Person Details

Birthday: 1942-01-17 00:20:48

Death: 2016-06-03 00:20:48

Aliases: Cassius Clay , Cassius Marcellus Clay

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 94

TV Involvements: 14


Most Famous Work

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 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.

Most Famous Work

What's My Line?
Average
7

What's My Line?

(1950) Self - Mystery Guest
Der Sport-Spiegel
Average
0

Der Sport-Spiegel

(1963) Self
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Average
7

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie

(2023) Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bambi Awards
Average
9

Bambi Awards

(1948) Self (archive footage)
Malcolm X
Average
8

Malcolm X

(1992) Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pelé
Average
8

Pelé

(2021) Self (archive Footage)
Andre the Giant
Average
7

Andre the Giant

(2018) Self (archive footage)
Da 5 Bloods
Average
7

Da 5 Bloods

(2020) Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2023 N/A
Self (archive footage)
Self - Archive Footage
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Self (archive footage)
2022 Self (archive footage)
Self
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive Footage)
N/A
2021 Self (archive footage)
Self
Self (archival footage)
Self - Professional Boxer (archive footage)
N/A
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive Footage)
Self (archive footage)
N/A
2020 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2019 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self - Boxer (archive footage)
Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2018 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Himself
Self (voice) (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
2016 Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Himself
2015 Self (archive footage)
2014 Self (archive footage)
Self (Archival Footage)
2013 Himself (archive footage)
Himself
Himself
2012 Self (archive footage)
Self
2011 Self (archive footage)
2009 Himself
himself
Himself
Muhammad Ali
2008 Himself (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
Self
Self (archive footage)
Himself
N/A
Self (archive footage)
2007 N/A
2006 Self
Muhammad Ali
Self (archive footage)
Himself
Self (archive footage)
Self (Archival Footage)
2004 Self (archive footage)
2003 Self
Himself
2002 N/A
2001 Himself
Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
2000 Self
Himself
Himself
1999 N/A
1998 Himself
Self
Self - Roastee (archive footage)
1996 Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
Muhammad Ali
1995 N/A
Himself
Himself (Archival Footage)
1994 Himself (Ringside)
1993 Self
1992 Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1990 Self
Self
1989 Self
1988 Self
1986 N/A
1985 Himself
Referee
(Archive Footage)
Self
1983 Self
1982 Self
1981 N/A
Himself
Self
1980 Self
N/A
1979 Gideon Jackson
1978 N/A
1977 Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali
1975 Self
Self
Self
Self
1974 Self
Self
Self
Himself
Self
Self
1972 Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
Self
1971 Self
Self
1970 Himself
Himself
1968 Self - Guest
1965 Self
Self
1964 N/A
Self
1963 Self
Self
1962 Himself (as Cassius Clay)
Self
Self
1961 Self
Self
1950 Self - Mystery Guest
1948 Self (archive footage)
Year Character Movie/Tv

Crew

Year Role Movie/Tv
2007 Thanks
Year Role Movie/Tv

Creator

Year Role Movie/Tv
1996 Creator
Year Role Movie/Tv

Writing

Year Role Movie/Tv
1977 Novel
Year Role Movie/Tv

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