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Interview with BET’s College Hill Interns & Spike TV’s Pros vs. Joes Marc Reece

Published on 17 July 2009 by Rashad in athlete to actor

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Athletes2Actors recently sat down with Marc Reece who is well known as being one of the 10 cast mates of BET’s debut spinoff series College Hill Interns and recently a winner of Spike TV’s Pros vs Joes. Marc received a full four-year basketball scholarship to Southern Polytechnic State University where he broke numerous school records while pursuing his undergraduate degree. The television debut of this 6’5” former college athlete has sparked a lot of interest from various media outlets.

“The only boundaries in life are the one’s you put on self.”

Athletes2Actors.com Interview with Marc Reece

Athletes2Actors: Tell us about your career as a star basketball player at Southern Polytechnic State University.

Marc Reece: I was blessed to have a great career at Southern Poly. In my 3 years there we compiled a record of 80-24 with 2 conference championships and 3 national tournament appearances.  I was also team captain during my junior and senior seasons. Individually I have the record at southern poly for most consecutive starts. I am 8th all-time in scoring and 5th all-time in rebounds.

Athletes2Actors: Are you still pursuing a career in basketball or are you just focused on acting now?

Marc Reece: Basketball is my first love and I continue to play, but decided not to pursue it on a professional stage due to my other goals in life. I’m focused on acting and the entertainment industry right now, but I still got my basketball skills so don’t get it twisted people. Lol

Athletes2Actors: How did you end up on BET’s College Hill Interns and eventually on Spike TV’s Pros vs. Joes?

Marc Reece: It’s a funny story because I never originally planned to be on TV.  With College Hill, I was headed to school to go work out and I heard on the radio they were having auditions. I wasn’t going to go at first but my friend convinced me. So we went to the auditions and they liked me. So they called me in for about 3 more interviews and about a month later I got the call that they selected me.  With Pros vs. Joes my co-worker told me he heard about auditions for the show and he thought I had a chance. So I went to the auditions and they had me do basketball drills and played one on one with someone else trying out and then they interviewed me. I played well and I thought I would have chance.  So about 3 weeks later they called me to fly to L.A. and do the show. College Hill and Pros vs. Joes are the only reality shows I ever tried out for.

Athletes2Actors: When did you realize that you wanted to get into the entertainment business?

Marc Reece: I wanted to get in the entertainment industry after basketball which was 2006.  Before that I was interested but I never had the time to pursue it because of basketball. I like the spotlight so after my basketball spotlight ended, I wanted to continue that fame somewhere else.

Athletes2Actors: What advice would you give to other athletes that would like to take on acting?

Marc Reece: Good question, it is not easy, so you need thick skin and be respectful to everybody because you never know when an opportunity can come from someone or something. I would say you have to treat acting similar to being an athlete. You have to practice to become better. You have to be disciplined, and have passion for what you do. You have to be able to take criticism, and not give up.

Athletes2Actors: What are some of the advantages/disadvantages of having an athletic background when trying to land gigs?

Marc Reece: It has helped me being on reality shows. College Hill wanted that athletic jock and I wouldn’t have been picked on Pros vs Joes if didn’t have athletic ability. Advantages are that you bring something else to the table. You can have an athletic role, or something involving physical acts and you become more versatile.  Disadvantage is casting directors and agents can put you in that athletic role and not let you expand into some other roles.

Athletes2Actors: Is acting something you’ve always wanted to do or is it something that just happened?

Marc Reece: Acting is something I was always interested in but my goal growing up was playing professional basketball.  Acting kinda just happened, college hill opened my eyes to the entertainment industry and it made me really want to get into it.

Athletes2Actors: How was it being on BET’s College Hill Interns with cameras around you 24/7?

Marc Reece: Oh it was crazy! You have no privacy whatsoever. There were something like 80 cameras all over the house and you have to wear a mic on your back all day everyday unless you are taking a shower or sleep.  Its weird the first few days, but you honestly forget the cameras are there after a while. It was just something that we got used to.

Athletes2Actors: You recently won Pros vs. Joes. How was it going up against former NBA players like Shawn Kemp, Ron Harper, and Eddie Jones?

Marc Reece: It was really cool going against those guys. I grew up watching those three have very successful careers in the NBA and it was fun to play against them. Those guys were cool and they were really strong. They have that NBA strength mixed with the old man strength. Lol.  They just know the game more than anybody I’ve ever played against.

Athletes2Actors: What did that accomplishment mean to you?

Marc Reece: It meant a lot! Its one thing to play against those guys but it’s another thing to actually beat them. It meant a lot to know I can compete at the same level as those guys. Eddie Jones and Shawn Kemp really just finished playing. Winning the prize money was definitely a bonus too.

Athletes2Actors: Is there anyone in the entertainment industry that you would like to model yourself after? (You can name more than one)

Marc Reece: I would have to say Will Smith. He is focused and keeps a high-life personality all the time. I would also say Rick Fox. He gives athletes like me motivation because he is actually a good actor. If I could model my career after him and have career somewhat like his I would be happy!

Athletes2Actors: Do you plan to stay in reality television or do you eventually want to establish yourself as an actor?

Marc Reece: Good question, I plan to establish myself as an actor. I am currently signed with The Dan Agency and they have done I good job getting me out there. I am open to another reality show if the opportunity benefits me in some way.

Athletes2Actors: What do you like most/least about the industry?

Marc Reece: What I like most is the fame! Red carpet events, hosting, cameras, etc… Anyone who says they don’t like that is lying.  I love being in the spotlight and having fans that appreciate me for me.   What I like the least about the industry is the shady aspect of entertainment.  There are a lot of gigs that are not “real”. They might not have sufficient funds or they might not have the right amount of licensing for shooting. That gets frustrating because it is tough to figure out the bad gigs versus the good gigs, especially in Atlanta.

Athletes2Actors: If the entertainment opportunities would not have worked out what would you be doing?

Marc Reece: I would be playing basketball overseas most likely. Again, basketball is my first love and I plan on coaching after I fulfill my entertainment goals.

Athletes2Actors: What can we expect next from you in the future?

Marc Reece: You can expect a lot coming from me in the future. I will be in an independent film titled “Don’t Be Desperate” that will be out early mid 2010. I will possibly be doing another show dealing with College Hill as well. There is another big project in the works but I can’t disclose that just yet but keep your eyes open. Other than that I will continue hosting events throughout the country, so if your interested in booking contact my manager Jason Rivers at Jason.rivers@gmail.com