Legendary Olympic medalist Jesse Owens was credited with crushing the myth of Aryan racial superiority after he won four gold medals for track and field events at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, cementing his place in history. Now Owens is being immortalized in a different way, with “Selma” actor Stephan James playing him in the new biopic Race.
James, joined by Jason Sudeikis as his coach and Jeremy Irons as the president of the International Olympic Committee, portrays Owens from his discovery at Ohio State university through the Berlin Olympics. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the Jim Crow era, “Race” tells the story of Jesse Owens’ fight against racial adversity at home and abroad.
Race opens nationwide on February 19th. Check out this exclusive trailer from AOL.
