Muhammad Ali‘s widow, Lonnie Ali, got pretty personal with Amazon‘s upfront crowd on Monday. Introduced by Michael B. Jordan, who is producing a series about her late husband’s formative years, Lonnie provided what the kids call “TMI.”
During the event, the pair spoke about casting Jaalen Best (All American: Homecoming, Magnum P.I. and American Horror Stories) to portray the late professional boxer and global icon in Prime Video‘s The Greatest.
“It had to be a very special person to play that part. And we knew from the star that whoever plays Ali has got to be Ali,” Lonnie said. “He has to have the courage, the conviction, the heart, he has to have the looks, all of it, you know, he has to have the looks, Muhammad was pretty. We searched everywhere, had to have the package, as they say.”
After Jordan, as well as the room, laughed in response, she added, “Really, he did. He really did.”
“He was the man, right? He was the man. So we needed the man,” Lonnie continued. “We looked high and low, but I’m telling you, Muhammad would be so proud, so proud of this young man. I can’t wait for you to meet Jaalen Best.”
The scripted drama will explore the life of the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. “The amazing victories and defeats that made Ali a legend, both in and out of the ring, have been well documented and while those landmark events will live in The Greatest, the heartbeat of the story is fueled by all the moments that took place outside of the spotlight. The world remembers an icon, but The Greatest is about a man, a husband, a father, a brother, and a son,” Prime Video previously shared of the series.
Jordan is executive producing alongside Lonnie, Ben Watkins (who is also serving as showrunner), Elizabeth Raposo, Corey Salter, Marc Rosen and Matthew Gross. Additional executive producers include Roc Nation, Michele Anthony, Boyd Muir, David Blackman and Josh Wakely. Muhammad’s estate is also signed on to the series.
A release date for The Greatest has yet to be announced.
Katie Kilkenny contributed reporting.
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