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Muhammad Ali
Acting
Biography
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Ali was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He began training as an amateur boxer at age 12. At 18, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and turned professional later that year. He became a Muslim after 1961. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22. On Ma…
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Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He began training as an amateur boxer at age 12. At 18, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and turned professional later that year. He became a Muslim after 1961. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22. On March 6, 1964, he announced that he no longer would be known as Cassius Clay but as Muhammad Ali. In 1966, Ali refused to be drafted into the military, citing his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to the Vietnam War. He was found guilty of draft evasion so he faced 5 years in prison and was stripped of his boxing titles. He stayed out of prison as he appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971, but he had not fought for nearly four years and lost a period of peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation, and he was a very high-profile figure of racial pride for African Americans during the civil rights movement and throughout his career. As a Muslim, Ali was initially affiliated with Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam (NOI). He later disavowed the NOI, adhering to Sunni Islam, and supporting racial integration like his former mentor Malcolm X. Ali was a leading heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, and he remains the only three-time lineal champion of that division. His joint records of beating 21 boxers for the world heavyweight title and winning 14 unified title bouts stood for 35 years. He is the only fighter to have been ranked as the world's best heavyweight by BoxRec twelve times. He has been ranked among BoxRec's ten best heavyweights seventeen times, the third most in history. He won 8 fights that were rated by BoxRec as 5-Star, the third most in the history of the heavyweight division. Ali is the only boxer to be named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year six times. He has been ranked the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, and as the greatest athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated, the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC, and the third greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN SportsCentury. He was involved in several historic boxing matches and feuds, most notably his fights with Joe Frazier, such as the Fight of the Century and the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight with George Foreman, known as The Rumble in the Jungle, which has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century" and was watched by a record estimated television audience of 1 billion viewers worldwide, becoming the world's most-watched live television broadcast at the time. Ali thrived in the spotlight at a time when many fighters let their managers do the talking, and he was often provocative and outlandish. He was known for trash-talking, and often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, anticipating elements of hip hop.
Biography expanded
BODY OF WORK
Muhammad Ali's Filmography
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Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool
as Self (archive footage)
9/11: United We Stand -- 25 Years Later
as Self (archive footage)
Jerry West: The Logo
as Self (Archive Footage)
Beatles '64
as Self (archive footage)
WWE Hall of Fame 2024
as Muhammad Ali
No Poster
Franz Klammer - The Ski "Kaiser" Will Be 70
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
70 Jahre Annemarie Moser-Pröll – Ein Leben als Wintermärchen
as Self (archive footage)
Cassius X: Becoming Ali
as Self (archive footage)
Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child
as Self (archive footage)
Stand
as Self (archive footage)
My Father Muhammad Ali
as Self (archive footage)
Say Hey, Willie Mays!
as Self (archive footage)
Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL
as Self (archive footage)
McEnroe
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The King of Miami Beach
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
as Self (archive footage)
Parkinson at 50
as Self (archive footage)
Untold: Deal with the Devil
as Self - Professional Boxer (archive footage)
Boulevard! A Hollywood Story
as Self (archive footage)
City of Ali
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
as Self (archive footage)
Mister Candid Camera
as Self (archive footage)
Pelé
as Self (archive Footage)
Ron Lyle
as Self (archive footage)
Earnie Shavers
Da 5 Bloods
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ali's Comeback: The Untold Story
as Self (archive footage)
Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston
as Self (archive footage)
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
as Self (archive footage)
Africa Rising
as Self - Boxer (archive footage)
Thrilla in Manila
as Self
In Search of Greatness
as Self (archive footage)
The Champ and the King
as Self (archive footage)
Black Is Beltza
