‘Bottoms’ director Emma Seligman says Marshawn Lynch was 'righting his wrongs' with the role in the raunchy teen comedy

Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch is taking his talents to the big screen. Lynch will star in the film "Bottoms," which will debut in theaters on August 25.

The former Seattle Seahawks star will play a teacher named "Mr. G" in the teen comedy. His character oversees an after-school fight club organized by a few students.

The director of "Bottoms," Emma Seligman, recently discussed casting Lynch in an interview with GQ Magazine. She credited studio head Alana Mayo with the idea.

Seligman said:

"I can’t take credit for the idea. That was the head of our studio, Alana Mayo. I just thought all we need is someone to do their thing and be a version of themself."

"So we offered it to him, and then we had a phone call. He was like, 'Do you have me confused with someone else? Like an actor?' I told him, No, we want you.”

"I don’t think he even needed to ask me, but he might have asked me, 'Do you know who I am? Did you know who I was before this?' I told him, 'No, I don’t follow sports, I can’t admit to that. But you’re so unique and hilarious and it would be so f****** cool to have you in this movie and bring an audience that otherwise wouldn’t see it! I just think you’d be really funny in it and play off these girls really well!”

"He still thought I was crazy—or not that he thought I was crazy, he just didn’t understand why I would offer it to him. So, it took a few conversations for him to feel comfortable."

"In our first conversation, he told me that his sister is queer and when they were in high school, he didn’t necessarily handle it super well. He felt like this movie coming into his hands was the universe giving him a chance to right his wrongs. That’s what he said. He walked her down the aisle. He felt like they were all good, you know? But his sister thought it’d be really cool if he did this. We had a couple more conversations about it, and eventually he said yes!"

She said he was initially hesitant and questioned the reasoning for casting him to the role. She said at the end of the conversation, the former NFL running back agreed to do so to pay it forward for past mistakes he had made, and now the role could show how he has changed.

Marshawn Lynch to join SlamBall broadcast booth

SlamBall has surged in popularity this summer as ESPN agreed to broadcast rights for the extreme sport. The league, which is based in Las Vegas, has been attracting all sports fans.

Marshawn Lynch recently attended practice and a game and became a big fan. After joining the broadcast booth to give his take, ESPN has decided to bring the former Seattle Seahawks running back aboard.

ESPN has announced that Lynch will join broadcasters Jon Dorenbos, who formerly played for the Philadelphia Eagles, and John Schriffen.

He will help cover the upcoming SlamBall semifinal playoffs that begin this weekend.