Kiki Seto has been cast to play Talia Shire and Robert Morgan as Burgess Meredith in “I Play Rocky” at Amazon MGM Studios, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
Addtionally, Saul Stein will play Sal, an NYC Union rep, and Trevor St. John will play Grant Bader, a composite Hollywood boxing coordinator, in the Sylvester Stallone biopic charting the making “Rocky,” directed by Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly.
The four new cast members star alongside previously announced actors Anthony Ippolito, AnnaSophia Robb, PJ Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, Matt Dillon and Stephan James. Production is currently underway and the film will be released in theaters.
The story follows Stallone’s adamant belief that he not only serve as the writer on “Rocky” but also be the one to play the character despite being turned down numerous times. Eventually, Stallone was famously given a shot to star in the film, proving the underdog classic began before the cameras even started rolling.
“Rocky” remains one of the most successful sports movies ever made. The 1976 film spawned a slew of sequels and later a trio of “Creed” spinoffs starring Michael B. Jordan. Stallone earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for “Rocky” in 1977 and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the first “Creed” film in 2016. “Rocky” won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1977.
Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha are producing “I Play Rocky” with Farrelly. FilmNation Entertainment is handling production services and international sales. Peter Gamble wrote the script.
Seto is an L.A. native who returned to acting two years ago. She recently appeared in Seth Rogen’s “The Studio” for Apple TV+.
Morgan most recently appeared in “The Accountant 2,” adding to a body of work that includes standout performances in “Hacksaw Ridge” and Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” On the television side, Morgan recurred on the critically acclaimed Netflix series “The OA.”
Stein first received notice for his role in 1992’s “Laws of Gravity.” Soon after, Spike Lee cast him in Nick Gomez’s “New Jersey Drive.” More recently, Stein was seen recurring in the past two seasons of “Chicago P.D.” and in HBO’s “The Deuce.” Additional guest star roles include “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Film credits include “The Ministers,” “Open Water,” “Arthur,” “Cafe Society” and “Dead Man Down.”
Trevor St. John attended college on a jazz performance scholarship where he played the drums with the likes of pianist Gene Harris and competed at (and won) the Slide Hampton Jazz festival with his big band. After three decades as a professional actor and musician, he recently wrote, directed and starred in the feature film “A Good Enough Day.” St. John is represented by Luber Roklin Entertainment.
Seto is repped by Jackson Entertainment Management (JEM) and Coast to Coast. Morgan is managed by Bohemia Group. Stein is repped by Kerner Management Associates.
