Michael K. Williams, famed actor from hit shoe The Wire and Boardwalk Empire, has been added to the cast of the upcoming yet-to-be-titled George Foreman biopic. Deadline recently reported that the five time Emmy nominated actor is set to play Foreman’s trainer and mentor Doc Broadus, who helped the boxer rise to champion status. George Tillman directs the film under Sony’s AFFIRM Films Label.
The film will follow the life and career of George Foreman, from being a high school dropout to becoming an Olympic Gold medalist, fighting Muhammad Ali at The Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire, retiring at the age of 28 to become a preacher to then glove up once again to gain the title of heavyweight champion at age 45 – the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history.
Broadus was a mainstay in Foreman’s life, being the catalyst in the troubled teens life when he joined the Job Corps after dropping out of high school. Just one year after training Foreman, Broadus was able to turn the teens life around, making him the Gold Medal winner in the 1968 Olympics heavyweight division. Broadus continued to work by the boxers side for the entirety of his career – present at every fight – becoming more of a father figure as the years went on.
Williams joins the talented cast of the George Foreman biopic that includes; Khris Davis (Detroit, Judas and the Black Messiah, Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Sullivan Jones (The Surrogate). Davis will play Muhammad Ali. Frank Baldwin and Tillman Jr. penned the script with an original screenplay by Dan Gordon. Mandalay Pictures’ Peter Guber and David Zelon are producing.
Michael K. Williams broke onto the scene with his stellar performance as Omar Little on HBO’s The Wire. He went on to play an equally impressive character as Albert “Chalky” White on Boardwalk Empire. Williams has also starred in 2015’s Bessie (2015), 2016’s The Night Of , When They See Us, and Lovecraft Country. Williams can also be seen alongside Letitia Wright in the upcoming Bron Studios’ feature Surrounded.
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