Viola Davis had only met Michael Jordan 'once randomly' before he requested she play his mother in 'Air'
- Ben Affleck directed and stars in "Air," a film about Michael Jordan's historic shoe deal with Nike.
- Jordan's biggest request for Affleck was that he get Viola Davis to play his mother, Deloris.
Michael Jordan had one major condition for Ben Affleck to make "Air: Courting a Legend," his new movie detailing the story behind the NBA legend's historic, industry-altering shoe deal with Nike.
He needed to get Viola Davis to play his mother, Deloris.
"When I went to Viola, I was like, 'Look, you probably don't want to do this,'" Affleck recalled after an advanced screening of the film in New York City. "'But Michael Jordan wants you to.'"
The request seemed to catch Davis off guard. She wasn't necessarily surprised; she is, after all, an EGOT winner and one of the most esteemed actresses on the planet.
But she had no prior history with Jordan to point to. In fact, Davis had only met His Airness out of happenstance on one occasion where she was seated alongside Affleck.
"I met Michael once randomly outside the Park Hyatt Hotel," Davis said with a laugh after the screening. "His wife liked 'How to Get Away with Murder.'"
Davis starred as Annalise Keating in the hit Shonda Rhimes show.
"Well, you made an impression!" Affleck, who directed the film, quipped.
He went on to laud Davis for her acting expertise and professionalism on set. The two-time Oscar winner described his efforts "to create a role that honored who clearly his mother was" in Jordan's eyes and one that was "good enough for Viola to do."
Once Davis was on board, Affleck gave her free rein to "rewrite stuff, throw it out, add stuff." She even came up with the signature line of the film: "A shoe is just a shoe until my son steps into it."
"All the great stuff, she wrote," he said. "She came in and nailed it. And everyone just sat around like, 'Oh my God.'"
"Air: Courting a Legend" comes out in theaters on April 5. Check out the trailer below: