Pat McAfee to Star in a War Movie? Gets Acting Advice from Tom Cruise
Your mission, should you choose to accept it... involves Pat McAfee, a World War II movie, and a tip from Tom Cruise.
That’s the surprising storyline coming out of The Pat McAfee Show, where the former Colts punter and sports media personality revealed he may have a role in the upcoming WWII film The Mosquito Bowl, directed by Friday Night Lights filmmaker Peter Berg.
While interviewing Tom Cruise—yes, the Tom Cruise—about Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, McAfee casually asked the Hollywood icon for advice on entering his first movie set.
Cruise asked, “What kind of movie?”
“War movie!” McAfee shot back.
Cruise’s advice was straightforward: Be present. Know your character. Have fun. Solid, if somewhat generic. But here’s the thing—can you actually imagine Pat McAfee in a serious war film?
The Mosquito Bowl is based on the Buzz Bissinger novel about two Marine regiments who play one last game before shipping off to Okinawa (Where 15 of the Marines involved in the game paid the ultimate sacrifice). It's emotional, intense, and grounded in real history. It’s hard to picture a 38-Year-Old McAfee playing one of the players (Unless he’s playing the position he played in the NFL – Punter). So who is he playing?
A coach? A loud-mouthed drill sergeant? A comedic sideline commentator shoehorned into a gritty war flick? McAfee’s wrestling background proves he can bring energy—and the kind of over-the-top, C-level acting that gets a standing ovation in the WWE—but it’s harder to picture him delivering the emotional weight a serious war movie demands. Maybe I’ll feel differently after Monday, when I sit down to watch the kind of war film that bums me out every Memorial Day (don’t worry, beer and whiskey will help get me through it).
Still, McAfee's built a career by surprising people. From the NFL to WWE to ESPN, he’s proven he’s more than just a loud voice with a tank top. Whether or not he belongs in a WWII epic? That’s a different question.
Maybe it’s just a cameo. Maybe it’s the start of a new chapter. Or maybe we’re about to see the most caffeinated coach in cinematic history screaming about punting in the middle of the Pacific Theater.
Oh, and as for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning…It lives up to the hype! Watch it!