BHS Grad Now Among the Stars in Hollywood

Schin Kerr breezed into town in 2006 to promote a prominent role he’d landed in a Disney feature film, Glory Road.

Since then, Kerr, a grad and former professional athlete, has worked diligently to carve out a niche for himself in Hollywood.

Kerr, also a graduate of and , initially focused on turning his passion for sports into a full-time job.

"At (age) 3 or 4, it didn’t matter if it was basketball, football or baseball. I instinctively knew one of them would be my ticket to college and a way into the pros," Kerr said. " I played in the park district’s baseball, flag football and community basketball leagues. I also played a little soccer. I really wanted to play full contact football with the Trojans, but my parents wouldn’t let me.”

Kerr poured his heart into basketball, which earned him an athletic scholarship to Central Florida Community College.

Kerr’s excellence on the court enabled him to ascend to the next level, playing professional basketball for both the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets.

In between professional basketball stints, Kerr was extended the opportunity to play overseas. It marked a phase in his life that seemed more like a movie than reality.

"I played in Varese, Italy; Shandong Province, China; and Kosovo, Macedonia. Overseas, the fans take their basketball very seriously,” he said.

Kerr said there is a feeling of isolation when playing in different countries, but the caveat is that you know you’ll be able to return home to freedom and normalcy. It made him feel that fame from a distance was easier to deal with because there was a sense that he could revert back to his former lifestyle.

"Italy was where I got into modeling,” Kerr said. “Kosovo was crazy. They have open practices and the fans come in and watch you. I couldn’t do anything by the second month. I had my own United Nations police officers on call. I couldn’t go to the grocery store without being mobbed. It got to the point where I had a free taxi. I had to run from my apartment down to the courtyard, otherwise it would take me 20 minutes to leave."

In the summer of 2004, a friend suggested Kerr audition for the role of a college basketball player at open casting call for an upcoming film called Glory Road. Without a second thought, Kerr jumped on a plane and headed to Los Angeles. Long story short, a second audition put him face to face with famed producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and Kerr was cast in a leading role.

"I met Schin when he was wrapping up Glory Road,” actress Victoria Murphy said. "All I can say is that he has become like a second son. I’m on the board in Calabasas, Calif., for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research. I asked if he’d play in a big fundraising tournament we host. He went above and beyond for us. We were able to get Disney on board and they put together a whole Glory Road team. They raised a lot of money that went directly to ALS research."

Last year, Kerr shot an HBO pilot headed up by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh. The unscripted show had him cast as a character in the NBA, along with former Los Angeles Lakers star Vladi Divek and former Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson. The pilot focused on the lifestyles led by people in the NBA.

These days, Kerr keeps himself busy pursuing producing opportunities. He’s in the process of launching a production company that will specialize in feature films and episodic television.

“I’ve been working with him for a couple years now,” said Andres Diaz, of Golden Boy Promotions. "He’s an absolutely great guy to work with. Very down to earth and humble.

"The thing that stands out the most about this guy is that he doesn’t have to benefit to be associated with a project. He’s helped with sports camps … whatever. He doesn’t forget who he is and where he comes from. You can tell he was raised with very good morals. He will take the shirt off his back to give to somebody else.

“He is always willing to give a helping hand. Its a quality that is rare in this business."

Editor's Note: Schin Kerr is the older brother of Chloe Kerr, another BHS grad who has made a name for herself in professional basketball overseas. Patch featured Chloe Kerr in a story last week. To read that story, click .