Following in the tradition of Oscar-nominated boxing coaches like Paul Giamatti in Cinderella Man and Burgess Meredith in Rocky, Brian Tyree Henry is generating Oscar buzz for his remarkable portrayal of Jason Crutchfield in the inspiring drama The Fire Inside. In the film, Henry plays the coach who trains Claressa Shields, the first female boxer to win Olympic gold.
Produced by Amazon MGM, The Fire Inside made its world premiere to a sold-out audience at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday. The debut feature from director Rachel Morrison—who became the first woman to receive an Oscar nomination for cinematography with Mudbound (2017)—was introduced by Morrison herself. After the screening, she joined a Q&A alongside producer Elishia Holmes, writer and producer Barry Jenkins, and stars Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry. Claressa Shields and her real-life coach, Jason Crutchfield, also made surprise appearances.
Photos courtesy of Worthi
