Uncovering the Human Side of Muhammad Ali in Prime’s ‘The Greatest’
Newsweek · H. Alan Scott ·
Actor Jaalen Best and creator Ben Watkins discuss the immense pressure of portraying the iconic boxer in new series.
Portraying any real-life figure is a daunting task for an actor. To do it with the explicit blessing of the subject’s family adds an entirely different level of pressure to get it absolutely right. For Jaalen Best, who portrays boxing champion Muhammad Ali in the new Prime original series The Greatest, that immense weight was felt every single day on set.
"I think truthfully I was just able to be grounded into my performance so much that whenever I felt anxiety or whenever I felt stressed during the scene, it was probably because maybe that's what he felt in that moment as well," Best tells Newsweek.
Stepping into the ring as the most recognizable sports figure in human history requires a special kind of stamina. Best had to find a way to manage the sheer anxiety of playing a global legend while doing justice to a man beloved by millions. The actor knew his performance would be watched closely by the people who actually lived with and loved the man behind the myth.
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