Trevante Rhodesis gearing up for the fight of his life as he portraysMike Tysonin the upcoming Hulu limited series,Mike.
“People just see an animal. They call me a savage. I’m the most vicious, ruthless champion there’s ever been. No one can match me,” says Rhodes, 32, as Tyson, now 56. “My style’s impetuous. I’m ferocious. I want your heart, I want to eat your children. Praise be to Allah.”
While in prison gear, Mike turns to the camera and asks: “Is that who I am?”
Alfonso Bresciani/Hulu
The limited series follows the boxing icon’s dynamic and controversial life, covering his childhood and his multiple run-ins with the law — several, of which, landed him behind bars. Viewers, of course, will also see Tyson’s rise to becoming a boxing legend.
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, series showrunner Karen Gist opened up about the intention behind the show, saying that it’s not “meant to glorify his life.”
“We were never trying to say that Mike Tyson is a hero or Mike Tyson is a villain,” Gist said in June. “Our goal was to take a very complicated and controversial figure and try to get under the hood of what he was praised and vilified for while staying true to our North Star of ‘no one person is one thing.'”
“The show is not supposed to be a love letter or an indictment, which is why we had to include all the good, the bad, and the complexities of both,” Gist added.
Tyson, 56, has long been regarded as a controversial figure in the world of boxing and entertainment. Several of his widely criticized moments will be explored in the limited series, including his tumultuous relationship with Givens and the infamous bite he took ofEvander Holyfield’s right ear in 1997. The move disqualified and temporarily banned Tyson from the sport.
Patrick Harbron/Hulu
Tyson initially retired in 2005 but returned in 2020 for a special eight-round exhibition match against 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr.
The fighter spoke withPEOPLEahead of the momentous fight, revealing that he’s focused on prioritizing his mental health since stepping away from the sport.
HULU
“I work on trying to be grateful, I really work hard at that,” Tyson said.
“That’s my goal in life,” he continued. “It’s almost like reaching my favorite me. Every few years, I get better with the goal of being the best me I can be.”
Mikepremieres Aug. 25 on Hulu.
source: people.com
