UN-4-GETTABLE!
Film has Black greats meet for an epic night
The actors who embodied Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown in “One Night in Miami” felt the same things competitors did when they’d square off against the sports greats: awe, respect and an understanding of the immense challenge ahead.
The film, which is actress Regina King’s directorial debut, centers on a fictional meeting between Ali, Brown, singer Sam Cooke and Malcolm X and envisions the revelations and tensions that would’ve emerged as the larger-than-life icons discussed issues facing the Black community during the Civil Rights movement.
Eli Goree, who plays Ali, and Aldis Hodge, who plays Brown, were both moved by the drama’s timeless messages.
“For me, it was just about honoring their legacies,” Goree told the Daily News. “I think they gave great perspectives. The different men had different viewpoints, which was so authentic to our community. We aren’t a monolith. We have different ideas, and we think that there are different ways to solve different problems, but we all have the same goal, which is to have our humanity and our dignity appreciated and honored and respected, and to be free to pursue our dreams.”
The movie, out Friday on Amazon Prime Video, takes place on the night in February 1964 when Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, shocked the world by defeating Sonny Liston in a heavyweight title fight in Miami.
At the time, Ali, Brown, Cooke and Malcolm X were each famous figures, yet dealing with the racism of the era in their own ways.
“The film sets the tone for how to positively and progressively debate so we can all reach the same goal together,” Hodge told The News.
“I think it really teaches how to have that conversation, so I hope that it continues to do that. And then for those who would negate the truth of our struggle or think that it’s not real, I hope that they would come to this and understand and learn how to have a sense of empathy, and even look deep inside and say, ‘What can I do to help quash this issue when it comes to inequality within this country, especially for the Black community?’ ”
Playing Ali was a dream come true for Goree, who has long been inspired by the fighter. He went through rigorous training to bulk up and learn how to box.
“It was very intense,” Goree said. “We’d [work] 14- to 16-hour days. There was a real crowd [at the fight scenes]. This was preCOVID. They were real fighters that they hired to play Henry Cooper and Sonny Liston. The body shots were all real . ... It was a grueling time, but it was cool because it felt like a real fight.”
Hodge also put on weight and wore face plumpers to resemble Brown, who was in the prime of his Hall of Fame NFL career with the Cleveland Browns during the mid-1960s.
The actors went the extra mile to make their portrayals feel authentic in the movie, which also stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X and Leslie Odom Jr. as Cooke.
“Every day, we’d all come to the set with new facts about who we were playing and how they tied to one another, so it kind of helped you understand the other character,” Hodge recalled. “I remember watching Kingsley, he kept Malcolm playing in his [earphones] ... all day, and I was like, ‘Hmm, I’m going to do that, too.’ “
The positive reviews and awards-season buzz for “One Night in Miami” have Hodge and Goree both excited.
“There are so many great projects that don’t always get the love,” Hodge said. “When you’re in this position or people do acknowledge or recognize you, you have to realize there’s a rarity to it. So to be in this position is very lucky, even though we put in the work, even though I feel like the crew does deserve this and it’s well earned”