Shining a spotlight on celebrities and athletes who love to travel. Created and developed by Stacy Steponate Greenberg.
Spending your life surrounded by world class athletes can be daunting due to their extraordinary size. But for Omar Miller, not only is it all in a day’s work (he is one of the main characters on HBO’s hit series Ballers) but because he stands 6’6″ he actually sees eye to eye with most them. While Miller has played sports his entire life, acting was always his passion and at a young age he was cast in various movies including 8 Mile, Transformers, Miracle at St. Anna and The Express, as well as a regular role on the popular CSI: Miami. Miller also has a podcast called The O-Zone, which showcases uncensored opinions about sports, and the latest news and life from athletes and celebrities. As if all that wasn’t enough to keep a person busy, Miller also created and hosts a reality travel series called “Weekend Fix” on the Esquire Network. The Overhead Compartment found Omar Miller with a rare moment of down time to answer questions about his travel series, his acting, and what it’s really like working with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Overhead Compartment starts now….
OC: You star in the hit HBO show Ballers, about football players, their friends, families and handlers. What have you learned about the way athletes live that most fans don’t know?
OM: I think artists and athletes share a transient nature of their lives. When you become successful in either field you are always on the go and I don’t think that gets enough attention. It’s hard being everywhere simultaneously.
OC: There have been many celebrity cameo appearances on the show: Which athlete was the best actor?
OM: Stephen Jackson! He was a natural. “I bought an elephant.” Hilarious.
OC: You’re 6’6’’ and 290 pounds, you blend right in, are you an athlete?
OM: Ha! I haven’t blended in since I was a child. I played sports my whole life and the good thing is when we have actual football players on the show I get to feel normal because they’re all giants too.
OC: What was your greatest athletic achievement?
OM: Winning the Terrance Lynn Memorial hoops tournament with my best friend in honor of his brother passing away. Either that or losing 80lbs to be in “Miracle at St. Anna.”
OC: Is The Rock as much fun as he seems to be?
OM: More! He has fun being Dwayne Johnson and is as humble as a superstar could ever be. Love that dude.
OC: I need one good “I can’t believe how famous this guy is” story about him.
OM: I go to work and he’s leaving. We pal around for a little bit, then I’m checking Twitter later on during a break and he’s the #1 worldwide trending topic because he made a surprise appearance at WWE Monday Night Raw. I was like “damn!”
OC: You’re the creator of the travel show “Weekend Fix” on the Esquire Network, where did your passion from travel come from?
OM: My father. He’s a doer.
OC: What are your top three tips for travelers?
OM: Travel light, avoid tourist traps, and spend the money on nice hotels because you never know who you might meet.
OC: What is your favorite destination the show has taken you?
OM: “CSI: Miami” indirectly took me to Jerusalem and that was unbeatable.
OC: What’s the first thing you do when arriving at a hotel room?
OM: Make sure there’s a king size bed, then shower.
OC: You also have a new audio/video sports-focused podcast, O-ZONE. How will yours stand out among all the other sports podcasts?
OM: I actually know what I’m talking about and have access to other professionals, be it athletes or celebs.
OC: You have been in a number of movies from 8 Mile to Shall We Dance to Transformers, and spent years as one of the stars on CSI:Miami. How does the big screen compare to the small screen?
OM: The movies provide an incredible opportunity to tell one specific story whereas TV is ongoing and focused on different elements every episode/season. It’s all great work, if you can get it.
OC: Complete the following sentence: I never leave home without:
OM: My pen.
Omar Miller, please use care upon departure as items may have shifted in The Overhead Compartment during our journey. Thanks for choosing us for your travel tips! Have a wonderful day!
