LOS ANGELES — In the inspiring sports drama The Fire Inside, actress Ryan Destiny faced the challenge of playing championship boxer Claressa Shields. A non-lifelong boxer, Destiny threw herself into the role with the heart of a champion, embodying the drive and intensity necessary for the fight on screen.
“I think the first moment for me that I was like really, really in it might have been when I shot my first fight scene. I remember the energy of everybody around, the loud shouts of the background actors — that made everything feel more real. It took me into that space where I was like, ‘Oh, I feel that.’ This energy attached to who Claressa really is, and it got me in her head,” Ryan Destiny said about transforming into Claressa Shields on screen.
Destiny’s transformation was as inspiring as her co-star, Brian Tyree Henry, who portrayed Jason, a devoted trainer in her community.
“The first time I saw Ryan with her gloves on, it was something completely different. You kind of have to take a step back because she just is out there. Times she’d be jump-roping and doing push-ups at 8 a.m., channeling Caressa’s discipline,” Henry said of Destiny’s acting.
Henry spoke of how these experiences affected the cast and the film: “Seeing Ryan snag her first gold medal on set was emotional to watch. To witness her literally embodying what Caressa went through, you can’t take those moments for granted. I would watch ringside, sometimes having a laugh because she was about to get hit again, and she did so day after day.” It made us closer, knowing she not only played a champion but became one herself.”
The admiration extended past Destiny’s depiction, encompassing the heart of the whole production: “Being part of this journey with her and Caressa was amazing. I will cherish this for the rest of my life.“
The Fire Inside is a testament to the grit and hard work it takes to get to the top. Dedication like that brought this powerful story and the man behind it to the screen, a spirit that Henry and Destiny were wholly aware they needed to embody and reflect in the character they were portraying.
Rachel Morrison directs the Fire Inside, and opens in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.
