Kevin James Was Inspired By Sean Payton’s Story While Portraying Him In Netflix’s Home Team
Life doesn’t have a playbook.
Home Team, led by Kevin James, tells the true story of New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton being suspended from the 2012 season due to his role in the Saints’ Bountygate scandal and turning to coaching his son’s football team. I spoke with Kevin James and Taylor Lautner about filming another Happy Madison production movie together and how Sean Payton’s story inspired James.
Kevin James and Taylor Lautner are teaming up together for Home Team following working together on the 2013 film Grown Ups 2. “[Taylor Lautner] is an amazing actor. He's a great kid, super athlete, I hear he’s decent looking,” joked James, gushing about how incredible the entire cast and crew was to work. “It’s nice to be able to work with people that you get along with because you’re relaxed, you’re fun, they get you, and it makes for a much easier environment and a much easier downtime in between everything. The whole cast and everybody was really amazing on this movie.”
Lautner echoed James’ sentiments: “Working with Kev is a true honor because I’ve just looked up to him for so many years, since I was a kid,” he shared. “So, to support him in this was really an honor.”
James takes on the role of real life NFL coach Sean Payton, who even makes a cameo in the film. He shared that Payton gave him a lot of tips on how to portray him. “He was very helpful throughout the whole thing and, you know, he’s working with this baked potato,” joked James. “I feel bad for him because I promised him too… I was like, ‘I’m gonna get down, like, seriously 135 pounds. I’m going to be really in shape and you’re going to be very happy,’ and it never happened. I was like, ‘Oh, man, I’m sorry. I’m going to throw a wig on. He’s like, ‘Well, that’s not enough,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, what do you want me to do now? We got to start shooting.’”
James continued: “I tried to get his accent down, which is very difficult because he’s from a lot of places. He’s an amazing football player himself. He was a quarterback and he’s just a great guy. So he gave me all the information he could and I took everything and tried to do the best I could with it. He’s very generous. He really is. He’s a great story, a great man, great father, and, obviously, a great coach. It was great to play him.”
Outside of Home Team, James is currently starring in a Long Island community theatre production of Oliver as Fagin alongside his own kids. He shared that Payton’s story of coaching his son’s 6th grade football team really inspired him to connect even more with his children. “It was the catalyst. It was a great lesson to learn from Sean, that he did this, and it’s important to take time out and do these things,” James said. “It lit a flame under my butt to […] appreciate what you have and show gratitude.”
James called working on Home Team “the best” experience: “It's a Happy Madison production and you just feel like family.”
Home Team is streaming now on Netflix.
