The Apple TV+ sports drama Swagger cast boasts an impressive array of talent. Inspired by the experiences of NBA legend Kevin Durant, the show provides a unique look at the machinations of youth basketball. With such an emphasis on team dynamics, it's little surprise that Swagger features such an extensive cast and character list. The show has been developed by writer, producer, and director Reggie Rock Bythewood with a focus on the sport away from the bright lights of the NBA.
Instead, the drama revolves around familial relationships and the struggle to break into the top tier of elite sport, as well as the roadblocks that inevitably get in the way. Swagger also focuses on the coaches as well as the players, whose ambitions often have a negative impact on their teams and willing young players. Swagger season 1 ran for 10 episodes in 2021 and the second season of Swagger for eight episodes in 2023. The nature of the show meant that multiple characters could be introduced across the series as the protagonists encounter different teams and continue their various journeys. Here is the complete guide to the Swagger cast and characters.
O'Shea Jackson Jr. As Ike
Starring as Jace's coach and mentor throughout the drama, O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s Ike is equal parts inspirational and troubled. In addition to coaching his team of young stars to greatness, Ike also has to deal with his own legacy of missed opportunity, typified by several turbulent relationships. Jackson Jr. himself only received the role in the Swagger cast after Winston Duke dropped out due to injury. While Jackson has played several high-profile roles, he is arguably best known for his portrayal of his biological father, Ice Cube, in F. Gary Gray's 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton. More recently, he appeared in Cocaine Bear and the Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Isaiah Hill As Jace
The main character in the Swagger cast is young basketball prodigy Jace, played by Isaiah Hill. At 14 years old, Jace is widely regarded s one of the hottest basketball prospects in the DMV and dreams of making it in the NBA. Over the course of the series, he faces serious setbacks, both mentally and physically, in his bid to lead his team to success. Hill himself has limited acting experience, having only previously appeared in the 2019 short film ZMNY X King Cassius: Portland.
Shinelle Azoroh As Jenna
Shinelle Azoroh stars as Jenna in the Swagger cast – Jace's mother and a huge influence on the progress of his burgeoning career. Throughout the show, she plays a direct role in her son's progress, even going so far as to make contact with Ike on his behalf. She also helps with his training – encouraging him to push himself from the very first episode. As for Azoroh, her resumé includes acting credits in movies such as Nostalgia and Don't Let Go. She has also worked as a director, making her debut with the 2019 TV series Roxie Wolfgang.
Quvenzhané Wallis As Crystal
A lifelong friend of Jace, Quvenzhané Wallis' Crystal is one of the most significant figures in the Swagger story. Her relationship with Jace fluctuates as the story develops, ranging from affectionate to frustrated as his rising reputation impacts their friendship. Crystal is within her own rights an extremely talented basketball player, making the parallels of their stories an interesting dynamic.
Despite being only 18, Wallis herself is already an experienced actor before appearing in the Swagger cast. She has appeared in the Oscar-winning 12 Years A Slave as well as the 2014 reboot of Annie. However, her biggest claim to fame was when she was the youngest actress to ever receive an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2012 movie Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Sean Anthony Baker As Naim Rahaim
Baker stars as assistant coach Rahim, who is not only tasked with getting the best out of Jace but also working with his basketball-playing son. Beyond the Swagger cast in the popular Apple TV series, Baker is a veteran performer, appearing in roles in Samuel L. Jackson's movie Shaft and The New Jim Crow: Majority Rules. He also has several TV credits to his name, with one-episode appearances in shows like The Rookie, FBI, and Queen of the South. He was also part of the cast for Sunset, a TV series shot entirely virtually during the pandemic.
Tristan Wilds As Alonzo Powers
Representing the extensive commercial interests in youth basketball, Tristan Wilds' Alonzon Powers is the grassroots vision leader at a major show company, looking for sponsorship opportunities. Actor and singer Wilds is himself no stranger to major TV roles, with credits such as Michael Lee on The Wire and Deputy Joshua Black on Shots Fired. In 2023, he appeared in the musical-comedy movie Praise This on Peacock.
Caleel Harris As Musa Rahaim
Caleel Harris' Musa is the foundation of the team, playing point guard behind Jace's flair approach to the game. 17-year-old Harris has a CV dating back to 2010, with a variety of different film and TV credits – such as one of the main kids, Sam, in 2018's Goosebumps 2.
Tessa Ferrer As Meg Bailey
Serving as one of the show's villains, Tessa Ferrer's Meg Bailer is a former basketball player and rival coach with an axe to grind. Bailey herself has had several high-profile roles before featuring in the Swagger cast, with her most well-known probably the part of Dr. Leah Murphy on Grey's Anatomy. She also had recurring roles on the CBS sci-fi series Extant and the FXX comedy You're The Worst. Other major roles for the actress were as Cora Babineau in Mr. Mercedes and Lt. Sue Ann Duckett in Catch-22. Ferrer also appeared on the big screen in the 2018 horror movie, Insidious: The Last Key.
Christina Jackson As Tonya Edwards
Christina Jackson plays Tonya Edwards in the Swagger cast. She is Ike's wife and is someone who wants to stand by the man she loves, even as he is at a crossroads in his life. Jackson started out her acting career with smaller roles, but she enjoyed a breakout as Maybelle, Chalky White's daughter on Boardwalk Empire. She followed that up with a role in Outsiders on WGN, where she played Sally-Ann. She also had a big screen role in the 2020 horror movie The Night House.
Solomon Irama As Phil
Solomon Irama plays Phil in the Swagger cast. He is one of the "man-children" on the team as they make their way into their senior year of high school. However, Phil learns in season 2 he won't be going to Cedar Cove Prep like the other five. Irama has mostly had small roles before Swagger, including a spot as a bully on an episode of Supergirl and an appearance in the TV movie, Cop and a Half: New Recruit.
Ozie Nzeribe As Royale
Royale is another of the Swagger players who will head to Cedar Cove Prep, a predominantly white school, in season 2. He has little experience other than his part in the Swagger cast. In 2021, he appeared in the TV series Dad Stop Embarrassing Me, and he also had an eight-episode turn on the Showtime drama series, Shameless.
James Bingham As Drew Murphy
James Bingham starred in the Swagger cast as Drew Murphy, a young talented basketball player who will do anything for his team. He is also the one white kid on the team. Murphy is a relatively new actor on the scene, with only three short movies and a role in the TV movie Growing Pains in his past.
Orlando Jones As Dr. Emory Lawson
One big change in the Swagger cast in season 2 is that the Swagger players are going to an elite prep school to make their basketball team elite. This will bring in Dr. Emory Lawson, a professor who expects the kids in his class to excel in academics and not just in basketball. Orlando Jones stars as Lawson in the Swagger cast, and he has a very large series of roles in his past. TV fans will remember him from shows like American Gods, where he played Mr. Nancy, and Sleepy Hollow, where he played Frank Irving. On the big screen, he has appeared in movies like Drumline, The Replacements, and the 2022 political thriller 88.
Marc Blucas As Coach Bobby
There are often times when someone shows up in a TV show that people instantly recognize, and it is even more shocking when it is a small role. In the Swagger cast, that happened when a rival coach was a familiar face. The rival Coach Bobby was played by none other than Marc Blucas. For old-school fans, Blucas played Riley Finn, the one-time demon-hunting boyfriend of Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He also had roles in Necessary Roughness, First Daughter, and The Killing Floor.