.jpg "How to Claim Your Cut of Apple’s 0 Million Siri Settlement")
Big George Foreman is a gripping retelling of the life and times of two-time world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman. From his troubled childhood to his unbelievable return to boxing stardom in his 40s, George Foreman has lived a life ripe for exploration on the big screen. The film also sheds light on Foreman’s work as both a preacher and a community advocate; Foreman opened a youth center in Houston, Texas that is active to this day.
George Foreman himself served as an Executive Producer on Big George Foreman, helping to ensure the film’s accuracy and relevance. As Executive Producer, Foreman offered sage advice to Khris Davis, the actor playing him in the film, and collaborated with director George Tillman Jr. on his work as well. Ultimately, the fact that Foreman himself participated in Big George Foreman helps every punch and emotional blow in this biographical boxing movie land with even more weight.
George Foreman spoke with Screen Rant about his advice to Big George Foreman star Khris Davis, the parts of the film that impacted him most, and more.
George Foreman on Big George Foreman
Screen Rant: In any movie about someone’s life, I think things can be changed and smoothed out to make it more of a [traditional] movie. Was there anything that you wanted to make sure was as accurate to your life as possible?
George Foreman: Well, the movie is really about Hollywood. There’s so many things that were taken out of the movie, and you know what, I wish that had been taken out of my life as well. It was a good experience. They showed the journey in art as best it could be presented. I’m happy with the movie because it entertained me. Can you imagine [that] all the things that have happened to you can become entertaining after a while? That’s what I found.
What moment in the film was the most powerful for you to see re-enacted?
George Foreman: I saw the young boy, the young George Foreman, moving into these houses with these rusty old refrigerators and stoves. People left them behind because they didn’t work. I’d forgotten those things in my life, because you start thinking about income tax, paying bills, trying to meet this [and that], and you forget about what [you] had really come from. I cried when I saw that boy.
Khris Davis did such a great job playing you as well. Did you have any conversations with him or advice for him as the movie was being made?
George Foreman: Yeah, I met Khris Davis. What an observant person he was. He looked at me. I even looked him in the eye. I said, “Keep looking at me until you see me,” and I guess he said, “What is this guy doing?”
I taught him about rage, and what rage [really] was. I didn’t just hit the bag, I tried to destroy the bag. He took it and went to work with it. Khris Davis; great actor.
I think whether or not people know about boxing, they’re going to be so inspired seeing your story. What do you think it is about you that has let you persevere and accomplish all the things that you have?
George Foreman: When you come from such little… like I’ve told everybody all day, I didn’t have hope. Can you imagine living in this life without hope? I did, that way. I didn’t find hope until later on in life. [For] those who don’t have hope, if they can see my life, they’ll realize they can do anything.
I can’t imagine this is the first time someone’s tried to make a movie about you. Were there projects that you turned down before this came along?
George Foreman: A lot of projects were started, and it wasn’t about me, because I had too much of my story to tell on. But then you look back, you get bigger than everything that has happened to you, and it’s time to reveal those secrets. It’s not easy to reveal secrets, things that you try to hide from, but they are played out in a movie, in art, and I was able to sit there and say, “This is the right time.”
About Big George Foreman
Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World is based on the remarkable true story of one of the greatest comebacks of all time and the transformational power of second chances. Fueled by an impoverished childhood, Foreman channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit. But when he sees his community struggling spiritually and financially, Foreman returns to the ring and makes history by reclaiming his title, becoming the oldest and most improbable World Heavyweight Boxing Champion ever.
Check back soon for our other Big George Foreman interviews:
- Khris Davis (George Foreman)
- Forest Whitaker (Doc Broadus)
- George Tillman Jr. (Director/co-writer)
Big George Foreman will be released in theaters on April 28th.
