In the fall of 1970, Muhammad Ali made a triumphant return to the boxing ring after a three-year ban, leading to a wild celebration hosted by Gordon Williams, a hustler known as “Chicken Man.” The victory party, however, was overshadowed by a dramatic heist, where the affluent guests were held at gunpoint for hours and forced to hand over their valuables. This tense and thrilling night is the focus of Fight Night: Million Dollar Heist, a miniseries that premiered September 5 on Peacock. Starring Kevin Hart as Chicken Man and featuring a stellar cast including Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle, and Samuel L. Jackson, the series promises a riveting blend of glamour and danger.

Artrece Johnson, who plays Chicken Man’s wife, Faye Williams, offers a unique emotional depth to the show. Despite the high-stakes backdrop of fights and heists, Johnson describes Faye as a “quiet storm,” emphasizing her inner strength and caring nature. “If I had to describe her, she’s very calm,” Johnson explains. “Her strength sits within her. And she’s very caring. I feel like she’s the glue to the family; she is the person who keeps Chicken Man grounded.” Johnson, who previously starred in A.V. Rockwell’s, A Thousand and One and the acclaimed TV show P-Valley, had always dreamed of acting since she was a child watching Barney. Reflecting back, she says, “I didn’t really know acting was what they were doing at the time. I just saw them having fun and wanted to be involved.”

She certainly had fun on the set of Fight Night, complimenting the “legends” she worked with and their chemistry together. Kevin Hart, especially, liked to joke around and catch her off-guard: “Kevin likes to make you laugh right before you’re about to do a serious scene. Like, right before I’m about to curse … I’m like, ‘Kevin, I need to be serious, okay? I need to get in the zone!’”

In preparing to bring Faye to life, Johnson says that although she didn’t get to meet the real-life inspiration for her character, she made up a backstory for her and conducted research — listening to the Fight Night podcast upon which the TV show is based and putting herself in the mindset of a devout Christian mother and wife in the 1970s. Challenges only arose when she disagreed with Faye’s actions — things Johnson would never do or tolerate herself. “I had to let go of that and not judge her, because then I wouldn’t be able to play her, yeah? But … that was probably the most challenging part. I’m like, Girl.”

When I ask Johnson about playing a character based on a real person compared to a fictional one, she explains, “Playing a real-life character is like having a cookbook. You have to follow specific guidelines, like ‘this much salt, that much of this,’ whereas with a fictional character, it’s more like, ‘I’m going to taste test as we go and see how it flows.’”

When getting into character, the first step she takes is creating a detailed backstory. “I develop a unique backstory for each role, tailored to the character’s time period and specific circumstances,” Johnson explains. “This process varies from one character to another because each one comes with its own set of challenges and contexts. For Faye, I crafted a backstory as I always do, but without the opportunity to speak with the real person she’s based on, I had to rely more heavily on my imagination. Not being able to talk to the real Faye was a bit disappointing,” she admits, “but it also gave me the freedom to explore and create more on my own. It alleviates some pressure and allows me to bring my own insights into the character, making her feel as authentic and real as possible.”

Johnson found it easy to connect with Faye because she saw parts of herself in the character. “I suppress things sometimes,” she admits. Acting, for Johnson, is deeply therapeutic — “Sometimes you don’t think you’re like a character, but as you dive deeper, you realize, ‘Oh, I’m in therapy doing this.’” Laughing, she explains that acting helps her connect with others and reveals shared human experiences. “We’re all the same at our core, regardless of color or culture. Discovering yourself in different characters is both beautiful and enlightening.”

On the other side of the camera, Johnson enjoys a wide range of favorite TV shows: Presumed Innocent, The Last of Us, Palm Royale. Genre doesn’t matter so much to her as complex characters and an interesting plot. “I just want to do great stories,” she emphasizes. Her journey to the screen hasn’t always been easy — she would often run to auditions in the middle of retail shifts — but she advises anyone with an acting dream to stay true to themselves and says she’s learned that happy people work well: “You’re just having fun, you’re just playing … just using your imagination.” And as far as what she wants viewers to take away from Faye in Fight Night? “I hope there’s a little bit of healing, there’s a little bit of spice.”

Photographer: Jonny Marlow
Wardrobe Stylist: Oliver Vaughn
MUA: QuiNeshia Graham