Ahman Green dabbled in acting as a player and, now that his playing days are done, he's taking another run at Hollywood.
Green, the Packers' all-time leading rusher, is one of 20 current and former NFL players scheduled to participate in the league's first-ever "Pro Hollywood Boot Camp" at Universal Studios in California next month.
The four-day camp (April 2-5) will serve as a crash course in screen writing, directing, producing and film financing, with Hollywood names such as John Singleton and Keenen Ivory Wayans, among many others, providing the instruction. Former Packers defensive back Will Blackmon, now with the New York Giants, is also scheduled to participate.
"I just want to soak everything up like a sponge, and then they'll know how serious I am," Green said in talking about the movie business in a phone interview with packers.com. "Athletes want to act all the time, but a lot of guys try to go into it on their name, and you don't get taken seriously like that. I want to be taken seriously."
Originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 1998, Green played for the Packers from 2000 through 2006 and was a four-time Pro-Bowl selection. After two seasons with the Houston Texans, Green came back to Green Bay as a midseason pickup in 2009, when he broke Jim Taylor's franchise record for career rushing yards.
Green has two noteworthy acting credits under his belt. In 2005, he made his on-screen debut in an independent short film entitled "Chester McPhail," in which Green played himself as a rival for the title character over a love interest.
Then in 2007, he landed on a bigger screen with "Big Stan," a Rob Schneider comedy in which Green played a prison gang member named Diamond King.
One of the actors Green worked with in "Big Stan" was a relatively unknown Jackson Rathbone, who has since earned a regular role in the "Twilight" movie saga as Jasper.
"That right there inspires me," Green said. "It was fun, just to be there and see what goes on behind the camera and on the set."
As part of his application for the "Pro Hollywood Boot Camp," Green wrote a critique of his favorite movie, "The Matrix," and discussed his interests in the business. He said he has a handful of books to read to prepare for the trip to Universal Studios, so he's been busy studying. He also has applied this year for the NFL's annual "Broadcasting Boot Camp," which the league has conducted for several years now for current and former players interested in booth and/or studio work.
That camp's success prompted the league to offer music and movie boot camps for the first time this year, with the music one taking place at New York University's Clive Davis Institute last month.
Green hopes the Hollywood experience will enhance his knowledge of the behind-the-scenes movie business to, perhaps, open some doors for jobs. His preference is to act, but he's willing to take on other tasks to break in, and he knows it won't hurt to learn as much about the business as possible.
"I know I have to start with the small roles, just like I did as a rookie in the NFL," Green said. "I have to start small and then with the experience I get, I can build in terms of getting roles or any kind of work I can grab."
