bottoms" is of the supporting variety, but it marks a step outside of the comfort zone for the 37-year-old. He was initially apprehensive about taking on a non-cameo acting role, but thus far, his performance in the movie has been well-received. The San Francisco Chronicle described him as "a hoot" in the headline of its review of the movie.

NFL RANKINGS:Quarterbacks|Running backs|Wide receivers|Coaches

But what exactly is the movie that Lynch is in, and what's it about? Here's what to know about "Bottoms" and Lynch's acting career to date as the picture hits the big screen.

What is Marshawn Lynch's movie?

Marshawn Lynch is starring in the movie "Bottoms," which marks his silver screen debut as an actor. He plays the supporting role of "Mr. G" — an oblivious teacher who finds himself in charge of a high school fight club created by the two main characters.

According to Variety, Lynch got the part because of his ad-libbed performance alongside Will Arnett in the Netflix show "Murderville." Emma Seligman, the director of "Bottoms," saw him in that and convinced him that he would be perfect for the comedic role.

“He was like, ‘What are you doing casting me in this? Like, I’m not an actor…are you confused?’” Seligman told Variety. “And I was like, ‘No, you’re so funny. I think you’ll be so good in this.'"

Lynch was initially apprehensive to take the role, and it took a couple of conversations with Seligman before he agreed to join the cast. And as he explained, he wanted to participate in this movie, in part, to support his sister.

"This was a good opportunity for me, because when I was in high school, my sister had came out as being a lesbian or gay," Lynch said in an interview. "I did not handle it right. As a 16-year-old boy, I didn't handle it the way that I probably should have. So, I told her (Seligman) that it was giving me an opportunity to correct my wrongs. To rewrite one of my mistakes."

Lynch ended up enjoying the making of the movie and bonded with the cast. Seligman told Variety that he even taught some members of the cast to throw a football while they had downtime on set.

Perhaps the positive experience will convince Lynch to participate in more films down the line.

MORE: Jordan Love, James Cook, Jahan Dotson highlight SN's All-Breakout team for 2023

Bottoms movie plot

The plot of "Bottoms" revolves around best friends PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) who start a high school fight club with the goal of meeting girls and losing their virginity. Things quickly spiral out of control when the most popular students participate and begin beating each other up in the name of self-defense.

The movie has been widely praised by critics, holding an approval rate of 94 percent among critics and an audience score of 98 percent, per Rotten Tomatoes.

"Propulsive and over-the-top, 'Bottoms'is an instant high school comedy classic that feels both current and nostalgic," reads the site's consensus review of the movie.

Bottoms movie cast

Lynch is one of the many notable names in the "Bottoms" cast, which is headlined by Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri.

Sennott got her start in the independent film "Shiva Baby", which was also directed by Seligman. More recently, she has starred in the A24 horror comedy" Bodies Bodies Bodies" and HBO's short-lived series "The Idol."

Meanwhile, Edebiri is most recognizable for her role as Sydney Adamu on FX's "The Bear."She also has an impressive voiceover catalogue, notably taking over as the voice of Missy Foreman-Greenwald in Netflix's "Big Mouth" and Harriett Tubman in the revival of "Clone High." She has also appeared in "Black Mirror," "Dickinson" and "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson."

Below is a full run-down of the notable members of the Bottoms cast:

• Rachel Sennott as PJ
• Ayo Edebiri as Josie
• Ruby Cruz as Hazel Callahan
• Havana Rose Liu as Isabel
• Kaia Gerber as Brittany
• Nicholas Galitzine as Jeff
• Miles Fowler as Tim
• Dagmara Dominczyk as Mrs. Callahan
• Marshawn Lynch as Mr. G
• Punkie Johnson as Rhodes
• Fiorella Tekin as Ella
• Summer Joy Campbell as Sylvie
• Wayne Péré as Principal Meyers
• Lacey Dover as Cheerleader
• Alyssa Matthews as Fight Club Girl
• Krystal Chambers as Fight Club Girl
• Hunter Prestenback as Chambliss

MORE: Mike McCarthy, Josh McDaniels sit on hottest seats entering 2023 NFL season

Bottoms movie trailer

To get a glimpse of Lynch in his role as Mr. G — as well as the other members of the cast — you can view the "Bottoms" trailer below.

Warning: The trailer contains NSFW language.

And for a full look at one of Lynch's bigger scenes in the film, you can check out the clip below.

Warning: This clip also contains NSFW language.

Where to stream Bottoms movie

"Bottoms" debuted in theaters on Friday, Aug. 25, so it hasn't been released on streaming services yet. That said, MGM produced the comedy, so it can be presumed that the company will eventually release it on its own streaming service, MGM+.

It is also possible, however, that MGM could license it to some other streaming services, so viewers may have multiple ways to stream Lynch's big screen acting debut at home.

Marshawn Lynch's acting career

Lynch may be making his acting debut in "Bottoms", but he has appeared in several movies before. He made a cameo as himself in "80 For Brady," which was released in early 2023 and produced by former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

Lynch has also appeared on numerous TV shows both during and after his playing career, but only once did he play a role besides himself. That came when he appeared in three episodes of HBO's "Westworld" as Giggles.

Below is a look at Lynch's filmography, dating back to a cameo in "The League" in 2014.