LOS ANGELES?While ?Bleed for This? is a biopic about former world champion boxer Vinny Pazienza, the film?s consultant, Freddie Roach, inspired actors Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart to talk about Manny Pacquiao and Roach himself.
Having Manny?s famous trainer on board the project allowed ?Whiplash? star Miles (who plays the champ, also known as Vinny Paz) and Aaron (as Vinny?s trainer, Kevin Rooney) to watch in person the Philippine boxing legend, who was prepping for his fight against Timothy Bradley Jr. at the time (2014).
The opportunity to watch Manny and Freddie in action helped in their performances, both actors stressed. ADVERTISEMENT
?Bleed for This,? directed by Ben Younger and coproduced by Martin Scorsese and Bruce Cohen, tells the incredible true-to-life story of Vinny, a junior middleweight world champ who broke his neck in a near-fatal accident in 1991. The boxer, who earned the moniker ?The Pazmanian Devil,? was told he may never walk and fight again.
Refusing to accept the dire diagnosis, Vinny embarked on a grueling workout regime. Thirteen months after the accident, Vinny beat Luis Santana in what is regarded as the greatest comeback in boxing history.
Miles said that while he was readying himself to portray the colorful Vinny, he made it a point not to meet him yet. But the boxer, known for his wild personality, made a gesture which made Miles laugh at the recollection.
