Ray Romano reveals he based his Running Point season 2 character on NBA coach Gregg Popovich
NEED TO KNOW
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The actor says he had little time to prepare and leaned on Popovich’s “demeanor” for inspiration
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Romano also shares why improvising comedy again was one of the most fun parts of the role
Ray Romanois pulling fromreal-life basketball figuresfor his latest role.
While speaking with PEOPLE at Netflix’sRunning Pointseason 2 premiere eventin Los Angeles on April 15, Romano revealed he modeled his character,Coach Norm Stinson, after a legendary person in theNBA.
“I got the offer and I had to come in next week,” Romano says of joining the series. “And I usually do a little bit of an actory thing and do a little backstory, but I didn’t really have the time.”
Instead, Romano leaned on instinct — and a familiar face in the basketball world.
“I thought what NBA [should I look to] … Well, first of all, the script was explaining who the guy was,” he explains. “And then I like … Who can I emulate? And the guy I thought of was [Gregg] Popovich.”
Romano adds, “Yeah. I think if I ever was a coach, I would be close to him. I’m close to his age and I just like his demeanor and all that.”
“That was the base,” he says. “And then we let it go from there.”
InRunning Point, Romano plays Norm Stinson, a basketball savant turned social recluse who teams up with Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) to rediscover his love for the game. The role blends comedy with more emotional depth, something Romano was eager to explore.
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“It had a little tenderness to it,” he says of the character.
Still, returning to a more comedic rhythm was a major highlight, especially with the freedom to improvise.
“It was fun to do the jokes they wrote, and it was fun that they let us do the jokes that they didn’t write and improvise a little,” Romano tells PEOPLE.
Romano adds that he’s hoping to lean even further into that artistic liberty in the future. "If there is another season, I’m looking forward to getting into that a little bit more,” he says.
Off-screen, the actor is also enjoying the perks of being close to the basketball world and his friendship with producerJeanie Buss, who is the CEO and controlling owner of theLos Angeles Lakers— including some enviable seats.
“Well, if it’s in New York, it’s very good. It’s courtside,” Romano says. “Over here, it’s different … because everybody wants to see here.”
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Running Pointseason 2 is streaming on Netflix.
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