Former New York City mayor Eric Adams may be settling into life outside City Hall, but he already has casting ideas if Hollywood ever comes calling.
While passing through Los Angeles this week, Adams was asked a lighthearted question that has followed many political figures after leaving office: if his life were turned into a movie, who should play him?
His answer came easily.
“I’ll tell Denzel to do it,” Adams joked to TMZ.
The comment came during a quick conversation with reporters at LAX, where Adams reflected on what life has looked like since stepping away from one of the most demanding political jobs in the country. Though he joked about casting two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, Adams made it clear he has no interest in chasing Hollywood himself.
“Nah. No,” he said when asked if he’d ever consider going into entertainment. “I’ve done enough public life.”
Instead, Adams says he’s been enjoying a different pace of life after years in politics, though his mornings look pretty familiar.
“I still get up early. I still do my meditation, my breathing, my exercise,” he explained. “I drink my green smoothie, and then I go through all the businesses.”
These days, Adams says he’s working with companies and advising cities, helping them modernize systems and apply lessons he learned while leading New York City.
“I’m dealing with a bunch of businesses now,” he said. “I’m really helping cities modernize what they’re doing, and it’s really a pleasure using that experience.”
The work has also taken him far beyond New York. Adams said he’s been traveling frequently since leaving office.
“Out of the two months I’ve been out of office, I’ve been in the city about 10 days,” he said.
Even as he embraces his new chapter, Adams still has thoughts about the job he left behind. When asked how current mayor Zohran Mamdani is doing, Adams offered a measured response that sounded a lot like advice from someone who has already walked that path.
“I say to him over and over every morning, idealism collides with realism,” Adams said. “The idealistic approach isn’t always the real approach. Government is real.”
Adams also briefly addressed rising tensions in the Middle East, warning that the U.S. should not underestimate Iran’s threats.
“I’m surprised that many people forgot what Iran has done,” he said. “Anyone who calls ‘death to America,’ you better get them first.”
Whether that movie about his life ever gets made is another question entirely. But if Adams has his way, the role already belongs to one of the most respected actors of a generation.
