(AllHipHop News) Actor O’shea Jackson is taking over as the lead of the upcoming Apple drama series “Swagger” from Winston Duke after he reportedly suffered an onset injury.
The “Black Panther” star had been attached to the youth basketball show, inspired by the experiences of top baller Kevin Durant, since October, but he recently had to withdraw from the role, handing over the baton to Jackson.
“Thank you to (producers at) Imagine, CBS and Apple TV for the opportunity to have collaborated on this project,” Duke shares in a statement to Variety.
“As I work toward a full recovery in the coming months, I look forward to joining everyone on future endeavors. Congratulations to O’Shea – I have no doubt that he’ll shine in this role.”
The “Straight Outta Compton” star, whose father is rap legend Ice Cube, will portray retired basketball star-turned-youth coach Ike, and he is excited to hit the court.
“I’m thrilled to be involved with such a profound and impactful project that stands for family, explores the development and growth of today’s youth, involves the game of basketball, and most importantly addresses such key social issues which are tackled throughout the series,” Jackson says.
“Swagger” is an opportunity to explore a fresh, multi-dimensional character under the guidance of an amazing director like Reggie Rock and his team on a daily basis.”
The project, written and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood, will mark Jackson’s transition to the small screen in his first role as a TV regular.
He also recently signed on for a show called “The Now,” which is due to debut on forthcoming mobile streaming platform Quibi.