When Sheldon Bailey looks back on his time working on Clipped, one of the standout moments for him was when the legendary actor Lawrence Fishburne brought his undeniable talent to the role of Doc Rivers. In our conversation on Scoop B Radio, Bailey couldn’t help but laugh as he recalled how Fishburne nailed the Doc Rivers character from the very beginning.
“Yeah, I knew he was gonna kill it from the table read,” Bailey said with a smile. “Because he did his voice at the table read and I was like, ‘Oh yeah. That’s curtains!’ Once I heard it at the table read, I was like: ‘Oh man,’ because I knew he was going to bring that raspy voice and he did that with no problem.”
Indeed, Bailey’s reaction wasn’t just due to Fishburne’s impressive vocal talent—it was also about the little details that made Fishburne’s portrayal of the iconic NBA coach feel so real. The connection between the voice and the mannerisms was uncanny. “Between that and the hairline, you know what I’m sayin’? Between those two things?… that WAS Doc right there,” Bailey recalled, highlighting the subtle yet perfect combination of Fishburne’s performance.
But Bailey didn’t stop there. He joked about the challenges Fishburne faced with the ‘beijing’ referring to the artificial hair dye used to perfect the look of Rivers’ signature hairline. “But the beijing was causing problems though… a little bit,” Bailey laughed, adding, “They had a masterful barber come through and spray him up every day and take care of that, but I remember one time that it was running a little bit.”
Despite those minor hiccups, Bailey had nothing but admiration for Fishburne’s commitment to the role. In fact, the whole experience of working with such a seasoned actor was a learning opportunity for Bailey, who could appreciate the level of preparation that went into creating a memorable performance.
Fishburne’s flawless Doc Rivers impression was just one of the standout moments on Clipped, a show that mixed humor with heart, often paying homage to real-life personalities and moments. Through this behind-the-scenes story, it’s clear that when you have an actor like Lawrence Fishburne in your corner, you know magic is going to happen.
WATCH the full conversation with Sheldon Bailey while on Scoop B Radio, here.
