"Chris Evert even added some stuff... Serena Williams fully grasped the deal" - When Andy Samberg praised legends starring in his tennis mockumentary
Serena Williams, Chris Evert, and John McEnroe once starred in the tennis mockumentary, '7 Days in Hell,' led by American actor and comedian Andy Samberg. Samberg, who also produced the film, was very appreciative of the tennis legends, speaking highly about their contributions.
The 2015 film was a satirical take on a fictional, weeklong Wimbledon match between Aaron Williams, a disgraced American star played by Samberg, and a British player Charles Booth, portrayed by Kit Harrington.
The movie was inspired by John Isner and Nicols Mahut's first-round clash at the 2010 edition of the grasscourt Major, which lasted over 11 hours and was played over three days, marking the longest match in tennis history.
Samberg's character was depicted as an orphan who was adopted by Venus and Serena Williams' father Richard and raised to become a tennis star, with Serena humorously referring to the storyline as a "reverse Blind Side" in the movie.
"It was a reverse Blind Side. You know, a rich white family gets a black kid and makes him play football. Well, we flipped it. You see, my dad, he took a white kid and made him play tennis," Serena Williams said in the film.
In a 2015 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Andy Samberg lavished praise on the tennis legends involved, highlighting how quickly they understood the film's satirical tone. The comedian described John McEnroe as hilarious and hailed Chris Evert's comedic chops, disclosing that she had even added some humorous moments to the script.
"They all pretty much got it. Those are all savvy folks. McEnroe, I have worked with a few times before because he was in a few Digital Shorts. And he’s obviously hilarious. Chris Evert, I’ve always been a huge fan of hers but she was really funny and totally got the joke. She even added some stuff that was really great," Samberg said.
Samberg also expressed his admiration for Serena Williams, revealing that he had been a fan since he witnessed her triumph at Wimbledon. He lauded the former World No. 1's acting skills, applauding her line delivery and understanding of the premise.
The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star further emphasized that the tennis legends elevated the humor in the movie by maintaining a serious tone amid the absurdity of the plot.
"And Serena, I’d never met before but I’ve been a huge fan of hers forever. I actually saw her win Wimbledon a few years ago because I was in England shooting a show and I went live and it was one of the coolest things ever. We flew to her and shot with her," he said.
"Some of her line readings are so subtle and she just fully grasped the whole deal and I loved how real she was with it all. The tennis players are representing themselves and selling the reality of this world. The more they played it real, the funnier it was, and I think all three of them did a great job," he added.
"I thought it was good!" - Serena Williams gives her verdict on Zendaya's tennis-centric movie 'Challengers'
In 2024, another tennis-centric movie 'Challengers' made waves in Hollywood, with the star cast of Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist delivering critically acclaimed performances.
In an interview with the New York Times, Serena Williams shared that while she enjoyed the movie, the cliffhanger ending left her so perplexed that she even asked Zendaya if there was more to the story.
"I thought it was good! I wanted there to be more of an ending. I told Zendaya: "Listen, is there more? Like, I want more. Did they win?" I mean, I don’t want to give away the ending," Serena Williams said.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also acknowledged that the movie "accurately" depicted the intense dynamic and rivalries between players, disclosing that she had a similarly "codependent" relationship with her sister Venus Williams.