Fernando Decillis/PEACOCK
More remarkably so, it’s a story rooted in historical significance.
Alis big fight became a cultural milestone for Atlanta, cementing the citys rise as the Black Mecca.
And for Atlanta native Ogbonna, its deeply personal.
Kevin Hart and Don Cheadle in ‘Fight Night’.Fernando Decillis/PEACOCK
The funny thing for me was finding my own connections to the real events, the creator-showrunner-writer tellsEntertainment Weekly.
I felt a duty to tell this story and to inform people that I’m a product of this.
He talks about those connections and more below.
Samuel L. Jackson in ‘Fight Night’.Fernando Decillis/PEACOCK
I know Samuel L. Jackson was in Atlanta when this happened and mightve known some folks.
So the funny thing for me was finding my own personal connections to the real events.
They were all coming of age around the time when it happened.
Taraji P. Henson in ‘Fight Night’.Fernando Decillis/PEACOCK
These types of localized African American and POC stories tend to get told orally.
You don’t find ‘em in books.
What were some of the insights you were able to glean from them?
Terrence Howard in ‘Fight Night’.Fernando Decillis/PEACOCK
The one thing I felt that the podcast didn’t really get an opportunity to explore was the robbers.
The robbers are just names.
A lot of these people didn’t make it, and there isn’t a lot of story there.
It was important to me to tell the community story, even from their perspective.
I found more personal, actual connections to not only the people that were involved, but the assailants.
Don and Kevin have such great chemistry.
How much of their banter was improvised?
It was a mix.
For the most part, they stuck to the script, but there are definitely moments.
It’s just about writing to their voices.
And the thing about Don and Kevin, they already had great chemistry before we even started this.
They already went viral based on their chemistry.
They already have that rapport, so they’re a buddy cop movie waiting to happen.
Kevin is just a master at timing.
It is just a masterclass in chemistry, so that’s a scene where they improv a little bit.
We need to talk about the ’70s wigs.
Im obsessed with Terrences wig.
What was the wig budget?
How many wigs were made for this?
I don’t know the wig budget, but I know the wig budget was significant enough.
Especially wardrobe, wigs, makeup, that’s when people call BS.
What I love about our cast is that they’re so collaborative.
Don and Sam, and obviously Terrence and Taraji, were in on those choices.
That was a part of building their characters.
Terrence, man, he’s an artist, and that wig was part of the character.
He took it and ran with it, and I love that.
Speaking of Terrence, his character is revealed to be the mastermind.
There were three men indicted, but none with this particular name.
Was there a real Cadillac Richie?
There is a real Cadillac Richie.
I don’t think it was ever adjudicated.
I haven’t looked at the research in a while.
The one thing I do know is that Frank Moten and JD believed that it was Cadillac Richie.
The real Cadillac Richie ended up not making it.
Cadillac Richie was more of a kind of independent, stickup kid.
He was actually more a little bit like Willie Black.
Cadillac Richie came to the fight.
He did not come with Frank, and then left early to forge an alibi.
So we just took that and just added more meat to that bone.
When [we got] Terrence Howard, it really gave us an opportunity.
Youve called the series a love letter to Atlanta.
What do you hope folks take from this history lesson?
I want people to be entertained, number one.
This is such an American show from an African American perspective, told in a mainstream genre way.
One thing that was really important to me is that almost every character owns their own business.
They’re all after the American dream.
They aren’t a stereotype.
Even if they’re doing something wrong, there’s something interesting behind it.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
All episodes ofFight Nightare streaming now on Peacock.
