Watkins told Deadline, “It’s a show that’s designed to show you all the stuff that wasn’t in documentaries and isn’t available in terms of watching old fights and old interviews.”
Michael B. Jordan, the Oscar winner for Best Actor from Sinners, and Lonnie Ali, the widow of Muhammad Ali, are both executive producers of The Greatest. There will be eight episodes in the first season of the show.
Naturally, Muhammad Ali’s nickname was “The Greatest,” which he acquired when the former gold medal-winning boxer from the 1960 Olympics, Cassius Clay, went professional and won a heavyweight title.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What Happened | Jaalen Best will portray Muhammad Ali |
| Project | Amazon's The Greatest |
| Main Actor | Jaalen Best |
| Key Figures | Lonnie Ali and Michael B. Jordan |
| Event Location | New York City |
| Event | Amazon Upfront Presentation |
| Season 1 Timeline | 1960 to 1964 |
| Story Focus | Muhammad Ali's early life and boxing career |
Jaalen Best Cast as Young Muhammad Ali
Lonnie Ali and Jordan presented Jaalen Best, who will portray Clay/Muhammad Ali during the boxer’s early years, during Amazon’s Upfront presentation in New York City in May.
Lonnie Ali stood next to Jordan and presented Best to the audience, saying, “We knew from the beginning that whoever plays Ali has to be Ali” (via The Trade Media). “He must possess the heart, the courage, and the conviction.”
He must be attractive. Everything. Muhammad was attractive.
Lonnie Ali Praises Jaalen Best’s Casting
Acting is quite new to Jaalen Best. In 2022, he had a short part in American Horror Stories on the FX Network; in 2023, he recurred in three episodes of the CW sports drama All American: Homecoming; and in 2023, he made a brief cameo in the action series Magnum: PI on CBS.
Despite having little screen time, Best managed to become close to Michael B. Jordan and Lonnie Ali while searching the country for a replacement for the boxer.
Jaalen Best Calls Ali Role a Humbling Honor
“I just want to say it’s a complete honor to be standing here and to be introduced by Michael B. Jordan – someone I look up to, not just as an actor, but as a person as well,” Best remarked after giving Ali and Jordan a hug following his introduction.
And to be able to stand behind the legendary Lonnie Ali… I simply wanted to add that I wouldn’t be here on stage without her approval of this part and her faith in me.
