*Deborah Ayorinde enters a world where romance, luxury and power come with dangerous strings attached in the new STARZ crime drama produced by 50 Cent, Fightland.
The series follows former heavyweight champion Maduka “Duke” Kilroy, played by Howard Charles, who returns to London after spending eight years in a U.S. prison. Duke is determined to take revenge on former promoter and criminal kingpin Kingsley Marshall, played by Nicholas Pinnock, whom he believes engineered his downfall.
Complicating Duke’s mission is Joy Marshall, Kingsley’s wife and the woman Duke once planned to build a life with.
Ayorinde told EUR that Joy’s greatest struggle is not simply choosing between two powerful men. It is learning who she is without either one of them.
“Joy is a woman who is trying to find herself, but unfortunately, trying to find herself in people—namely these two men that she’s attached to,” Ayorinde explained.
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When viewers meet Joy, she has built an enviable life alongside Kingsley. But the comfort, access and professional opportunities he provides have also become methods of control.
“She’s telling herself a lot of truths to keep hope alive that maybe her love with Duke can be a thing, or to really convince herself that the life that she’s created with Kingsley is not a beautiful prison—when it really is.”
That “beautiful prison” may be the most compelling element of Joy’s story. Kingsley appeared to make her ambitions possible, offering resources, connections and the lifestyle she imagined for herself. Joy eventually begins to recognize that gifts from powerful men rarely arrive without an invoice.
“I think he promised her that he would make her dreams come true—her wildest dreams come true,” Ayorinde said. “But I think what she didn’t consider is the cost of that.”
Duke’s return forces Joy to confront both the life she created and the woman she used to be. He represents home, lost love and a version of herself that existed before betrayal hardened her. However, eight years have passed, and Joy is no longer waiting to be rescued by an old fantasy.
Ayorinde also describes Joy as a woman whose strength is easy to miss.
“Joy has a sort of quiet power and a quiet strength,” she said. “Joy’s power, interestingly enough, is oftentimes found in being underestimated.”
That underestimation could become Joy’s greatest advantage. While Duke and Kingsley wage their battle through violence, money and influence, Joy understands the power of allowing others to believe she is less aware—and less dangerous—than she actually is.
Fightland premieres Friday, July 31, streaming on STARZ.
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her socials @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-Thu on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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