*Presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris might have one more accomplishment to add to her long list of wins. “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” producer Will Packer reveals that she is the catalyst for Don Cheadle starring in the popular series.
“Don and I were having dinner with VP Kamala Harris,” reveals Packer. “It was a group of Black men, and we were talking about her and her agenda and how we can support her. And in that dinner, we said, you know what? We haven’t worked together. Let’s figure something out. She and that dinner was the impetus for Don and I to try to work together.”
In case you missed the riveting star-studded series, you can catch it now on Peacock. The critically acclaimed crime show imagines the true story of what happens after Muhammad Ali wins a fight against Jerry Quarry when hundreds of people are robbed at his after-party in a massive armed robbery.
The leading cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Dexter Darden, Cheadle, Kevin Hart, Terrence Howard, and Taraji P. Henson.
Producer Will Packer and Don Cheadle sat down with Radio/TV personality Jazmyn Summers to chop it up about the series, their love lives, and more:
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PRODUCE “FIGHT NIGHT?”
Packer: “I was pitched this project many, many years ago. I thought the storyline was incredible. I hadn’t heard of it. I said, are you kidding me? This actually happened in Atlanta. So, at the end of the day, my job as a producer is to try to get really important, entertaining content together with the absolute best talent that I can get my hands on.”
DON, TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER. SOMETIMES HE GETS A LITTLE SHADY AND DOESN’T ALWAYS FOLLOW THE LAW.
Cheadle: “He was one of the first Black detectives, and one of the first Black officers to be on the force. He’s kind of a throwback.. He’s trying to figure out who he’s going to be in this new paradigm of this burgeoning Black city, and where he’s going to fit with his particular moral code and the way he wants to go about his job. It was a great opportunity to bring this time back into the forefront—a time of great upheaval. This is 1970, the Civil Rights Act was just passed and we’re in the South. So, there’s a lot of things at work here.”
EVERYONE WHO’S SEEN IT SAYS IT’S BINGE-WORTHY.
Packer: “People ask me all the time to give (them) a good show to watch, something (they) can really get into and get invested in. This is that show. It begins with the heist, which is the biggest heist in the history of Georgia, even to today. Then it uncovers and delves into a web of a really complex narrative with some very complex characters, protagonists that are very flawed and antagonists that you root for.”
THERE’S A LITTLE BUZZ GOING ABOUT THE HAIR AND THE DRESS. EVERYBODY IS SWAGGED OUT AND GIVING AUTHENTIC 1970.
Packer: “It was so important to get it right, to have the authenticity because audiences are so discerning these days. Everything from the hair to the wardrobe to the locations, this attention to detail. I’m very proud of the team and what they put together because my job is to give these amazing actors the resources that they need to really embody these characters.”
BOTH OF YOU HAVE BEEN MARRIED A LONG TIME. WHAT’S THE SECRET?
Cheadle: “30 years and counting It’s about listening, putting love first, and being able to apologize. I’m all for ‘happy spouse, happy house.’. People like happy wife, happy life. I’m like happy spouse, happy house.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW IF WE ARE GOING TO SEE YOU DON IN THE NEXT ARMOR WARS?
Cheadle: “We talking about Fight Night now”
Check out the full conversation in the video above. You’ll see Don and Will beefing – all in fun of course. It’s too funny.
Article by Jazmyn Summers. You can subscribe to Jazmyn Summers YouTube and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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