Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames’ stars in Lionsgate’s new thriller, Upperrcut alongside, Luiii, Jordan E. Cooper, and Joanna Cassidy.
Set in New York City, Uppercut begins in 2014 as Toni (Luiii), a determined fighter, seeks out Elliott (Ving Rhames), a former boxer turned gym owner in gritty Bushwick. Though Elliott first dismisses the idea of training her, an unexpected bond blossoms between them, breaking through the boundaries of boxing and exploring the complexities of respect, love, family, and personal convictions. It culminates in a final showdown that alters Toni’s destiny profoundly.
Rhames, famous for appearing in Casualties of War, The Long Walk Home, Pulp Fiction, Mission: Impossible (franchise), Con Air and more, began performing as a student at the High School of the Performing Arts and later State University of New York.
Rhames later transferred to the Juilliard School’s Drama Division where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1983.
In 1984, Rhames gained notoriety playing a young incarnation of writer James Baldwin’s father in “Go Tell It On the Mountain” (PBS).But his portrayal of Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible film series, brought him global recognition and he became the only actor after Tom Cruise to feature in all the Mission: Impossible films.