PHOENIX, Arizona, April 24. ALTHOUGH Anthony Ervin's “Swim For Love” movie trailer was released as an April Fools Day prank, the Olympian ended up receiving some attention for his acting skills in the video clip.
Battling sharks, waves and distance in an attempt to swim across the Atlantic to be reunited with his true love, Ervin receives a nasty shock when he finally crawls exhausted from the ocean.
“I actually did this for April fool's day last year (2012). I was originally approached to be the 'swimming double' for a real actor, and then they decided to put me in as the actor too…. despite having zero acting experience or ability!” Ervin told Swimming World via e-mail.
“So, being the open-minded fellow I am, I spent 2-days on the beach in Santa Cruz and South San Francisco filming. I hoped that the public would get a good laugh, that is really all. It was a cute idea and I just didn't want my inexperience to ham it up in the wrong way.”
When asked whether or not the clip foreshadows an acting career, Ervin gave the following answer:
“I suppose I was testing the waters of acting, but 'career' is such a loaded word so I wouldn't say that. Production is decidedly unglamorous, time-consuming, and acting is challenging to get in-and-out of character on command. But seeing the final product can be stunning, and one can only hope that the viewers enjoy it.”
Hmm…. Sounds like Ervin is hinting that swimming fans may see more of him on the small screen in the coming years.