Former Clemson football player Ray Ray McElrathbey says making the new Disney movie “Safety” often felt like watching an instant replay of his life.
The film is based on the true story of McElrathbey bringing his 11-year-old brother, Fahmarr, to live with him on campus in 2006 after their mother, dealing with drug addiction, was unable to care for the youngster.
“There were days that felt like they would never end,” McElrathbey recalled to the Daily News.
“When things got overwhelming, I would question why I decided to do this, because it was a choice I made, as opposed to something I had to do. But I prayed about it, and there were plenty of times I cried in the dark and I hoped for days like this one, where I have the opportunity to talk about something as great as a Disney movie made in my likeness.”
The movie, which debuts on Disney+ this Friday, stars actor Jay Reeves as McElrathbey. The film shows how the student-athlete juggled taking care of his sibling while staying on top of his studies and playing safety for the Clemson Tigers.
Jay Reeves stars as Ray Ray McElrathbey in “Safety,” which debuts on Disney+ this Friday. (Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnik/Chuck Zlotnik)
McElrathbey, now 34, was a frequent presence on the movie set during production, and also reviewed cuts of the film and connected with Reeves early on.
“I just told him to be happy,” McElrathbey said. “I was always optimistic, so as long as he kept an optimistic thought process while he was playing me, he should be OK.”
Before they started filming, Reeves, 26, repeatedly worked out with McElrathbey and got into shape for the role.
The actor, who played free safety and slot receiver during his days as a high school football standout in Los Angeles, was moved by the elements of love and family featured throughout McElrathbey’s story.
“Ray’s story came with a lot of meat and substance, so I didn’t really have to do much,” Reeves told The News. “The number one thing I had to do was be honest. If you’re honest, it will always work.”
Jay Reeves (left) as Ray Ray McElrathbey and Thaddeus J. Mixson II as Fahmarr in “Safety.” (Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnik/Chuck Zlotnik)
Adding to the movie’s authenticity was the fact Reeves and his co-stars shot scenes on the actual Clemson campus in South Carolina and quickly got a feel for the community’s unrelenting passion for football.
The actors placed an emphasis on making the football and practice scenes feel realistic, including on a day when Reeves and his on-screen teammates ran full 50-yard conditioning drills.
“It’s that extra detail that got you to believe, ‘Oh man, these guys are really running (sprints),’ opposed to just acting,” Reeves said. “Those little details really, really made the football come to life in this movie.”
In addition to his support for the film behind the scenes, McElrathbey made a cameo in “Safety” by playing a member of the football team, Raheem, who was named after his father.
Ray Ray McElrathbey (right) made a cameo in “Safety,” which is based on his true story. Jay Reeves (left) played McElrathbey in the film. (Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnik/Chuck Zlotnik)
McElrathbey had six tackles as a special teams player for Clemson during the 2006 season. He garnered widespread attention that year, with ESPN and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” highlighting his story. He even recalls fans of opposing teams voicing their support for him.
Nearly a decade and a half later, McElrathbey says it feels like “a miracle” to have his story turned into a movie.
“It doesn’t feel real,” McElrathbey said. “That’s where I’m at right now. I’m inside of a dream that doesn’t quite feel real yet.”
Thaddeus Mixson (left) and Jay Reeves in “Safety” Courtesy of Disney+Reginald HudlinJay Reeves in “Safety”Jay Reeves (left) and Thaddeus Mixson in “Safety”Director Reginald Hudlin (left) on the set of “Safety”
Veteran producer-director Reginald Hudlin wasn’t familiar with Ray Ray McElrathbey, the former Clemson Tigers football star who made headlines in 2006 for overcoming personal obstacles.
At the time, McElrathbey had made it as far as “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
“I somehow missed his story,” Hudlin says. “But once I heard it, I said, ‘This is the story.’”
Hudlin, a native of East St. Louis, is the director of “Safety,” a new Disney+ movie based on McElrathbey’s real-life tale.
The film stars Jay Reeves as the young man whose football scholarship is threatened when he sneaks his younger brother, Fahmarr (Thaddeus J. Mixson), onto campus to live with him. The boys’ mother, Tonya (Amanda Warren), struggles with substance abuse.
Hudlin says he immediately loved the script for “Safety.”
“I didn’t need to change it — I just needed to shoot it,” he says. “Usually a script isn’t that good or isn’t for me. But I totally loved this and what it was about, and I was ready to go.”
