Huge Hollywood star unrecognisable as he’s seen on set of Naseem Hamed movie for first time
With fading hair, a navy blue trackie and aging face, this Hollywood actor would be forgiven for looking like your normal guy walking through the streets of Yorkshire.
New boxing movie Giant tells the story behind one of the most essential friendships in boxing history.
For the latest project, James Bond star Pierce Brosnan has gone undercover as Brendan Ingle – the Irish-born boxing trainer that took ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed to stardom.
While we’re used to seeing the former 007 in finely tailored suits, the 70-year-old actor has traded in the bespoke Armani for blue Adidas for his latest role.
Dressed in a tracksuit and white trainers, Pierce was seen strolling down the street amid takes.
His make-up and hair has transformed him into Ingle, complete with his signature head of hair now white and combed over, with a giant pair of glasses on.
Putting up his fists after spotting a camera, Pierce was clearly in good spirits as they began filming in Yorkshire.
Giant will follow the real life story of Naseem, who is of British-Yemeni descent, as he makes his way up the ranks of the boxing world to become one of the most celebrated British sports stars of all time.
The story will track him from his humble beginnings in working class Sheffield, and the unorthodox training he went through with Ingle in order to get international acclaim.
Playing out in the 80s and 90s, Naseem has to face and overcome rampant Islamophobia and racism in order to dominate in the ring.
Amir Al-Masry, who was most recently seen as a young Muhammed Al-Fayed in The Crown, will take on the role of Naseem, with Gangs Of London writer Rowan Athale writing and directing the sports drama.
Ingle, who died in 2018, trained four world champions during his time as a trainer – Johnny Nelson, Naseem Hamed, Junior Witter, and Kell Brook.
At the time, he ran a gym across the street from the corner shop owned by Naseem’s parents.
He took Naseem under his wing at the age of seven, and taught him out to box when, at the time, he wasn’t a professional trainer.
The pair worked together until the age of 25, when things soured between them over a combination of ego and money.
Ingle attempted to break ties with Naseem in 1997, before they went their separate ways in 1998.
When Naseem was awarded with a position in the International Hall Of Fame in New York, he acknowledge having regrets about how things ended with Ingle, and recognised the fundamental role he played.
“The time I had with Brendan was an amazing time. It was priceless,” Hamed says. “You couldn’t put an amount of money on that.
“What I learnt from that gym and that environment was priceless. The only thing I really want is to sit with Brendan to apologise to him, if I upset him, and to make up with Brendan.”