How did you come to be involved in the film Creed?
The director, Ryan Coogler, had seen me, found me through certain YouTube videos, came over to the country, got to know me and it went from there. It was a crazy phone call when it first happened, they said, ‘Do you want to be in a film with Sylvester Stallone?’ I told them to do one. I thought they were winding me up. Everton had just lost 6-3 to Chelsea, I wasn’t in the mood to be wound up on the phone. It was crazy.
I could be a dud, I could look stupid on camera, I don’t know.
I think the movie will be a success and a great movie, the director is great, a very intelligent boy. But it’s not for me to say, it’s for the movie critics to judge it. Ultimately I did it because I got paid.
How was the experience?
It was crazy, strange but good at the same time, being around Hollywood stars like Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan. I’ll forever be indebted to Ryan Coogler, he’ll be a lifelong friend of mine.
You play a world champion in the film.
Yes, I play “Pretty” Ricky Conlan – obviously I didn’t make that up, highly embarrassing name.
I want to win a world title like in the film, obviously. As a boxer, I want to be a world champion, in the movie I am the champion. Mentally, obviously it makes me want to be that character for real, but I’ve wanted that since I turned professional.
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