“Safety” is a perfect film “for right now,” says Hudlin, 58, a 1979 graduate of Assumption High School. “It’s a message people need to hear — need to see. It’s a movie about commitment, about sacrifice, about community. Those are the principles that sum up the movie. It’ll make you laugh, make you cry and make you feel inspired.”
In other words, things we could use a little more of today.
“This movie reinforces positive vibes and overcoming challenges,” he says. “Here’s a man who’s taking on a tremendous responsibility. People want to hear a story that connects to their lives and how to overcome it.”
Hudlin has made movies with young, unknown performers, such as his 1990 directorial debut, “House Party.” He’s also worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest superstars, such as Eddie Murphy, Halle Barry and Robin Givens in “Boomerang.”
“Safety” allowed Hudlin to work with up-and-comers, including Reeves, known for his role on the CW football drama “All American.”
“I thought he did great job,” Hudlin says. “It was a very demanding role where he had to be a wonderful actor to capture the charisma of Ray and also go to dark, challenging parts of the film. And he had to be a real athlete and get out there and work alongside guys who really played and look legitimate. It was a lot to do and a lot to carry off.”
Corinne Foxx plays Kaycee, Ray’s love interest. Hudlin has known her for a while — he and her father, Jamie Foxx, have worked on several projects together — and remembers her as a teenager hanging out on the set of “Django Unchained.”
“I love Jamie so much, and he’s a fantastic dad,” Hudlin says. “When I heard she was acting, I said, ‘Oh that’s cool.’ When I found out she was gonna read (for ‘Safety’), it was, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic.’ She had warmth, charm and intelligence, everything we needed for the part.”
Ray McElrathbey in “Safety”
McElrathbey was on set during filming in South Carolina. Some scenes were shot on Clemson’s campus. McElrathbey trained with the actors, insisting, “‘Now y’all are gonna do my workout,’” Hudlin says.
“What was great about him was he’s such a good guy. He’s humble, but also a high achiever. He wants to learn. He’s very charming and honest about his life. He was a huge asset on set.”
McElrathbey has seen the movie, and “he cried — tears-of-joy cried,” Hudlin says. “That made me very happy.”
Hunter Sansone (“Stargirl”), also of St. Louis, plays McElrathbey’s roommate, Daniel.
“We were tripping,” Hudlin says. “It was really great to connect hometown to hometown.”
Hunter Sansone in “Safety”
In September, Hudlin took on the challenge of executive producing the 72nd Emmys, the biggest awards telecast to be produced during the pandemic. His work on the virtual ceremony drew rave reviews.
“I really enjoyed it,” he says. “Everybody was, ‘Oh my God, you’re a glutton for punishment,’ and, ‘How does that work?’”
He has also produced the Academy Awards and executive produced the NAACP Awards.
“It was a virtual opportunity to do something different and reinvent award shows, and there was nothing but positive responses from it. People really loved the show, and I’m really grateful for that. I want to keep advancing the game.”
Reginald Hudlin riffs on some of his most popular directorial jobs, plus “Django Unchained,” which he produced.
“Marshall” (2017) • “I love that movie so much. It just makes me miss my friend Chadwick Boseman.” (Boseman died in August of colon cancer.)
“House Party” (1990) • “Thirty years, and people are still loving it, still talking about it. It makes me feel great. It was my first time out, and it stands the test of time.”
“Boomerang” (1992) • “That’s 28 years old, and a lot of people still like ‘Boomerang’ and still talk about it. I was fortunate. I graduated from a low-budget movie to working with Eddie Murphy, one of the biggest stars in the world. It was something different for him and something different for me. It really impacted the culture.”
“The Black Godfather” (2019) • “Clarence Avant (legendary music industry figure profiled in the documentary) has been in my whole adult life. He was always a huge role model for all of us. I always wanted to tell his story. For him to agree and to choose me was a really big deal. I was grateful for the opportunity to tell his story.”
“The Ladies Man” (2000) • “It was a tricky movie to make, trying to figure out the right tone. But it was fun to me. And so many young people of so many races say, ‘Man, I love that movie.’ And I was grateful to get back to directing.”
“Django Unchained” (2012) • “That changed my life. Quentin Tarantino and I were friends, both super film nerds, both super culture nerds. We had a great time working together, and it really changed the way I work. We’re still in touch, talking about the things we love. It was a life-changed experience. And suddenly I was nominated for an Oscar.”
