Ali: An American Hero
| Ali: An American Hero | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jamal Joseph |
| Directed by | Leon Ichaso |
| Starring |
David Ramsey Clarence Williams III Joe Morton Vondie Curtis-Hall Martin Ferrero Antonio Fargas Khalil Kain Earl Boen Aaron Meeks |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Thomas Carter Richard M. Rothstein Ian Sander |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | FOX |
| Original release | August 31, 2000 |
Ali: An American Hero is an American television film which aired on August 31, 2000 on FOX. It chronicles portions of the career of heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, who is portrayed by David Ramsey.[1]
Plot summary
Cassius Clay (David Ramsey), winner of the gold medal for boxing in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics, rises in the professional ranks and defeats heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston in a stunning upset to capture the title in 1964. Controversy surrounds his decision to join the Nation of Islam, his name change from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, his friendship with Malcolm X (Joe Morton), and his conscientious objection to the draft during the Vietnam War. Stripped of his title, he eventually recaptures it in 1974 in the so-called "Rumble in the Jungle"—an epic bout against George Foreman in Zaire.
Cast and crew
- David Ramsey - Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali
- Clarence Williams III - Cassius Clay, Sr.
- Vondie Curtis-Hall - Drew Bundini Brown
- Joe Morton - Malcolm X
- Martin Ferrero - Angelo Dundee
- Aaron Meeks - Young Cassius Clay
- Amani Gethers - Ernie Terrell
- Antonio Fargas - Elijah Muhammad
- Khalil Kain - Rudy Clay / Rahman Ali
- Earl Boen - Howard Cosell
- Joe Lala - Ferdie Pacheco
- Marc Coddette - Sonny Liston
DVD
Ali: An American Hero was released on DVD on January 27, 2004.
References
- ↑ Rebecca Flint Marx. "Ali: An American Hero (2000)". NYTimes.com.
