At a current film conference, this ESB contributor was capable of spend a while with veteran actor David Clennon (“The Factor,” “The Biggest,” “Being There,” “Gone Lady,” “The Sofa Journey,” “The Proper Stuff”) – and the 81 yr outdated had some attention-grabbing issues to say about all-time nice Muhammad Ali.
The 1977 film “The Biggest” sees Ali play himself, after a brief earlier portion of the movie wherein a gifted younger actor portrays Cassius Clay. And the movie, which boasts nice actors resembling Ernest Borgnine, Robert Duvall, and James Earl Jones, additionally sees Clennon play an element. It’s within the famed draft refusal scene (this a pivotal scene in each Ali’s life and within the movie) when Clennon seems. Taking Ali by the arm and main the world heavyweight champion out of the room, the US martial performed by Clennon tells the champ to “include me.”
As we all know, Ali was later banned from boxing for effectively over three years. This week, Clennon was variety sufficient to discuss Ali, the film, and his admiration for Ali’s stand.
Q: How was it being in a movie with the nice Ali?
David Clennon: “Oh, it was particular. I used to be a younger actor on the time, and he was already one in every of my heroes. He had been for a while. I personally was a “draft dodger,” like he was, or a conscientious objector. However he had an entire lot extra to lose from his actions than I had. It was such an unjust battle, the entire Vietnam Conflict. Ali was and is a really actual hero of mine. It was such an enormous factor for us like-minded individuals, all younger individuals who had been in opposition to the battle, to have such a vastly well-known and immediately recognizable particular person, face, and voice to be on our facet, to talk up for us. We had a pacesetter now, and we knew what we had been doing was proper. Though we knew all of it alongside, Ali’s stance gave us that rather more energy and voice. Everybody took discover now. ”
Q: You may have a brief half within the movie, however your scene depicts what was a vastly essential a part of Ali’s life. Did you get to spend a lot time with him off-camera?
D.C: “Sure, he was simply so approachable. No huge ego, nothing like that. He frolicked with us; he ate with us. Ali was, like I say, a particular particular person. He misplaced, what, almost 4 years [of his boxing career] on account of his draft refusal, but he was by no means bitter about it – not that I noticed, anyway. And, after all, he got here again [to boxing] greater and higher than ever when he beat George Foreman. He was all the time joking across the set. The truth is, Ali was so excited to be making a film, and it was a film about himself, after all (laughs).”
Q: There have been so many movies and documentaries on Ali. The place do you suppose “The Biggest” ranks amongst them when it comes to, effectively, greatness?
D.C: “I could also be biased (laughs), however I believe the film we did within the Nineteen Seventies is one of the best Ali movie. Will Smith did an amazing job, after all, in his movie (“Ali” from 2001), however on this one [“The Greatest”], you could have the person himself. And what an amazing supporting solid, with various huge movie icons in there.”
Q: Are you a boxing fan?
D.C: “Effectively, who doesn’t like an enormous struggle? However that’s the factor about Muhammad Ali: you had an opinion on him if you happen to had been a struggle fan or if you weren’t a struggle fan. He was such a big determine. I’m honored to have met him and spent a while with him and to have featured, if ever so barely, in a movie about him.”
