‘The Fire Inside’ Star Ryan Destiny on the ‘Trippy Experience’ of Working With Claressa Shields and Bringing the Boxer’s Story to the Screen

variety.com:

Jack Dunn For Rachel Morrison’s feature directorial debut “The Fire Inside,” there was a lot of pressure to “get it right” and do justice to the story of boxer Claressa Shields.

But greater than the self-induced anxiety was the thrill of moving from behind the camera to the director’s chair, where she could see the project through from start to finish. “This is a dream, to actually get to see something through from beginning to end,” Morrison said. “I think as a cinematographer, I’m such an integral part of the prep and the production process, but then I hand it off.

Now as a director, to be part of the score, be part of the post, be part of the edit, and really have a vision from beginning to end, I’m just so excited to bring it to life.” As part of Variety’s Toronto Film Festival Studio, sponsored by J.Crew and SharkNinja, Morrison was joined by “The Fire Inside” stars Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry to discuss how they brought the story of Shields, the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, to the big screen. “The Fire Inside” chronicles the life of Shields from growing up in Flint, Mich., to taking gold on the Olympic stage.

Destiny said she initially “did not think” she would land the part of Shields and approached her audition with a “‘let’s just see what happens’ attitude.” However, it was this laissez-faire mindset that helped her score the leading role. “I think it really helped in the end because I feel like it made me let go a little bit,” Destiny said. “You just get more into the project as the process keeps going.