Willie Mays Aikens had a promising career as a professional baseball player for the Kansas City Royals before it quickly took a turn in a disastrous direction after selling crack cocaine to an undercover police officer. As result, the World Series home run record holder (to this day) was given the longest sentence ever to a professional athlete in a drug case. Aikens went on to serve 14 of his 24-year sentence. The Royal picks up when Aikens is released as he reenters his community, his friends’ and family’s life, and seeks redemption and a return to baseball while struggling with addiction and making things right.
Amin Joseph plays Aikens in The Royal. Rounding out the cast are Elisabeth Rohm, Olivia Holguin, Andrea Navedo, Nic Bishop, Michael Beach, LisaRaye McCoy, and more. Gregory W. Jordan wrote the screenplay, and it’s directed by Marcel Sarmiento. The Royal is set for a limited theatrical release as of July 15, 2022, along with a wider digital release.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
As the film releases, we have an exclusive clip to premiere. In the clip, Aikens meets with his old friend George Brett. “You miss it, Willy?” asks Brett. “Nothing like the big show,” he replies. “I mean the drugs,” he jokes. Aikens is caught off guard but releases a small chuckle as George orders two Chiantis. “Sorry,” interrupts Aikens as he doesn’t drink anymore. George orders pop instead. “The truth is, I do miss it… crack was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. It was, George. Felt better than hitting them runs in the World Series. It’s true… I ain’t ever gonna touch it again. I’ll continue missing it the rest of my life.” You can watch it in full below.
Exclusive Clip From The Royal
“I play Willie Mays Aikens in the film The Royal. As a baseball player, he’s known for hitting back-to-back home runs in multiple World Series games in the ‘80s… He was touted as the next Reggie Jackson of his time. A few years later, he ended up selling crack cocaine to an undercover police officer and getting a Draconian sentence of 24 years in prison… He got out, gave himself to god, and took accountability for what he did. He just wanted to be released and make amends with his family. To get a second chance and be responsible in a way that he hadn’t before he was locked up,” explained Joseph in our interview about his role in the film.
“The biggest responsibility is to tell the story… and what attracted me to this particular story is the redemption, the second chance, and that I believe people deserve second chances. Not just big baseball heroes, but the everyday person does too. In this situation, Willie Mays Aikens has the privilege of having friends like George Brett that can make a phone call and say he’s on the right path… let’s give him a second chance… what type of second chances does every average American have? They may not have the luxury of that. So to me, there’s a circle of truth around this film, of seeing someone fall from grace and try to ingratiate themselves back to realize, to take the selfishness involved with partying and drug use and selling and dealing, and to focus that energy on being of service. And that’s something that Willie did. Playing a role like this, you just take all of that rich, fertile soil to make a complex character and portrayal,” said Joseph.
Playing Willie Mays Aikens
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Joseph can be recognized for previous projects like Snowfall, Dope, Baywatch, Call Me King, and more. He has an extensive training background both in film and theater. He turns in an excellent performance as Aikens, and when asked about the challenges of the role, he explained that although it’s a tough character, it was more about diving into what he found interesting.
“I’m attracted to the tough stuff. One thing that I really enjoyed was the shame that is over the character. So many people walk around with shame. They can’t be their complete selves because there’s something they’ve done in their past, or there’s a way that they have been viewed, and they interact with society with that. They’re not playing with a full deck; they’re not living in their truth. They’re not able to win the day,” explained Aikens, then focusing back in on the character, “living with the shame of destroying my career and living with the shame of not being a good husband. Living in that with a character is really an interesting process, and it affects everything that you do. So that was one of the things that was very unique to this particular character that I embraced very early, and it’s a part of the transparency.”
The Royal is a production of Buffalo 8 and Vitamin A Films. It comes to us from Samuel Goldwyn Films.