The latest in our series of writers unearthing hidden gems is a recommendation for an eye-opening documentary about an often unsung entertainment industry titan.
The Black Godfather, which gives us a shining look at a man you wish there were a lot more of. Photograph: Netflix
Craig Lindsey
Thu 24 Sep 2020 04.01 EDT
The first time I saw The Black Godfather, the 2019 Netflix documentary on black entertainment giant Clarence Avant (and not the 1974 Blaxploitation movie of the same name), I found myself tearing up during most of it. I didn’t know if it was tears of joy, because I was enjoying the whole thing, or tears of anger, because I had never heard Avant’s whole story until now.
People who usually read the liner notes of R&B albums have probably come across Avant’s name before. In the 1970s, he founded Sussex Records (the name a merging of the two things Avant claims everybody wants – success and sex), the label that launched the career of black folk/soul legend Bill Withers, who died earlier this year. The following decade, he created the Tabu label, which dropped several hit singles thanks to in-house producers (and future Grammy winners) Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.Advertisement
But, as the film tells it, Avant has done so, so, so much more. He managed such artists as Little Willie John, Jimmy Smith and Lalo Schifrin, whom Avant brought to Hollywood when Schifrin wanted to break into film and TV composing (we all know the Mission: Impossible theme by heart, thanks to Avant.) He promoted Michael Jackson’s Bad tour. He organized concerts and fundraisers for politicians. He brokered deals for many movers and shakers in the entertainment industry. He even told Bill Clinton to stay put in the White House when he was getting impeached.
“He knows everybody,” is the line that’s echoed throughout the movie, and the director Reginald Hudlin practically rounds up all the famous, powerful and successful people Avant knows and has known: Clinton, Withers, Jam and Lewis, Quincy Jones, Barack Obama, David Geffen, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Snoop Dogg, Kamala Harris, Jamie Foxx, Jim Brown, Hank Aaron, LA Reid and Babyface, Lionel Richie, Cicely Tyson – even the Netflix co-chief Ted Sarandos pops up to salute the guy.
Avant surprisingly takes all of this in stride. Now in his senior years (he’ll turn 90 next February), he’s usually seen sitting in a chair, hands clasped, peppering his words with a flurry of four-letter expletives. He’s certainly an ornery, gravelly-voiced cuss (imagine Oscar the Grouch in the body of those old brothas you see in the barber shop). Even when he’s en route to get a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he grouses about how he got wrapped up in all of this nonsense.
It all started way back in the late 1950s, when Avant, then a manager for a New Jersey lounge, caught the eye of legendary jazz manager Joe Glaser, who took Avant under his wing. Even though Glaser had a rep for being “connected” he was still the closest thing Avant (who grew up in North Carolina with a deadbeat biological dad and an abusive stepdad little Clarence tried to poison) had to a father figure or role model.
Much like how Glaser helped him out, Avant would go on to help out others. He got then football star Jim Brown into the movies, eventually becoming a 70s action hero. He practically stormed into the offices of Coca-Cola and demanded an endorsement deal for Hank Aaron, who was on the verge of hitting his record-shattering, 715th home run. When Sean Combs had to get out of LA the same weekend Biggie Smalls was murdered, Avant was the one who gave him safe passage. And do you wanna guess who made the phone call to get Obama’s career-launching speech at the 2004 Democratic convention on primetime?
Mostly, Avant made sure black people were getting the right deal. A bona fide numbers man, he would encourage his fellow brothas and sistas in the biz to not settle for less. In fact, they should demand more. As Combs bluntly puts it: “Clarence makes sure that you don’t get [screwed].” He would also be there for fellow, younger moguls in the black music industry, including Uptown Records founder Andre Harrell, who also died earlier this year.
What’s moving about the film is how it presents Avant as both an unsung industry icon and an African American savior. Even though Avant says he was never active in the 60s civil-rights movement – “If I get hit,” he says, “I’d hit back” – he nonetheless did more for black people than he’d like to admit. He used his resources to aid those who wanted to make something of themselves and inspire others.
Maybe the tears that were coming out of me came from watching a man who cares a lot influencing others to do the same. At a time when it seems like the truly powerful would rather watch the world burn than lift a finger to help those in need, The Black Godfather gives us a shining look at a man you wish there were a lot more of.
The Black Godfather is available on Netflix in the US and UK.
