SANDLOT Star Patrick Renna Reaches New Audience as Dancing TikTok Dad
By Movieguide® Contributor
While Patrick Renna first found fame in THE SANDLOT and THE BIG GREEN, now he is being introduced to the new generation by dancing on TikTok.
“One of my Gen Z friends who keeps me feeling young helps me with TikTok,” Renna told TODAY.com. When she suggested that he dance on the platform, he responded, “There’s no way I’m going to dance on TikTok, at least alone. But you know what I would do? I’d get a couple of my ‘Chubby Ginger’ friends and that would be fun.”
Starting in November 2021, Renna has been joined by Caige and Cru Moore to dance to songs ranging from Lizzo to the NFL theme songs – one of their most popular videos. The NFL theme dance has reached over 6 million views.
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To help them create the videos, Caige’s oldest daughter will suggest trends for them to do, along with help from Renna’s childhood friend – and Cru’s wife – Lynsey Moore, who creates choreography that fits the group’s style.
“She will either dumb down some of these dances so that we can actually physically do them, or she kind of alters them a little and then is the one yelling at us for an hour straight to get it together and be in sync,” Renna said.
The group also has had some behind-the-scenes drama. Renna joked, saying, “Caige tries to upstage me constantly. And I have to constantly have words with him that I’m the lead dancer and to stay in his lane. [Whereas Cru is] lackluster half the time.”
When he’s not dancing on TikTok, Renna often spends time with his sons Flynn and Liam. While the pair are three years apart and “roughous[ing] constantly,” “They won’t go anywhere without each other.”
While many former child actors struggle to have a “normal” adult life, Renna credits his family for helping him escape the “Hollywood curse” that often follows child stars.
“I’m lucky I came from a great family who gave me a solid foundation,” he told Fox News. “I didn’t switch schools when I started acting and I kept the same friends. I remember I tried for a semester to go to a different school and that didn’t go over so well. My parents gave me as normal of a childhood as possible, so any kind of celebrity never got to my head.”
Most know Renna from his role as Hamilton “Ham” Porter in SANDLOT. Like their father, the actor’s sons Flynn and Liam are also big into sports.
“[Liam is] already starting to kick to soccer ball hard and he’s got that sort of aggressive nature you need to have to excel in sports,” Renna explained.
Flynn, meanwhile, has gotten into baseball and dragged his dad with him, who decided to coach his son’s team.
“He won’t go now to baseball unless I’m coaching. So now I’m just locked in forever,” Renna said.
Movieguide® previously reported on Renna:
THE SANDLOT actor Patrick Renna and wife, Jasmin Renna, welcomed their second son Liam on June 6, 2020.
“May I introduce Liam James Renna. Born June 6, 2020. 7lbs. 14oz,” Renna said on Instagram.
Renna is most popular for his role as Ham in the 1993 baseball flick.
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