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You were going to direct this at one point. Why did you step away?

I was going to direct it, but I realized youth must be served. This kid (director Steven Caple Jr.) has such great vision and energy. Making this kind of film is incredibly taxing because you’re doing (the directing) and the drama. You’re doing two things. It’s at least six months shooting, maybe a year of prep, so when it’s finished, Steven will have been on this movie for two years straight.

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You’ve been playing this character for 42 years. We can’t think of any other instance in Hollywood history where that’s happened.

I need a lot of rehearsal, what can I say? But I got it now (laughs). I think I’ve nailed it.

Is there a sense of nostalgia?

Yeah there is. But it’s not going to be a down ending, it’s going to have an up ending. A very emotional ending.

Your colleagues on the film say that they come to you for archival research about great fights. Is that true?

That’s right. I’ve just been doing it for so long, and I continue to do it. I think what makes these fights so great is we take excerpts from real fights and then inject them into this. We go, “Is that possible?” And we say, “Yeah, it is. It happened in 1945, ’47.” I never thought we’d find a better boxer than Carl Weathers, who was unbelievable, but wait until you see Michael in this. His shape is unbelievable.

Talk a little about Florian Munteanu, who plays Ivan’s son Viktor.

Florian is unbelievable. You’ve heard these stories, and most of them are B.S., where the people involved in the making of a movie say, “We looked at over 4,000 people for this role.” No they didn’t. They looked at maybe 40. But we looked at every large heavyweight fighter in the world because you couldn’t use an actor. Michael’s an actor, so we needed someone in there who’s experienced. Dolph Lundgren was a world champion kickboxer so when you saw him move, it’s something you can’t learn in a year. Florian was a real fighter. He had the moves, he had the looks and he had the size. He also had empathy. You look into his eyes and you like him, even though he’s playing a terrible character. So there’s an ambiguity in there. I can’t tell you how many men, they were incredible specimens, but the face wasn’t right and they didn’t have the look in their eyes. To get the whole package? He’s one of a kind.