As Mike Hudnutt, Kurt Warner’s teammate in the inspirational sports drama “American Underdog” starring Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin, Ser’Darius Blain is the MVP and Hall of Famer’s sounding board and friend. Known for roles in “Jumanji,” “When the Game Stands Tall” and “The Big Leap,” Blain plays an “amalgamation” of true characters who shaped Warner’s destiny, along with his family and faith.
In this exclusive interview, Blain talks about the origin and spiritual meaning behind his unique name, what made the inspirational “American Underdog” so special, and the future of the “Jumanji” franchise.
I was reading another thing I found online was an interview with you where you talked about your name. And your mom explaining what your name meant.
My mom got my name from drunk woman in the 80s. Mom was going through a lot at the time during her pregnancy and was debating whether or not to even have me or not. And this drunk woman suggested the name, ‘What do you think about the name Darius?’ My dad’s name happens to be Serge. She wanted to honor my father as well. And so, you know, she found out that the meaning of ‘Ser ‘ means ‘to be’ and the name ‘Darius’ means ‘prosperity and plenty,’ so to be prosperity and plenty was the king of Persia. He is also the king that released Daniel from the lion’s den after the lions didn’t eat him for a week. He said, ‘Your God must be the true and living God, because He’s protected you in this way. I’m going to convert my entire country to your faith to your religion because of it.’ During that time, for 40 years, there was peace, prosperity, and plenty and the drought was over.
That’s awesome to have grown up with a name that meant so much. The woman probably suggested it just randomly, yet there was a great purpose behind it
From the TV show “Fantasy Island.” She had heard it actually on “Fantasy Island.”
God Is Opening Doors in Hollywood, Says ‘American Underdog’ Director Jon Erwin
What makes “American Underdog” stand out from other football films?
“American underdog” is such a relatable story. Whether you’ve been through those sort of things or not, you know, someone who has, so the proximity to faith is what’s really important here. These people went through hell and high water to accomplish a goal and to fight for love and family. And I think anybody with breath in their body wants someone to fight for them like that, and they want to fight for someone if something like the Warner family did. It definitely makes people feel right at home. I think it provides an answer to a problem. It provides a conversation to be had, and it provides food for thought as well.
How was it working with Jon and Andrew Erwin on this?
Jon and Andy, they’re the best. They’re fantastic human beings who happen to be excellent at their jobs, which is the job of storytelling recapitulating events in artistic form. It’s amazing to see how thoroughly honestly kind these men are, it’s not an act. Faith courses through their veins and the way that they treat people on their sets is exactly like family. And they are even better than advertised. I’d love to work with them again.
In the film, you play a friend of Kurt. How do you feel like that friendship affected him?
Well, my character Mike Hudnutt is actually in real life a 6.5 ft 300-pound white man who lives in Arizona. When I first received the script, I was like, ‘I think they wrote down the wrong name for who I’m playing.’ I looked through all the characters and none of these people are Black, so I don’t know who I can be playing. I found out via Andy that my character was meant to be kind of an amalgamation of all the people that had influenced and impacted him. His college roommate really was Mike Hudnutt as well. He had helped him get to where he is today and become the legend that he is. So, I was really honored to find out that, that I represented so many people that were important to him and to this story.
I’m sure people are asking you about doing another “Jumanji” movie.
Heck yeah. I mean, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, you know? This franchise has made almost $2 billion, so there’s no reason to stop now. We’d have so much fun. There’s so much more story to tell. I think this is a story that could actually be told forever. I mean, “The Fast and Furious,” there’s like, what, nine of them now? I think we should, at least, complete a trilogy, and there’s been a lot of conversations about that, but trying to find a window for The Rock and Kevin Hart, and everybody to be available. I think that would probably present the biggest challenge, but it’s something that needs to be done. And I think everybody in any other production that we’re doing would understand. I love that the fans love it so much. I love that everyone from six to 86 can find something really enjoyable about this movie and to laugh about and to think about. It’s a movie about more than just silliness. But it’s about friendship, and it’s about family. It’s about geriatrics and taking care of the people around us as well. I think that’s a forever story.
“American Underdog,” directed by The Erwin Brothers, is now available on home video and digital outlets. Watch the interview with Ser’Darius Blain and DeWayne Hamby below.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In