Mahershala Ali Lands Role As Legendary Boxer Jack Johnson In HBO Limited Series

Mahershala Ali Lands Role As Legendary Boxer Jack Johnson In HBO Limited Series

‘Green Book’ actor Mahershala Ali has just inked his latest role!

This time, he’ll star in HBO’s upcoming TV series titled “Unruly.” The six-part special, centered on the life of boxing legend Jack Johnson, is described as:

“an unapologetically Black, no-holds-barred telling of Johnson’s life. The first-ever Black heavyweight boxing champion, the show would follow Johnson’s rise to greatness and the costs he paid for his skin color and defiance.”

The series is based on Ken Burns’s PBS documentary “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson” and the book by Geoffrey C. Ward of the same name. The show was originally in development back in 2013 with Beau Willimon writing the series. Dominique Morisseau will now be the writer and executive producer on the show. Mahershala Ali will also produce a portion of the series with Tom Hanks.

This isn’t Mahershala Ali’s first time playing the boxer. He previously portrayed the all-star athlete in a stage production of The Great White Hope in 2000. He’s also no stranger to HBO as he worked with the network on “True Detective,” with earned him an Emmy nomination.

Mahershala’s other TV roles include “Ramy” and “Luke Cage.” Mahershala notably won two Oscars for his roles in both Moonlight and Green Book.

What are your thoughts on Mahershala Ali playing Jack Johnson? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.