‘The Underdoggs’ Star Tika Sumpter Gushes Over Working With ‘Good Human’ Snoop Dogg (Exclusive)

Tika Sumpter has made a name for herself in Hollywood as she starred in the Ride Along films, the Sonic the Hedgehog films and the BET television series The Have and the Have Nots from 2013 to 2021. The 43-year-old is now hitting the football field as she’s starring in the Prime Video film The Underdoggs with Snoop Dogg. PopCulture.com spoke to Sumpter about the film and her time working alongside the 16-time Grammy-nominated artist. 

“It was amazing,” Sumpter told PopCulture. “Snoop is one of the kindest, most culturally-threaded person ever. It’s weird ’cause certain people have really bad attitudes, and Snoop could have a bad attitude if he wanted to. He doesn’t. He’s just a really kind, easy person to be around and just so honest and funny, so he always makes it easy to be around him. Whether you’re having a drink or you’re hanging out and just talking about nothing, the world, whatever, he’s just a really good person, a good human.”

Sumpter plays Cherise in The Underdoggs, who has a long history with Jaycen “Two Js” Jennings (Snoop Dogg). “Cherise is a single mom raising a little boy who has lost his way a little bit, but she’s also a woman who is driven and wants to help her community and works at a clinic and just wants to do right by child and herself, ultimately,” Sumpter said. “She’s the past girlfriend of Two Js in high school and is definitely surprised when he comes back.”

The Underdoggs is based on Snoop’s journey of being a youth football coach and creating the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL). Sumpter admits that she’s not a big football fan but loved the story, Snoop and directed Charles Stone. 

“I would be lying if I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I love the Steelers!’ My husband’s from Pennsylvania, so I kind of have to love the Steelers, but I don’t really know anybody else,” she explained. “I used to watch more sports. I don’t now, unfortunately. I was a cheerleader when I was younger. …What made me want to do the movie was one, I love the script. I love Snoop. I love Charles Stone, Amazon’s great. So it all worked and they made it happen, and I love the end result.”

The Underdoggs is now streaming on Prime Video.