At 7’8, Jerry Sokolosky is the tallest man in Canada and the second tallest man in North America.
So how did he prepare for the role of a lifetime in playing ‘Goliath’ in the ‘David and Goliath movie?’
“The moment I was told by my agent that I got the part,” says Sokolosky, “the production forced me to train like crazy. I had to lose 40 pounds, work out with a fight coach, a sword coach, and an acting coach.”
A fight coach. A sword coach. And an acting coach. Wow. All in a day’s work for Jerry Sokolosky who was drafted by the NBA at the age of 17.
Jerry as Goliath; Photo Courtesy of IMDb.
“It was a massive challenge, especially filming in the hot desert in North Africa,” he continues. “But God brought me through it. He’s always been there for me. I also give huge props to director Tim Chey who stood by me, an unknown actor. He’s a very gifted and talented director.”
Sokolosky, a born-again Christian, gives God credit for getting him through some rough patches in his life. “God is the source of everything and I’m so blessed to know Him. There were some low points in my life where only God got me through it.”
So how does Jerry like acting?
“I love acting. It’s not easy being one of the tallest guys in the world. You stand out. Everyone wants to have their picture taken with you.”
Jerry Sokoloski, weighing in at 550-lbs.; Photo Courtesy of Christian Cinema.
Chey laughs when told of this. “Almost all of my time on the set was keeping tourists away from Jerry. It was so distracting for him, but he kept his cool which I really respected.”
Sokolosky relished playing ‘Goliath’ and is thrilled to have been a part of the film that opens in theaters on April 3.
“It was a true blessing from the Lord to be in this epic film,” says Sokolosky. He then adds jokingly, “I hope everyone gets blessed seeing how even a little guy can take out a giant like me. But all kidding aside, I hope this movie really inspires everyone to have the incredible and profound faith that David showed. If every Christian had his courage and faith, our world would be a different place.”
‘David and Goliath’ is considered one of the big three Bible movies hitting theaters after “Noah” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and the most Biblically correct.
‘David and Goliath’ looks at one of the most powerful and beloved Bible stories of all time. The film will focus on the early life of David who fought against the Philistine giant, Goliath against all odds.
‘David and Goliath’ opens in theaters on April 24, 2015.
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