Keith McCready - Part 3 (“It’s Like a Nightmare, Isn’t It?” – The Color of Money Years)
In this third installment of our four-part Legends of the Cue conversation with the legendary Keith McCready, we dive into one of the most fascinating chapters of his extraordinary life — his unforgettable role as Grady Seasons in Martin Scorsese’s 1986 classic, The Color of Money.
Keith takes us behind the scenes of how a real pool hustler from the road found himself sharing the screen — and trading lines — with Paul Newman and a young Tom Cruise. From a serendipitous encounter at the 1985 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in Norfolk, Virginia, to a whirlwind Hollywood audition, Keith recounts how his fiery personality, quick wit, and unmistakable flair caught the eye of Scorsese and his casting team.
Listeners will hear incredible first-hand stories about life on the movie set — helping Cruise look more like a real pool player, watching Newman prepare for his Oscar-winning performance, and the chaos of shooting pool scenes that sometimes took 37 takes to perfect. Keith’s memories spill out with his trademark humor and honesty — from “borrowing” a few cues on set to the moment his ad-libbed line became one of the film’s most quotable.
But this episode isn’t just about Hollywood magic. It’s about the crossroads of pool and pop culture — and how The Color of Money reignited America’s love affair with the game. Keith reflects on the movie’s lasting legacy, his brush with fame, and how the hustler’s life and the Hollywood spotlight briefly collided in a way that only “Earthquake McCready” could make happen.
A must-listen for any fan of the film or the golden age of pool.
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Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”
Pool Professional
Keith “Earthquake” McCready, also known to many fans as “El Diablo”, is one of pool’s most unforgettable originals: a fearless shot-maker, a born entertainer, and a road-seasoned money player whose life story feels like it was written for the movies… because, in a way, it was. Born on April 9, 1957, in Elmhurst, Illinois, McCready’s early years became a collision of natural talent, turbulence, and survival, with pool providing both a refuge and a proving ground.
In the four-part Legends of the Cue conversation, Keith’s beginnings come through as equal parts gritty and mythic: a kid learning to navigate grown-up environments far too young, discovering that a cue, a table, and a fearless heart could open doors, or start fires. The story traces his move to Southern California and the formative years that followed: the childhood runouts, the early gambling, and the immersion into a West Coast poolroom culture that was as much apprenticeship as it was trial-by-combat. By the time most kids were worrying about school and sports, Keith was learning to compete under pressure, to read people as well as angles, and to understand that in certain rooms the score wasn’t the only thing being wagered.
Part of what makes McCready’s story so compelling is that it’s not a tidy rise, it’s a raw one. He describes a life shaped by loss and instability, and he talks openly about how pool became an anchor during times when not much else felt steady. In those early years, he encountered larger-than-life characters and influences who left permanent marks on his approach to the g…Read More