as Self (voice) (archive footage)
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes
as Self (archive footage)
United We Stand: The Ali Summit
as archival footage
Andre the Giant
as Self (archive footage)
American Made
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Summer of Love
Muhammad Ali - Rumble in the Jungle
as Self (archive footage)
O.J.: Made in America
as Self (archive footage)
Sticky: A (Self) Love Story
as Self
Les vendredis d'Apostrophes
as Self (archive footage)
Best of Enemies
as Self (archival)
Robbed
as Self
I Am Ali
as Self (archive footage)
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
as Self (Archival Footage)
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
as Himself (archive footage)
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
as Himself
The Trials of Muhammad Ali
as Self (archive footage)
Ali: The Mission
as Self (archive footage)
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
as Self (archive footage)
Norman Mailer: The American
as Self
When Ali Came to Britain
The Real Rocky
as Self (archive footage)
Muhammad and Larry
as Himself
Muhammad Ali: Fighting Spirit
as himself
Rumble in the Jungle
as Self
Soul Power
as Self (archive footage)
Facing Ali
as Self
The Damned United
as archival footage
When Ali Met Cathal
as Muhammad Ali
Thrilla in Manila
as Himself (archive footage)
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
as Self (archive footage)
Black Power Salute
as Self (archive footage)
Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami
as Himself
Tyson
as Self (archive footage)
James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston
as Self (archive footage)
Ali's Dozen
as Self
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
as Muhammad Ali
No Poster
Darts Tarts – Welcome to my World
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
Ali Rap
as Himself
No Poster
Legends Never Die
as Self (archive footage)
No Poster
Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story
as Self (Archival Footage)
Pelé Forever
as Self (archive footage)
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
Jack Paar: Smart Television
as Self
The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali
as Himself
No Poster
The Documented Life and Times of Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Monday Night Mayhem
as Self (archive footage)
The Making of 'Ali'
as Self
Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World
as Himself
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
as Self
No Poster
When Boxing Ruled The World
as Self
Muhammad Ali, the Greatest
as Self (archive footage)
Ali-Frazier I: One Nation... Divisible
as Self
Champions Forever - World Heavyweight Champs!
as Himself
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
as Himself
No Poster
Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection
Sugar Ray Robinson: The Bright Lights and Dark Shadows of a Champion
as Himself
B.B. King: Live In Africa '74
as Self
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self - Roastee (archive footage)
No Poster
Boxing Crazy
When We Were Kings
as Self
No Poster
Boxing Barmy
Atlanta 1996: Games of the XXVI Olympiad - Opening Ceremony
as Self
The Journey of the African-American Athlete
as Self (archive footage)
Boxing's Greatest Champions
as Self
No Poster
Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing
as Himself
Kings of The Ring - History of Heavyweight Boxing 1919-1990
as Himself (Archival Footage)
WCW Halloween Havoc 1994
as Himself (Ringside)
Naked Sport: Welcome to the Sewer
as Self
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
Night of 100 Stars III
as Self
The Best of ABC's Wide World of Sports: The 60's
as Self
Champions Forever
as Self
Mike Tyson vs Larry Holmes
as Self
No Poster
Mike Tyson Presents: The Heavyweights
No Poster
Boxing's Greatest Knockouts
Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick
as Self
Doin' Time
as Muhammad Ali
WrestleMania
as Muhammad Ali (Enforcer)
James Bond: The First 21 Years
as Self
Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick
as Self
Body and Soul
as Himself
Diana
as Self
Muhammad and Larry
Freedom Road
as Gideon Jackson
Kings of the Square Ring
Leon Spinks vs Muhammad Ali II
The Greatest
as Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III
as Self
Funny Girl to Funny Lady
as Self
The Rumble in the Jungle: George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali
as Self
Muhammad Ali, the Greatest
as Self
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II
as Self
The Fighters
as Self
The Fight
as Himself
Black Soul
as Self
Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson II
as Self
Money Talks
as Self
Wake Up and Apologise
as Self
Malcolm X
as Self (archive footage)
Black Rodeo
as Self
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier I
as Self
Fight of the Century
as Self
a.k.a. Cassius Clay
as Self
The Super Fight
as Himself
Something's Happening
Goal!
as Self
No Poster
Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper II
Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson I
as Self
Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston II
as Self
Cassius le grand
Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston I
as Self
Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones
as Self
Requiem for a Heavyweight
as Himself (as Cassius Clay)
No Poster
Cassius Clay vs. Alonzo Johnson
as Self