Hollywood Husker: Ceyair Wright Excels in Football, Film after Move from California to Nebraska

Ceyair Wright first stepped in front of a Hollywood camera at age five. While growing up in Los Angeles, he appeared in shows such as 2 Broke Girls and Instant Mom. “I can’t even remember the beginning stages of my career. But I remember the progress of it, starting to make the decisions on my own. It was something I wanted to continue doing,” he said during a summer interview at Fallen Giant Films studio in Omaha. More recently, Wright played characters in Space Jam: A New Legacy (as one of Lebron James’ sons) and the TV show Grown-ish.

Acting has been a major part of his life since childhood, but football brought him to Nebraska from California. During his freshman and sophomore years in college, Wright played for the University of Southern California (USC). He transferred shortly before his junior year in 2024 to play for the University of Nebraska. In his first season with the Cornhuskers, Wright made a major impact, ending the year as the team’s top cornerback. He finished the season with a career-high 39 tackles, six pass breakups, and two interceptions.

Along with success on the football field, Wright has found opportunities in cinema after moving to Nebraska. He interned at Fallen Giant Films in Omaha during the summer of 2025, where he acted and helped direct feature productions. “I’ve been an actor my whole life. This is my first opportunity to be on the opposite side of the lens and get to learn what it takes to produce a film and direct or create or write,” he said.

From footfall field to film studio

On the day he met to talk about his Nebraska experience, Wright had morning football workouts in Lincoln and then drove to Omaha to intern for the afternoon. He settled into his studio role, discussing the previous day’s production with Randy J. Goodwin, founder and CEO of Fallen Giant Films. Goodwin emphasized the many variables present while producing a film, and the need to continually adapt to changing situations.

Able to move seamlessly between film studio and football stadium, to excel as an actor and an athlete, Wright appears well-suited for work that demands adaptability. Perhaps that is why he has taken a special interest in production. “I think one of my favorite times outside of being on set is working on the production side,” said Wright. “I’ve always known how producers have a big job. You always see their name first in the credits, but I never really understood their full job. I started to realize they really fulfill the story. You have a script and a direction, but it’s their job to break it down and create a universe that goes behind it. I’m a very creative person and I could see myself being in that lane.”

A Nebraska kid on the silver screen

Wright has the good fortune of learning from a veteran actor with an intimate familiarity of both Hollywood and The Cornhusker State. Randy J. Goodwin grew up in Omaha, but he always knew he would become an actor. “It was never a dream for me,” he said. “A dream is exactly that for most people. This was my goal.”

Goodwin moved to L.A. in the summer of 1994 to pursue a career in film. “1996 was when I booked my first movie, which was American History X, and then my first series. That’s how my career started, and it never stopped,” he said, motioning with his hand to mimic an airplane taking off.

Within two years, Goodwin was a regular on his first TV series, Fast Track. “It was for Showtime. It was a show that Larry Gelbart, the creator of M*A*S*H, was a series producer of. I played the first black NASCAR driver. Me, Keith Carradine, Fred Williamson. It was awesome!” said Goodwin.

Bringing Hollywood experience home to Nebraska

Working in Hollywood made Goodwin appreciate his upbringing in Nebraska. While on set, his Husker hats and shirts commonly sparked conversation with colleagues who had lived in Nebraska or spent time in the state. “One thing they’d always say is ‘we love working with Nebraskans. You’re so humble, hard workers, you show up on time,’” he said.

Recognizing that Nebraska values had set him up for success in Hollywood, Goodwin wanted to help young people from his home state launch careers as actors or screenwriters. After 31 years in Hollywood, Goodwin moved back to Omaha and created Fallen Giant Films.

“The main objective of this business is to help every kid, no matter what neighborhood you’re from, no matter how much money your family makes, no matter your education level. I want every kid who said, ‘Mom, Dad, I want to be an actor’ or ‘Mom, Dad, I want to be a writer.’ All the talent that’s here [in Nebraska] I want to keep here,” Goodwin said.

Boosting Nebraska’s profile

Fallen Giant Films was awarded a $5 million North and South Omaha Recovery Grant in 2024 to supplement its investment Omaha. The company is utilizing the funds to build up the film industry in Nebraska and connect the state’s creative community.

“I think my town – Omaha, Nebraska – is the best town in the world,” said Goodwin. “[This business] is about boosting where I came from and letting the world know, ‘Look what we have!’” said Goodwin. “I make sure what we shoot highlights Nebraska – the WoodmenLife Tower, you’ll see that. You’ll see the First National building. You’ll see the Gene Leahy Mall, the bricks downtown in The Old Market.”

Nebraska: A great place to get things done

Ceyair Wright is a beneficiary of the budding film industry in Nebraska, and he has found the state’s culture to be congenial to his growth as an actor. “The pace of life in Nebraska is so much different,” he explained. “It makes it so you can be more intentional about what you’re doing. Everything in L.A. is moving around so quickly, it’s easy to get caught up in whatever is going on. I realized how much energy I was putting elsewhere that I can put back into me and focus on my own personal growth and development. I think Nebraska’s a great place if you want to get something done.”

Are you interested in learning more about career opportunities in Nebraska? Connect with The Good Life Is Calling team here.