The Million Dollar Heist Cast and Character Guide

Kevin Hart’s true crime miniseries, “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” premiered Thursday, complete with an all-star cast.

The eight-episode limited series follows the true story of Muhammad Ali’s return to boxing in 1970 and an afterparty that led to one of the biggest robberies in Atlanta history. Determined to make Atlanta the Black Mecca of the United States, Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams (Hart) finds himself caught between entrenched gangsters and calculating robbers.

The series is based on the iHeart Radio true-crime podcast “Fight Night,” created and hosted by Jeff Keating. Will Packer Media produced the podcast and also served as executive producer on the series along with Hartbeat Productions.

Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, and Taraji P. Henson join Hart to bring this true story to life on screen. Read on for the full cast list and descriptions of the real-world characters they portray.

Kevin Hart as Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams

Hart takes a step away from comedy and stars as Atlanta hustler “Chicken Man” in the crime series. When a group of big money men descend on Atlanta for the Muhammad Ali fight, Chicken uses the attention to bring wealth and fame to his city. His goal is to create a Black Mecca in Atlanta and he sees gangster Frank Moten and his crew as the gateway drug. Hart served as executive producer of “Fight Night” through his production company Hartbeat. The comedian is best known for his acting roles in “Jumanji,” “Night School” and “Ride Along.”

Don Cheadle as JD Hudson

The Academy Award nominee plays J.D. Hudson, one of the first black officers to be hired by the Atlanta Police Department. Det. Hudson served as Ali’s bodyguard during the 1970 battle against Jerry Quarry and was later appointed the lead detective on the armed robbery case. Cheadle is best known for his role as James Rhodes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the “Iron Man” franchise and “Avengers: Infinity War.” He also appeared in “Hotel Rwanda” and “Crash.”

Samuel L. Jackson as Frank Moten

The “Django” actor plays New York gangster Frank Moten. Moten is one of the most powerful black gangsters in the country and comes to town for the fight with Ali. After attending an afterparty with an invitation from Chicken, he finds himself in an unusually difficult situation. Jackson, the highest-earning actor of all time with his titles grossing $5.8 billion domestically, is best known for his roles in “Pulp Fiction,” “Jurassic Park” and as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Taraji P. Henson as Vivian Thomas

The “Empire” star plays Vivian Thomas, whom she calls Chicken’s “partner with benefits.” The two run the Atlanta Hustler scene and work together to throw the best afterparty for Ali’s fight. Henson is best known for her roles in “Hidden Figures,” “The Color Purple” and “Hustle & Flow.” The actress previously worked with “Fight Night” executive producer Will Packer. She was also nominated for an Oscar for her role in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

Terrence Howard as Cadillac Richie

The Academy Award nominee plays Cadillac Richie, a New Jersey gangster and associate of Frank Moten. Howard has worked with several members of the “Fight Night” cast in the past. He co-starred with Henson in “Empire” and for his Oscar-nominated performance in “Hustle & Flow,” and later reprised his role as James Rhodes in the MCU to Cheadle. Howard is best known for his performances in the first “Iron Man” and “Crash.”

Chloe Bailey as Lena

The singer and actress stars as Lena, a key player in the armed robbery on the night of Ali’s fight in 1970. Bailey rose to fame as half of the sisterly duo Chloe x Halle. The two released two studio albums together and have since amicably pursued separate careers in both acting and music. Bailey most recently starred in the Peacock original film “Praise This.”

Dexter Darden as Muhammad Ali

Darden plays one of the greatest boxers of all time and the catalyst for the armed robbery, Muhammad Ali. After intense criticism for refusing to register for the Vietnam draft, Ali agreed to fight Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, despite national dissatisfaction with him. J.D. Hudson (Cheadle) is assigned as Ali’s bodyguard. Darden is best known for his role as Frypan in the “Maze Runner” franchise.

Sinqua Walls as McKinley (Mac) Rogers

Walls plays Mac, one of the organizers of the armed robbery. As one of the leaders of the heist, he is protective of his accomplices and his family back home. The actor has had recurring guest stars on “Teen Wolf,” “Friday Night Lights” and “Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Walls most recently played Kamal in the 2023 Hulu remake of “White Men Can’t Jump.”

Myles Bullock as Willie Black

Bullock plays one of the armed robbers, Willie Black, who joins Mac and several others to orchestrate the iconic “million dollar heist.” The actor co-starred with Rogers in 2023’s “White Men Can’t Jump” and starred in the Starz Black mob drama “BMF.”

Artrece Johnson as Faye Williams

Johnson plays Chicken Man’s wife and mother of three, Faye Williams. The star is a grounding force amid the chaos of the heist. She protects her family and children above all else and is, to a certain extent, forgiving of Chicken’s antics. Johnson has appeared in episodes of “Law & Order: SVU,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and “P-Valley.”