When Isaac Keys looks back at losing a coveted film role to Chadwick Boseman, he does not frame it as regret. He frames it as perspective. Long before he stepped into the role of Diamond Sampson on Power Book IV: Force, Keys battled through a different kind of competition, one that started on the football field and eventually led him into Hollywood audition rooms, Complex reports.
During a recent appearance on The Crew Has It podcast with Michael Rainey Jr. and Gianni Paolo, Keys unpacked the winding road that shaped him. He walked on at two colleges before earning a scholarship at Morehouse College. He went undrafted yet still reached the league, signing with the Minnesota Vikings and later spending time with the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. He also competed in the CFL. When that chapter closed, he delivered a line that captured the moment. “I didn’t stop playing football,” Keys said. “Football stopped playing me.”
Reinvention, Rejection and Respect for Chadwick Boseman
Football ended, but competition did not. Keys initially explored personal training before committing to acting classes in Los Angeles. At Tasha Smith’s studio, instructors humbled him quickly. “You can give a great performance,” he recalled being told, “but your acting sucks.” The criticism sharpened his approach.
He began stacking smaller wins, including a recurring role on Get Shorty. Yet one audition stood out. Keys pursued a role in Draft Day that ultimately went to Chadwick Boseman, who had recently portrayed Jackie Robinson in 42. Instead of frustration, Keys expressed admiration. “If I’m going to lose out on a role,” he said, “I love that Chad got it. He was an amazing actor.”
That outlook fueled his next opportunity. As a fan of the Power franchise, Keys felt an instant connection to Diamond during his audition for Power Book IV: Force. A Zoom chemistry read with Joseph Sikora helped seal the deal. The character grew into a fan favorite, and filming Diamond’s final scenes carried emotional weight. “Let’s make this a glorious death,” Keys said of his mindset while closing that arc.
Today, Keys channels those lessons into his book, The Grind Don’t Stop, It Just Changes, a reflection on discipline, identity, and evolution. From NFL locker rooms to audition setbacks involving Chadwick Boseman, his journey underscores a simple truth. The grind does not disappear. It just demands a new arena.
