An Army Green Beret and former National League Football player has taken on a new role – that of movie director and actor.
Nate Boyer teamed with FilmRise, a leading film and television studio and streaming network worldwide, the national nonprofit Merging Vets & Players (MVP) and the GNC Live Well Foundation, affiliated with leading global health and wellness brand GNC, have joined forces to bring MVP to screens across the country this fall.
MVP is based on the true story of the formation of Merging Vets & Players, a nonprofit founded by Boyer and Fox Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer which empowers and connects combat veterans and former professional athletes, providing them with a new team to assist with their transition to civilian life, promote personal development, and show them they are never alone.
Boyer said that Merging Vets & Players had a profound impact on his life and on the lives of his fellow veterans and athletes.
“We set out to capture the story of MVP on screen,” he explained. “Like the two main characters in the film, many of us battle with personal struggles and are searching for that purpose, identity, and a community where we feel like we belong.”
Sylvester Stallone served as the movie’s executive director. The film co-stars Mo McCrae (The Flight Attendant, The First Purge), Talia Jackson (Family Reunion), Christina Ochoa (Animal Kingdom) and Dina Shihabi (Altered Carbon, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) and features Tom Arnold, Rich Eisen, Vietnam veteran Dan Lauria, and former professional athletes Randy Couture, Tony Gonzalez, Howie Long, Jarrod Bunch and Michael Strahan.
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The film takes place on the streets of Hollywood and centers on the growing friendship between a struggling recently retired NFL player (McRae) and a homeless veteran suffering from PTSD (Boyer).
The movie reveals the common challenges faced by military veterans and professional athletes adjusting to a new life once the uniform comes off. With their “glory days” behind them, the two men bond in search of real purpose and identity.
“MVP highlights the very real struggles combat veterans and retiring professional athletes face transitioning into everyday life,” said GNC CEO, GNC Live Well Foundation executive committee member, and Merging Vets & Players board member Josh Burris.
In addition to the 35 markets where the film premiered in September, the GNC Live Well Foundation sponsored a film screening benefit tour featuring Boyer, along with local veterans and athletes to take place throughout the 2022-23 NFL season in markets where there is an existing MVP chapter or a future chapter is planned, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Seattle. GNC and the GNC Live Well Foundation have donated more than $1 million to the organization over the years.
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For more information on the film MVP and how to present and/or find a screening visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.