Buffs Tennis Alums Manzi, Johnson Appear In Hit Movie 'King Richard'
May 21, 2022 | Tennis, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — It might not have been a complete "15 minutes of fame," but former Colorado tennis standout Carla Manzi and her husband, Richard Johnson, are nevertheless still enjoying their brief volley with the world of the big screen.
The two both make appearances in the critically acclaimed movie "King Richard," the biopic of Richard Williams, whose determination and resilience helped turn his daughters Venus and Serena into two of the greatest women's tennis players in history.
Manzi, who played at CU from 2010 through 2014, appears in the movie's crucial final scene as a pro player warming up on a court adjacent to the one where Venus Williams makes her pro debut against then-top-ranked Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
a future Buff.
Johnson, who played collegiately at Pepperdine before serving a year at CU as a volunteer assistant coach, has a brief appearance as Venus' hitting coach.
Both spent a long day of filming in Los Angeles for their scenes, the result of a "friend of a friend" encounter while living in the area during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"They needed players who were proficient at tennis, at least at the college or pro level," Johnson said. "We looked into it and ended up doing it."
But a few days before they were scheduled to be part of filming, they both realized they hadn't been brushing up on their games — so they spent several days on the court, practicing and preparing.
"I was nervous," Manzi said with a laugh. "I hadn't been playing much tennis and didn't know I would be part of the movie until the last minute."
Both have strong backgrounds in tennis.
Manzi was a highly ranked junior player in Colombia before being recruited to CU, where she was a four-year letterwinner while racking up 110 combined doubles and singles wins, 20th on Colorado's all-time list.
Johnson, a two-time Colorado state prep champion at Fruita, played on Pepperdine's 2006 national championship team. When he graduated and began his pursuit of a law degree at CU, he also picked up a position as a volunteer coach with the Buffs.
But neither of them ever envisioned a moment when their tennis skills would lead to an appearance in a movie — especially one that earned six Oscar nominations and earned its star, Will Smith, a Best Actor award.
Both said one of the more impressive aspects of the movie was the director's insistence upon providing an accurate portrayal of the 1990s era of tennis — right down to the rackets used and the outfits worn by the players.
Thus, they went through a day of custom fitting for the attire they wore in the movie.
"That was really fun," Manzi said. "We got to wear what the pros were wearing back then."
For Johnson, it was an opportunity to use a racket that is believed to have once been used by tennis great Pete Sampras.
"That was very cool," Johnson said. "He was my idol when I was growing up."
The two also learned how much time can go into producing what ends up being just a few seconds in the movie. Both spent all day at the shooting of the final scene, with Johnson working with actress Sanniya Sidney (who portrayed Venus Williams) and Manzi warming up over and over and over on the court next to the centerpiece moment.
The end result?
Johnson's appearance in the movie is whittled down to a few seconds; Manzi's time amounts to a few minutes.
"I didn't even get 15 seconds of fame," Johnson chuckled.
Still, they both say the time and effort they invested was well worth it. Being even a very small part in such a movie is something they won't soon forget.
"I think it's the best tennis movie ever," Johnson said. "It's a very accurate portrayal of the era — the same style, same clothes, background, rackets, everything. They obviously wanted to make it as authentic as possible."
And, he added, the movie could have a long-lasting impact.
"I think it will inspire another generation of players," Johnson said. "We knew the Williams sisters' story, but it was still inspiring. People who aren't familiar with it will no doubt be inspired. Richard's brilliance and perseverance was amazing."
The couple have now returned to Colorado full time. Manzi, who was an outstanding student at CU, now works as a chemical engineer while Johnson is an attorney.
They also recently expanded their family with the addition of daughter Gabriela.
"She's a future Buff," Manzi proudly proclaimed.
Someday, they will be able to show Gabriela their foray into the movie industry.
"It was really a lot of fun," Manzi said. "It was interesting to see and experience the whole atmosphere and environment. We would definitely do it again if we had the opportunity."