Tony Bellew bagged Rocky and Creed film roles after agent flew thousands of miles to meet him F

Tony Bellew had a role in the Rocky film, as well as Creed 3, after an agent flew from Los Angeles to the UK to persuade the champion boxer to start acting. The former sportsman opened up about his stint in acting on I’m A Celebrity, telling campmates about when he punched Michael B Jordan.

As the I’m A Celebrity final nears, Tony Bellew has kept his fellow campmates entertained with his stories. The most recent story was about his first try at acting. In 2022, ITV star secured the role of ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan in Creed 3 after previously starring in the first Rocky spin-off six years ago.

Tony Bellew in the Rocky film

The former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew assumed his part in the first film of the Rocky franchise back in 2015, which culminated with a fight in Liverpool against hero, Adonis Creed.

He revealed Sylvester Stallone, the main lead in Rocky, told Tony to “call him Sly”. Tony also recalled that Stallone was “sitting there reciting poetry to the screen test.”

Bellew said: “[I got] a crazy phone call that I thought was a wind up. I said, ‘I’ve never acted in my life’. Before I knew it the director flew in. When I met him I thought, “He really wants me to do this.'”

I’m A Celebrity reprised role in Creed 3

Tony Bellew has been in the Rocky spin-off films, Creed and Creed 3, reprising his role as Pretty Ricky Conlan in 2022’s release. The character is based on the real-life boxer himself.

In the first Creed film, his character ended up winning the fight by split decision. He returned to the role in Creed III, where he fights Adonis once again after being released from prison, but is knocked out.

He told ITV cameras: “I’m a kid from the streets of Liverpool and I’ve been in a Rocky movie. It’s absolutely insane.” He said to Marvin and Danielle that he had “clipped” Michael B Jordan on purpose.

Film agent flew from LA to UK

Tony revealed that a film agent flew all the way from Los Angeles to meet him in the UK, which is when he realized how much producers wanted him to join the star-studded cast for Rocky.

He said on I’m A Celebrity a film agent first contacted him about Tony Bellew’s first Rocky film role: “He’s flew all the way from LA.” Tony added that, once convinced: “The fight scenes were brilliant.”

“I had input, MBJ had input. Three months we were together doing choreography, Mike hit me once, I clipped him, but I clipped him on purpose as that’s where he supposedly gets knocked out,” he added.

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