Former NFL player Simeon Rice, 37, is breaking into a new industry after taking a year long film-making program with the New York Film Academy. Simeon, who stimulated NFL defensive lines for more than a decade including playing in the Superbowl, decided to attend New York Film Academy’s program at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and try his hand at directing. His short film When I was King showed this past week in the Gasparilla International Film Festival. Says Simeon on his decision to direct a film:
“I think in 3-D already. I already thought in motion pictures. That’s where it all came from, visual stimulation.”
Simeon wrote, cast and directed the film. Comments actress Cara Picton, “It was a very professional shoot. you don’t always get that with new filmmakers. Simeon knew how to steer us in the right direction.”
Jokes Simeon Rice, “I loved football. That’s my true love. This [filmmaking] is my mistress.”
What’s up next for Simeon? “My next film is a Zombie film. It’ll be crazy entertaining…It’s about a town that runs out of water. It’s called ‘Thirst.’”