*When Academy Award nominee Hubert Davis set out to reimagine the beloved 1986 hockey classic “Youngblood,” he found his leads in Ashton James and Blair Underwood — two actors equally committed to bringing dimension, vulnerability, and authenticity to a story centered on a Black father and son navigating the world of professional hockey.
The film follows Dean Youngblood, a gifted but arrogant hockey prodigy from Detroit who joins the Hamilton Mustangs in Canada. Raised by his father Blane on discipline and toughness, Dean must confront his own toxic behavior on and off the ice as he wrestles with the kind of man he wants to become. “Youngblood” made its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it earned strong critical acclaim and an enthusiastic reception from audiences.
For James, the priority was making sure Dean never felt like a one-note character.
“It was really important to me to make sure he wasn’t just an angry black boy, that we weren’t continuing to contribute to the stereotypes that had been out there,” he said.
James and director spent considerable time in conversation, working to ensure Dean could reflect during his more volatile moments and remain someone audiences could follow throughout his journey.
Scroll to continue reading
Underwood, who plays Dean’s father Blane, shared that same instinct going into the role. The two actors rehearsed only twice — once over Zoom — before relying on presence and openness on camera to build their dynamic.
“All you have to do is listen to him, look at him, feel him,” Underwood said. “That’s what we do as actors, you know, open yourself up to the process and what’s happening in front of you.”
Underwood described the role as personally resonant, drawing directly from his own experience as a father.
“To show a black family, two black men, father and son, and to show the nuances of that in this world of hockey, we don’t get to play in that world too often in cinema,” he said.
The representation of a complex Black family dynamic within a sport rarely seen through that lens was a major draw for him.
The relationship between Blane and Dean sits at the heart of the film — a bond defined by love that is, as Underwood put it, “tough love and it’s complicated love and it’s often misunderstood love.”
James echoed that interpretation, noting that Blane’s influence over Dean only runs as deep as it does because of the genuine love beneath it. “If he didn’t infuse so much love in it, it wouldn’t affect Dean so strongly,” James said.
To prepare physically for the role, James trained both in the gym and on the ice, telling his trainer to treat him as an athlete preparing for the pros rather than an actor. The first workout left its mark.
“As soon as we were done the first workout, I just slowly walked to the bathroom and I was like throwing up for like five minutes,” he recalled.
When asked what he hopes audiences take away from Dean’s journey, James pointed to something universal.
“We are always in process and there’s always space to figure out who we are,” he said. “I think the question of, would my inner child want to hang out with me, and then hopefully they can connect to something like that.”
Watch our conversation with Blair and Ashton in the clip below.
“Youngblood” arrives in North American theaters on March 6.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Blair Underwood Joins Nia Long and Larenz Tate in Netflix Romance ‘Don’t Ever Wonder’
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
