Kevin Hart’s true crime limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” premiered on Peacock Thursday, complete with a star-studded cast.
The eight-episode limited series follows the true story of Muhammad Ali’s 1970 return to boxing and an after party that led to the one of the largest heists in Atlanta history. Determined to make Atlanta the Black Mecca of the United States, Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams (Hart) finds himself stuck between established gangsters and calculated robbers.
The series is based on an iHeart Radio true-crime podcast “Fight Night,” created and hosted by Jeff Keating. Will Packer Media produced the podcast and also executive produced the series along with Hartbeat Productions.
Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle and Taraji P. Henson join Hart in bringing this true story to life on screen. Read on for the full cast list and a description of the real world characters they depict.
Kevin Hart as Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams
Hart takes a step away from comedy, starring as the Atlanta hustler “Chicken Man” in the crime series. When a crew of big money players floods into Atlanta for the Muhammad Ali fight, Chicken takes advantage of that attention to bring wealth and notoriety to his city. His goal is to create a Black Mecca in Atlanta, and he sees gangster Frank Moten and his crew as the ticket in. Hart executive produced “Fight Night” with his production company Hartbeat. The comedian is best known for his acting roles in “Jumanji,” “Night School” and “Ride Along.”
Don Cheadle as J.D. Hudson
The Academy Award nominee plays J.D. Hudson, one of the first Black cops appointed to the police force in Atlanta. Det. Hudson served as Ali’s bodyguard for the 1970 fight against Jerry Quarry and was later appointed as the lead detective on the armed robbery case. Cheadle is best known for his role as James Rhodes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the “Iron Man” franchise and “Avengers: Infinity War.” He has also appeared in “Hotel Rwanda” and “Crash.”
Samuel L. Jackson as Frank Moten
The “Django” actor plays New York gangster Frank Moten. Moten is one of the most powerful Black gangsters in the country and comes to town for the Ali fight. After attending an after party with an invite from Chicken, he finds himself in an unusually tricky situation. Jackson, the highest grossing actor of all time with his titles raking in $5.8 billion domestically, is best known for his roles in “Pulp Fiction,” “Jurassic Park” and as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Taraji P. Henson as Vivian Thomas
The “Empire” star plays Vivian Thomas, who she calls Chicken’s “partner with benefits.” The two of them run the hustling scene in Atlanta and team up to throw the best after party for Ali’s fight. Henson is best known for her roles in “Hidden Figures,” “The Color Purple” and “Hustle & Flow.” The actress previously worked with “Fight Night” executive producer Will Packer. She was also nominated for an Oscar for her role in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
Terrence Howard as Cadillac Richie
The Academy Award nominee plays Cadillac Richie, a New Jersey gangster and colleague of Frank Moten. Howard has worked with several members of the “Fight Night” cast in the past. He co-starred opposite Henson in “Empire” and for his Oscar-nominated performance in “Hustle & Flow” and later passed off his role as James Rhodes in the MCU to Cheadle. Howard is best known for his performances in the first “Iron Man” and “Crash.”
Chloe Bailey as Lena
The singer and actress stars as Lena, a significant player in the armed robbery heist on the night of Ali’s 1970 fight. Bailey rose to fame as one half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle. The two released two studio albums together and have since gone on to amicably pursue separate careers in both acting and music. Bailey recently starred in Peacock original movie “Praise This.”
Dexter Darden as Muhammad Ali
Darden plays one of the greatest boxers of all time and the catalyst for the armed robbery, Muhammad Ali. After intense scrutiny for refusing to enlist in the Vietnam draft, Ali agreed to fight Jerry Quarry in Atlanta despite national discontent with him. J.D. Hudson (Cheadle) is assigned to be Ali’s bodyguard. Darden is best known for his role as Frypan in the “Maze Runner” franchise.
Sinqua Walls as McKinley (Mac) Rogers
Walls plays Mac, one of the orchestrators of the armed robbery. As one of the heist’s ring leaders, he is protective over his co-conspirators and his family back home. The actor was a recurring guest star on “Teen Wolf,” “Friday Night Lights” and “Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Most recently Walls played Kamal in the 2023 Hulu remake of “White Men Can’t Jump.”
Myles Bullock as Willie Black
Bullock plays one of the armed robbers, Willie Black. He joins Mac and several others to orchestrate the iconic “million dollar heist.” The actor performed alongside Rogers in the 2023 “White Men Can’t Jump” and performed in the Starz Black mafia drama “BMF.”
Artrece Johnson as Faye Williams
Johnson plays Chicken Man’s wife and mother of three, Faye Williams. The star is a grounding force amidst all of the chaos of the heist. She protects her family and children above all else and is lenient to a point with Chicken’s antics. Johnson has appeared in episodes of “Law & Order: SVU,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and “P-Valley.”
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