'I think we both have empathy for these men'

Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry chat about immigration and their training regime for their new boxing biopic film Giant

- Lynn Rusk

Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry chat to Lynn Rusk about immigration and their training regime for their new boxing biopic film Giant.

When British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed won his first world featherweight title in 1995, he became the first British Muslim boxer to claim a major world championship.

Known for his unorthodox style and flamboyant, arrogant persona, he quickly became a global sporting icon both inside and outside the ring.

Born in 1974 and growing up in an immigrant family in Sheffield, Hamed was a protégé of Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, who spotted his talent and flashy southpaw style at an early age and helped take him from the streets of Sheffield to the pinnacle of the boxing world.

Now, a new film starring Amir El-Masry as Hamed and Pierce Brosnan as Ingle explores their unlikely relationship and Hamed's rags-to-riches underdog journey.

Written and directed by British-Indian filmmaker Rowan Athale, Giant also explores the racism and islamophobia that Hamed faced, which swept Britain in the 1980s and 1990s.

Brosnan, 72, says he watched one of Prince Naseem's fights in New York during the height of his career and even met Brendan Ingle in person.

"I knew about Prince Naseem. I had actually seen him box in New York, and I'd met Brendan but I didn't realise it was Brendan, if that makes sense," explains the former James Bond star.

The Irish actor says Athale's script captivated him and accurately portrays the relationship between Ingle and Hamed.