Jon Bernthal learned how to play (and coach) tennis for King Richard

Jon Bernthal was a serious athlete growing up and even spent some time playing semi-pro baseball while he studied acting in Russia. But the Walking Dead, Baby Driver, and Punisher actor was unfamiliar with the sport of tennis until he signed on to play real-life coach Rick Macci opposite Will Smith's Richard Williams (the father of Venus and Serena Williams) in the film King Richard.

"I played baseball and football, I was a boxer, but I definitely didn't play tennis!" says Bernthal. "I trained [as a coach] at the Tennis Academy in Ojai for three or four hours a day, six days a week. It wasn't just learning the game — I got to coach nationally ranked young women and go through the whole process of tournaments."

Below, Bernthal talks about working with Smith, the actor's distinctive look in the film, and whether we'll ever see him play The Punisher again.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was it like working with Will Smith?

JON BERNTHAL: Honestly, I can't say enough good about Will. The word I think about when I think about Will is just generosity. Generosity as an actor, generosity as a human being, generosity as a leader. There was a just a spirit of generosity on this set across the board. Ray (King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green) and Will, they're such positive and loving people. They take the work enormously seriously, it's unbelievably important to them, but when you get there it's light and it's free. I believe that only on sets that foster real freedom of creativity can beautiful filmmaking occur. Will just radiates that. I'm enormously proud to call him a friend.

You've got a very distinctive look in the film.

Every time I walked out of my trailer with my short-shorts and my bowl cut and my mustache, the girls [Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, who play Venus and Serena] just doubled over laughing. They weren't laughing with me, they were laughing at me.

You recently played Tony Soprano's father, Johnny, in The Many Saints of Newark. What was that like?

As an acting student in New York, The Sopranos was everything to me. I begged my agents to be a background actor. I never got my chance. My biggest takeaway from the movie is my relationship with Michael Gandolfini [James' son, who played the young Tony]. He's got a friend for life now.

You're well-known for deeply researching your roles. So did you work in a fish factory for your part in The Unforgivable?

I spent a number of days [there]. My character drives a forklift, so I had to go get a forklift license. Really all I do in the movie is drive back and forth, but I can do a lot with a forklift now!

Do you think we'll ever see you playing the Punisher again?

Look, for me, with Frank, he's part of me, he's in my heart.

That's worrying!

[Laughs] Well, no, man, he's a dad and I understand him, and I have great empathy for him.

I'm pulling your leg.

I know. You're good, brother, you're good. I just think that for me it's not about whether or not they want to do another Punisher, it's about whether they want to do it right. There's a certain sort of darkness that needs to come with a show like that. If you can't do it in that way, I think it's better off not being done. But if you can do it that way, oh my god, I'd throw my hand up in the air. I'd break down walls to be able to do it.

King Richard is screening in cinemas and available to watch on HBO Max.

Watch the trailer for the film above.

A version of this story appears in Entertainment Weekly's January issue, on newsstands now and available to order here. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

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