The Greatest Brings Muhammad Ali’s Early Years to the Screen

Prime Video’s new series The Greatest revisits the early years of Muhammad Ali, exploring the family relationships, personal struggles, and defining influences behind the man who would become a global icon.

Before the world knew him as Muhammad Ali, he was Cassius Clay Jr., a young boy growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, with a confidence that seemed larger than life. His declaration that he was “the greatest” would become one of the most recognizable phrases in sports history. But confidence, like greatness, has a beginning. For Ali, that story started long before the championship belts, international headlines, and packed arenas.

Prime Video’s new eight episode drama, The Greatest, takes audiences back to the formative years that helped shape the legendary boxer. Rather than simply retracing his most celebrated victories, the series examines the people and experiences that influenced his development, from his complicated relationship with his father to the steady encouragement of his mother and the pressures of growing into his own identity.

Created by Ben Watkins, the series begins in the aftermath of Cassius Clay’s gold medal victory at the 1960 Rome Olympics and follows his journey toward defeating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship in 1964. The period captures a young athlete navigating ambition, family expectations, racial discrimination, and a changing sense of self in an America still shaped by segregation.

One of the series’ most compelling relationships is between Cassius and his father, Cassius “Cash” Clay Sr., portrayed by Omari Hardwick. Their connection is not presented as a simple story of a father supporting his son's dreams. It is layered with affection, tension, disappointment, and the complicated expectations that can exist between generations.

Cash was a charismatic man whose confidence and showmanship were reflected in his son. Yet his own struggles and shortcomings created friction within the family. Hardwick approaches the character through those contradictions, exploring how a father could deeply love his child while also wrestling with his own unrealized ambitions.

That complexity matters. The series asks viewers to consider how much of Ali’s self-belief was cultivated at home, and how family relationships can shape a person in ways that are not always straightforward. The encouragement was real, but so were the conflicts.

Ali’s mother, Odessa “Bird” Clay, played by Dana Gourrier, represents another essential influence.

Dana Gourrier / Credit: Storm Santos

A devoted mother and early supporter of her sons, Bird helped establish the values that grounded the family. Her faith, discipline, and commitment to her children offered a different kind of strength.

For Gourrier, portraying Odessa meant drawing on the experiences of the Black women who raised her own family. She connected Bird’s perseverance to the mothers and grandmothers whose lives were shaped by the responsibility of protecting and guiding their children through difficult circumstances.

The relationship between Bird and Cassius adds emotional depth to a story often remembered through athletic achievement. Behind the young fighter’s ambition was a mother who believed in him before the world had a reason to pay attention.

Taking on the role of Muhammad Ali is a significant undertaking. His voice, humor, physical presence, and unmistakable confidence have been documented for decades. For actor Jaalen Best, portraying the young Cassius Clay required more than recreating familiar mannerisms. It meant finding the person beneath the public image.

Best was selected after an extensive casting process led by Watkins and casting director Kim Coleman. The production sought an actor who could capture Ali’s presence without reducing the performance to an imitation. His eventual meeting with Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, offered another meaningful step in the process.

Lonnie serves as an executive producer, and her involvement gives the production a connection to the family and the personal history behind the public record. The series is the first authorized scripted portrayal of Ali’s life, developed with access to his estate.

Best’s performance is central to the series’ approach. Audiences are introduced to a young man still developing the confidence, convictions, and identity that would eventually make him a cultural force. The distinction is important: Ali did not simply arrive in the world fully formed. He became the person history remembers through a series of experiences, relationships, and choices.

Michael Ealy on ‘The Greatest’; Malcolm X. Brooke Palmer/Prime; Robert Parent/Getty

Ali’s story also intersects with influential figures whose relationships with him extended beyond boxing. Michael Ealy portrays Malcolm X, whose connection to Ali became significant during the young fighter’s growing engagement with the Nation of Islam. Giovanni Ribisi plays Angelo Dundee, the trainer who helped guide his professional development. Kai Parham portrays Ali’s younger brother, Rudy, later known as Rahaman Ali.

Amin Joseph takes on the role of Sonny Liston, the heavyweight champion whose rivalry with Cassius Clay culminated in the 1964 title fight. The series gives attention to Liston’s story as well, moving beyond the familiar image of the imposing opponent to consider the man on the other side of the rivalry.

These relationships place Ali’s rise within a broader personal and historical landscape. His transformation was not only about learning to win in the ring. It involved navigating family expectations, religious identity, racial politics, professional pressure, and the growing realization that his voice could carry influence far beyond sports.

Muhammad Ali’s legacy has always been larger than his record as a boxer. His willingness to speak openly, challenge expectations, and stand by his convictions made him a defining figure in American cultural history. But understanding the public icon also means understanding the young man who came before him.

That is where The Greatest finds its purpose. Focusing on the years between Olympic gold and his first heavyweight championship, the series creates room for the quieter experiences that helped build a legend. It brings family, mentorship, conflict, and personal growth into a story that could easily have been told only through its biggest sporting moments.

For a new generation encountering Ali through this series, the invitation is to look beyond the famous quotes and highlight reels. Greatness is not simply a title claimed or a championship won. It is shaped over time, through the people who influence us, the challenges that test us, and the decisions that define who we become.

The Greatest is now streaming on Prime Video, with all eight episodes available.