He Lievs to fight another day
Star inspired by the real ‘Rocky’
THE IDEA OF playing the real-life inspiration for “Rocky” initially didn’t pack much of a punch for Liev Schreiber.
The actor — known for his roles in the Oscar-winning “Spotlight” and the TV crime drama series “Ray Donovan” — admits he wasn’t excited about doing a sports movie when he was first approached about “Chuck,” a film about troubled heavyweight contender Chuck Wepner.
The New Jersey-bred boxer, known as “The Bayonne Bleeder” for his ability to take a punch despite getting routinely bloodied by opponents, became a folk hero after he defied the odds and lasted nearly 15 rounds against Muhammad Ali in a 1975 title bout in Cleveland.
But as Schreiber, 49, learned more about Wepner’s story — including his struggles with drugs and alcohol after his sudden brush with fame — the actor grew intrigued about playing Wepner in the biopic, which opens Friday.
“What really grabbed me about ‘Chuck’ was the pitfall of celebrity and fame,” Schreiber told the Daily News.
“His was a kind of cautionary tale about the dangers of that particular kind of narcissism — the desire to be loved by the anonymous mob and not the individuals to whom we are truly connected, which is something I think a lot of people can relate to.”
Wepner, who retired in 1978 with a mediocre 35-14-2 record (17 KOs), learned to fight on the streets of Bayonne. A former Marine and bar bouncer, he was supposed to be an easy payday for Ali when he was picked to be the heavyweight champ’s unlikely opponent.
But despite a broken nose and cuts above both eyes, Wepner showed plenty of heart — even scoring a rare knockdown against Ali.
Many — including Wepner — believe Sylvester Stallone wrote “Rocky” after watching that fight, though the actor has never confirmed the connection. Schreiber said he’s not so sure Wepner served as the sole inspiration for the character of Rocky Balboa, though he does believe he had an influence. “Honestly, I really think Rocky Balboa is an amalgam of many fighters who typify what Sly was after,” Schreiber said. “That fighter was a metaphor for his own artistic ambitions, his own story as an artist. “I’m pretty sure that Chuck . . . was part of that amalgam,” he continued. “I’m fairly certain Chuck’s fight in Cleveland made a huge impression on Sly.” (Wepner, now 78, sued Stallone in 2003 for using his story, and they settled for an undisclosed amount three years later.) To get into character, Schreiber — a longtime boxing fan — hung out with the real Wepner and even attended a fight at Madison Square Garden with him. Schreiber also practiced sparring at gyms in New York and Los Angeles with his “Ray Donovan” co-star Pooch Hall, who plays Ali in “Chuck.”
The two had sparred before to train for their Showtime series and were so familiar with each other’s moves that they could actually make contact without hurting each other.
Still, Schreiber says he took around 800 punches during production.
“By the end of the fourth day of shooting, I wasn’t seeing so good, but I think it was worth it,” Schreiber joked.
Much of “Chuck” takes place outside the ring, though. The movie shows Wepner getting thrust into the hard-partying scene after his fight with Ali made him a household name, leading to issues with cocaine and alcohol.
Due to his demons, Wepner’s second wife left him, his relationship with his daughter deteriorated, and in the late 1980s he served 26 months in prison for selling drugs.
“The minute we start to believe that lie that we’re the most interesting person in the room, we’re done for,” Schreiber said. “Chuck finds that out in a really painful way.”
Much like his time in the ring, however, Wepner managed to survive the punches and get his life back on track. He settled down after his release, found a new wife and reconciled with his daughter.
Through it all, Schreiber sees Wepner as a real American hero.
“He takes it on the chin and he keeps coming,” Schreiber said. “I really found that I loved the character, and his fight with Ali is, in many respects, a terrific metaphor for his battle with fame.”