“ IT’S OKAY TO WANT YOUR LIFE TO IMPROVE. I’M REALIZING THAT THIS IS TRULY SOMETHING I DO. IT’S NOT WHO I AM.”

—  JAALEN BEST ON SEPARATING IDENTITY FROM CAREER

“ IT’S ONE OF THE THINGS HE WOULD ALWAYS TELL ME, TO TAKE CARE OF MY BODY. THAT’S SOMETHING I DIDN’T REALLY FOCUS ON EARLY ON.”

—JAALEN BEST ON MICHAEL B. JORDAN’S ADVICE

During our conversation, Jaalen spoke with great affection about his mother and his four siblings. As the youngest of five, family has been central to how he understands the world. His father was not present during his upbringing, leaving his mother to take on responsibilities that went well beyond the traditional expectations of parenthood. She became his example of strength, responsibility, and how to carry oneself with dignity. Something about this part of our conversation stayed with me. I understood it personally. Like Jaalen, I grew up without a father present, and I recognized the significance of having a mother who becomes the foundation upon which so much of your character is built. These are experiences that can shape a person in ways that are difficult to articulate. They influence how you understand responsibility, how you treat others, and what you eventually expect of yourself. For Jaalen, those lessons continue to shape the man he is becoming. And perhaps this is where the connection to Muhammad Ali becomes particularly interesting.

Ali was one of the most recognizable figures of the twentieth century, a man whose achievements inside the ring were inseparable from his convictions outside it. His confidence, political courage, relationship with his family, and determination to define himself on his own terms made him far more than a champion. To portray such a figure requires more than physical resemblance or an understanding of boxing. It demands an appreciation of the human being behind the mythology. It is tempting to wonder whether the values his mother instilled in Jaalen helped the Ali family recognize something in him. Not simply the ability to portray an extraordinary man, but the personal foundation necessary to approach that responsibility with sincerity. That remains an interpretation, not a claim about the family's casting decision. Yet after spending time with Jaalen, it is a connection worth considering.   

There is also something refreshing about meeting a young actor at this particular moment in his life. His career is entering a new chapter, but he does not seem consumed by the machinery surrounding it. He is personable, grounded, and attentive. His ambitions are evident, yet they do not overwhelm the person standing in front of you. In an industry that often confuses visibility with substance, those qualities matter. Playing Muhammad Ali is poised to bring Jaalen Best a new level of attention. The comparisons will come, as they always do when an actor takes on a figure whose image remains so firmly embedded in the public imagination. Audiences will examine the physical transformation, movement, voice, and performance itself. But another question is worth asking: who is the man who will emerge from behind the character?    

For all the attention surrounding The Greatest, Jaalen's future cannot be measured by a single performance, however significant this moment may be. His real opportunity lies in what follows, in the choices he makes and the stories he decides are worth telling. I came away from our time together with the impression of someone whose potential extends well beyond this particular role and the expectations that come with it. A young man with genuine warmth, a deep appreciation for the people who raised him, and a sense of self that feels unusually assured for someone standing on the threshold of such a public moment. 

It is that moment in an actor's career when the work begins to take on a life of its own. A performance becomes part of a larger conversation, one the actor can no longer control. In the case of Muhammad Ali, that conversation comes with decades of history, public memory, and deeply held expectations. Everyone has an idea of who Ali was, what he represented, and what made him extraordinary. The challenge for Jaalen is not simply to meet those expectations, but to find something human within a figure the world has already made larger than life. It requires looking beyond the legend to understand the man, with all the
complexities and contradictions that made him who he was.

And perhaps that is what makes this moment worth watching. For all the history attached to the role, Jaalen is still at the beginning of his own story. There will be other characters, other directors, and opportunities that ask something entirely different of him. Some choices will be obvious; others may take him somewhere unexpected. The interesting part is that none of it has been decided. A role like this can introduce an actor to the world, but it cannot determine the artist he will become. That remains his to discover.

There is something exciting about witnessing this experience at the beginning of what promises to be a golden career. Talent may open the door, but character, determination, and a genuine sense of purpose are what carry someone forward. Jaalen possesses all three. And every so often, an encounter leaves you with the feeling that you have met someone destined for something great. Jaalen Best was one of those encounters. Muhammad Ali spent a lifetime defining what greatness meant to him. Jaalen now has the opportunity to discover what it will mean in his own life. And that may be the most interesting story of all.

“IT’S GOING TO TAKE A LOT MORE WORK, A LOT MORE LEARNING, A LOT MORE LIVING. I’M READY TO GO AGAIN.”

—JAALEN BEST ON MICHAEL B. JORDAN’S ADVICE

WATCH LINE OF FIRE ON PEACOCK

“ANYONE TUNING IN AT HOME CAN SEE INTO YOUR SOUL IF YOU LET THEM.”

—  TAYLOR BLOOM ON THE INTIMACY OF THE CAMERA

Creative Director & Photographer Kevin Sinclair, Fashion Editor Charlie Ward (See Management), Grooming Wesley O’Meara (Honey Artists), Editorial Associates Oprah Winfrey, Corwin Wilson & Isaac Poole, Words Arnoldas Šmitas, Talent Taylor Bloom, Publicity Margaret Crane & Jackie Hernandez (NBCUniversal), Documented in Soho, New York.

BEHIND THE STORY: Photographing Jaalen Best stayed with me long after we wrapped. From the moment we began shooting at Amazon Music Studio126, he had a natural confidence and openness that let us move between fashion and portraiture without losing sight of the man behind the images. Meeting the Amazon team and bringing everyone together made the experience even more rewarding. Days later, I had the opportunity to interview Jaalen myself, and our conversation gave the photographs a deeper meaning. Having grown up in a home where Muhammad Ali was greatly admired, I felt a personal connection to the story he was preparing to tell. What struck me most was Jaalen's understanding of family, ambition, and the responsibility of becoming his own man. Working with someone so thoughtful and committed to his craft reminded me why I love creating these stories. I hope that we've made something that will stand the test of time, a portrait of a young actor at the beginning of an extraordinary chapter.

— KEVIN SINCLAIR