‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed just recently joined Ring Magazine to have a discussion on a new biographical film made of him, entitled ‘Giant.’ The film largely covers Hamed’s fighting career and his complicated relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle. Here’s some of what Hamed had to say on the film now that he’s had a chance to see it in light of not being apart of its production. The film, which released today in the UK, is expected to be released Stateside sometime in the first quarter of this year.
Hamed on having a biopic made of him
“I don’t know (if it was a reflection of) my own life because I didn’t really have input in the film, and that’s a very important thing. But yet there are still some things in there that I like and maybe even dislike. But the whole feeling about somebody doing a film about you, I remember finding out for the first time and saying to me wife, ‘listen, it’s that good now, they’re making movies about me’ [laughs]. Just joking. But it’s good. It’s a good feeling. There’s not that many fighters that they’re doing biopics about.
“They covered some aspects, whether they’re all correct or not is different. It didn’t have my spin on it, but regardless I really like the way some of it comes across, especially the ending.”
On the aspects of the film that didn’t paint him in the most positive light
“It was fine because if somebody is going to do a film about you and you literally got nothing to do with it, then things are probably going to be in there that you disagree with and things might come across in a certain way. But you know what, it’s a movie, isn’t it? Everybody knows it’s not my movie. It’s a movie about a fighter and a trainer and what they thought had happened. But is there any truth to it? Maybe some, but it’s here and there on whether it’s true or not.
“It says it’s based on a true story but the fact is it’s a film that I support because it’s me. I’m in it. And the big movie star in it is Pierce Brosnan, which I can tell you plays an amazing role. He’s an amazing actor…It’s a good feeling watching it, in a way. Not all of it. It’s challenging (some of it), simply because it’s not easy watch a movie made about you when you’ve had nothing to do with it. That’s never going to be an easy thing for anyone.”
On the final scene that shows a fantasy reconciliation between Ingle and himself
“It’s really funny that you mention this right now because last night I bumped into Rowan (Athale), who is the director of the film…I just said to him, ‘I just want to let you know that now that I’ve watched it three times and every time something’s different and it pops out and I get to understand it more — but the last scene was so good, so truthful.’ I wish it would’ve happened. That last scene really tells the truth about the movie.
“Obviously I’ve tried to reach out so many times to make up with Brendan…but he wasn’t having it and it wasn’t written to happen and it wasn’t meant to be. But to see that part of the film and try to imagine it, that it could’ve happened like that — it was nice, that bit, for me. I can look back at that and think ‘I only wish that that did happen.’”
