Shaquille O’Neal may be best known as one of basketball’s all-time greats, but his talents have extended well beyond the court. After making a name for himself in the NBA, he ventured into acting, appearing in several films and TV projects. His first major starring role came in 1996, when he played the titular rapping genie in the family comedy film “Kazaam.”
Shaquille O’Neal began acting professionally while in the middle of his NBA career, but it wasn’t until “Kazaam” that he nabbed a starring role.
The musical comedy centers on Kazaam, a 5,000-year-old rapping genie who was unintentionally freed from a boombox by a teen boy named Max. Kazaam must grant Max’s three wishes while helping him navigate his issues at home and helping him reconnect with his estranged father.
The movie received less-than-stellar reviews and currently holds a 5 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.
Now, 30 years after the film’s release, O’Neal is addressing his critics, saying that the only ones who think “Kazaam” was a “terrible” movie are adults.
“First of all, you shouldn’t have been watching. It was for kids. But then I get young adults that say, ‘Yo, man, that was my favorite movie.’ So it’s what you call a cult classic,” he told PEOPLE.
‘Kazaam’ Director Stands By The Movie’s Idea
O’Neal appeared in the sixth installment of “Scary Movie,” and his cameo had something to do with his “Kazaam” character.
“Kazaam” co-writer and director Paul Michael Glaser said it was “nice” that the movie still resonated with audiences decades later, while acknowledging it could have turned out better.
Glaser shared that he was asked whether he had movie roles in mind for O’Neal, and that he developed the concept of a rapping genie. “At that time, Shaq fancied himself a rap musician, so I wrote it as a rap musical,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite harsh comments from critics, Glaser said, “I still believe that was a really good idea. I don’t think we executed it as well as we could have,” adding that regardless, he had a good time working with the NBA icon.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Other Leading Movie Role Also Failed To Impress
A year after “Kazaam,” O’Neal starred in the film “Steel,” in which he portrayed DC Comics superhero engineer John Henry Irons, known by his alter ego, Steel. Just like “Kazaam,” “Steel” failed to impress critics. The movie was also a box office flop, earning only $1.8 million globally.
Director Kenneth Johnson described it as a “frustrating situation,” telling Vice in 2017 that he wasn’t on board with casting O’Neal in the leading role from the beginning, but executives were convinced that it would be a success. “I mean Shaq is a nice guy but he had done two movies, neither of which made any money or noise,” Johnson said.
In 2022, O’Neal told the Austin American Statesman that he wanted to reboot “Steel.” “I did that movie right before the special effects took off… But if I never get a chance to redo that movie I’m definitely… Matter of fact, I’m going to redo ‘Steel’,” he claimed.
The Former Basketball Player Has Had Three Razzie Award Nominations
The Golden Raspberry Awards, also called the Razzies, recognize the year’s most poorly received films and performances, celebrating Hollywood’s biggest misfires.
Not even entertainment’s biggest stars can escape the Razzies, and some of the winners include Sandra Bullock (Worst Actress for “All About Steve”), Halle Berry (Worst Actress for “Catwoman”), Ben Affleck (Worst Actor for “Daredevil,” “Gigli,” and “Paycheck”), and Al Pacino (Worst Supporting Actor for “Jack and Jill”), to mention a few.
O’Neal has had three nominations at the Razzies, being recognized for his performances in the movies “Steel,” “Blended,” and “Blue Chips” for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst New Star, respectively. Despite the dubious honor, the former athlete has yet to take home a Razzie.
Shaquille O’Neal Doesn’t Let His Acting Critics Get To Him
O’Neal is well aware that not everyone has been impressed by his acting, but he doesn’t take critics’ opinions to heart.
He offered his response to detractors, jokingly telling them to check out his bank account. “I would give them my Bank of America account information,” O’Neal told Craig Melvin on the “Glass Half Full” podcast, and continued to reveal how much he was paid for each movie.
“‘Blended,’ thank you Adam Sandler. $3 million. ‘Blue Steel’ was about $6 million and ‘Kazaam’ was about 9 [million].”
O’Neal said he doesn’t care about critics. “Every now and then a person will walk by and say ‘Kazaam’ was my favorite movie. That’s all I need,” he added.
