Adrian Peterson: Small-Screen Rookie

Minnesota Vikings superstar running back Adrian Peterson is no stranger to acting. He's shown up as himself on grown-up TV shows before, but this month he makes his first appearance on a kids program. On June 9, Peterson will guest star on Disney XD's Mighty Med, a show about two normal boys who are doctors in a superhero hospital. For the episode "Fantasy League of Heroes," two characters challenge each other to a sports trivia competition — and one of them drafts AP to help him win the contest.

Recently, SI Kids Kid Reporter AmiriTulloch spoke with Peterson about his role on the show and whether he thinks he could be an actor once his NFL career is over.

Why did you want to be a part of Mighty Med?

I thought it was an interesting show. I’m all about humor and the show has that, so that’s what attracted me to it when I watched it. When they asked me to be a part of it, I was more than willing to join!

What's one of the coolest things about being on the show?

Just being able to interact with the characters and being able to talk to the crew. My daughter loves the show, so it was great to let them know that they have fans out there. Me being one that has a lot of fans, it’s kind of cool being on the other end to kind of give that appreciation to someone else.

What is the toughest part about acting?

Just getting in the flow and feel of the character you’re playing, expressing your lines in the way that it is in the scene — those can be some of the hardest things to adjust to. But once you start to get in the rhythm, you get to flow with it. 

What surprised you most about the acting process?

What's really surprising is how many times they cut and do a scene over, cut and do it over, cut and do it over. We only see the perfected cut of it, we never see when they mess up. Going into it, you’re kind of nervous. You don’t want to mess up your lines and be forced to do it again. But when you see guys doing it for years messing up over and over again, it makes it more relaxing.

Is acting one of the things you'd like to pursue when your NFL career comes to an end?

Definitely. I don't know how in-depth I'm going to get into it, but it's something I definitely want to get into after football.

How much do you enjoy watching other running backs like LeGerrette Blount, Frank Gore, etc?

Yeah, I like watching those guys, more so in postseason than regular season when I’m playing. I like watching them in the postseason when I’m at home, but Frank Gore is a guy that I love. I loved watching him when he was at the University of Miami, just the kind of things that he overcame. Marshawn Lynch, as well, I feel as though he’s the closest thing to me as far as having that “beast” mentality on the field as well as his running style. 

What advice would you give to kids trying to juggle acting and sports?

Have faith, believe, and don’t give up. Just be willing to put in the work and it’ll pay off in the long run.


Catch Adrian Peterson on Disney XD's Mighty Med, airing June 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Photo: Eric McCandless/Disney XD