The movie recounting LeBron James’ high school career, “Shooting Stars,” is set to release this summer, and the cast is more than just star-studded, it features a 鶹ý student-athlete.
In addition to finishing his degree and running for the Kent State track team, Jon Solomon, a senior marketing major from Akron, Ohio, managed to land a role in “Shooting Stars” as one of James’ high school teammates, Marlon.
Solomon wasn’t expecting to be part of such a high-caliber film but was more than excited to have the opportunity. Being a student-athlete while also working toward an acting career was by no means easy, but Solomon credits his mentors for his tenacity and ambition.
“When I was first getting started, I was only taking one class a week at Angela Boehm’s Casting in Cleveland,” Solomon said. “Lauren Berry, my mentor and amazing actress, saw something in me and was really big on getting me an audition for a movie. Once I heard that I was able to get an audition for ‘Shooting Stars,’ they all really helped me prepare for it.”
A few weeks later, while at a track meet in North Carolina, Solomon received a callback asking him to submit a second audition. Like a true track star and actor, Solomon was quick on his feet and filmed his audition right then and there in his hotel room.
Two weeks later, he learned that he got the role. From there, Solomon had to simultaneously focus on managing his budding track season, his coursework and the filming of “Shooting Stars,” a true balancing act.
“It was a little challenging last year. I had to go to Cleveland in the morning for filming and basketball practices, then I would have to zoom back to Kent to go to track practice, and then I would have class right after that,” Solomon said. “It was a pretty busy time, but with proper time management skills and cutting out unnecessary things in my life, I was prepared for it and got through it.”
Solomon was more than prepared. While in the process of filming, he was progressively becoming one of the top 400-meter runners in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). At the 2022 MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, during the height of filming, Solomon placed second in the 400-meter dash, and the team subsequently won the title for the first time since 2004.
As accomplished of a season it was for Solomon, it was equally tolling, too. At this point, Solomon was balancing upper-level marketing classes, a suspenseful track postseason and a role in a movie about James.
“It took a lot out of me to adjust with the change and not being in town all the time,” Solomon said. “My track and class schedules were the biggest conflicts, especially having to film my second audition in a hotel room.”
For him, running track was always his natural talent. Acting, however, was his passion. And he no longer wanted to admire that passion from a distance. He urged himself to step outside of his comfort zone and chase something in which he felt he could also excel.
“I knew I really just needed to put myself out there. I want people to see that I can do this and that I can make it in this profession,” Solomon said. “So, getting this role was basically like getting my shot to prove myself, and I’m hoping that people can see that through this movie.”
Solomon continues to prove that he is versatile. When people ask him how he is able to manage this balancing act, he strays from crediting himself and gives props to his support system and his faith.
“I believe that I made it here by my faith in God, and I believe that he gifted me with this ability to act and with this amazing opportunity to be in the movie,” Solomon said. “So being able to serve Him with my abilities is another reason why this role meant so much to me.”
No matter what path Solomon decides to take, he has shown himself, his family, his faith and his community at Kent State that he truly is capable of taking advantage of whatever comes his way with speed and a delicate balance.
You can watch “Shooting Stars” exclusively on Peacock starting on June 2.