Marshawn Lynch in Love Hurts: NFL Star’s Role, Explained
One of the most charismatic characters in recent NFL history has a scene-stealing role in Love Hurts.
When you head to theaters to see Love Hurts this weekend (get tickets now!), you might notice a familiar face, and we don't just mean someone familiar from other movies.
Yes, there are plenty of familiar movie faces in the new action-comedy, Love Hurts, including star Ke Huy Quan, co-star Ariana DeBose, and an ensemble that includes Sean Astin and Mustafa Shakir. But if you're an NFL fan who has caught your share of Sunday Night Football games on NBC, you also might notice one of the most memorable players of the 21st century: Marshawn Lynch.
RELATED: How to Watch Love Hurts
Who does Marshawn Lynch play in Love Hurts?
Love Hurts is the story of Marvin Gable (Quan), a friendly neighborhood real estate agent who's pulled back into his past as a hitman for his crime boss brother (Daniel Wu) when an old flame (DeBose) rolls back into town. Convinced Marvin knows something about what's really going on, a whole slew of criminals and henchmen go after him.
Which brings us to Lynch, who plays an enforcer called King in the film. Together with Andre Eriksen's character, Otis, King is tasked with tracking down Marvin and getting him to talk. But of course, Marvin doesn't want to go quietly, and King and Otis have some problems of their own.
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For Lynch, co-starring in the film was a chance to use some of his own natural athletic prowess and apply it to an action movie, something Quan says he definitely pulled off.
"Nothing's more scary than Marshawn Lynch coming full speed at you," Quan says in the new featurette above.
Marshawn Lynch's NFL background
Lynch's acting career isn't limited to Love Hurts. He's played himself in shows like The League and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and played characters in films like Bottoms. But of course, before he acted, he was on the gridiron, earning a reputation as one of the most dominant football players of his generation.
A California native, Lynch played for the California Golden Bears in college before he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills to play professional ball in 2007. After three seasons in Buffalo, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2010, where he soon became a superstar.
Nicknamed "Beast Mode" for his aggressive, powerful running style, Lynch became a star in Seattle. Between 2011 and 2015 he recorded four straight seasons of 1,000-plus rushing yards, led the league in rushing touchdowns in both 2013 and 2014, and helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII. A five-time Pro Bowler, he retired from the NFL twice before returning, first for the Raiders and then for the Seahawks one more time in 2019, before pivoting to working as an executive, player advocate, and of course, actor. Now, you can see him take on Ke Huy Quan in Love Hurts.
Love Hurts opens in theaters this weekend. Get tickets now at Fandango.
