“The Fire Inside” Star Ryan Destiny Reacts To Everyone Doubting That She Could Pull This Role Off — Boy, Did She Prove Them Wrong

Ryan Destiny is stepping into the ring with her most physically demanding role yet as she embodies the life of Olympic gold-winning boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in The Fire Inside. The gritty story highlights Claressa’s fight to the top, her traumatic upbringing, and those who influenced her along the way. Ryan delivered an impeccable performance, pouring her entire being into this athletic transformation. From grueling 12-hour days on set to a boxing training schedule that would make even a routine gym-goer cry, Ryan’s dedication to perfecting this portrayal is undeniable. It’s a genre we aren’t used to seeing her in, which is why she was so set on proving any naysayers wrong. 

I sat down with the Detroit native to learn more about what happened behind the scenes to bring this film to life, her favorite moments with co-star Brian Tyree Henry, the worst part about her diet, and turning doubt into fuel.

BuzzFeed: This role is like nothing you’ve ever done before, and you killed it! What was the audition process like?

Ryan Destiny: There was definitely an audition process. My team emailed it to me, and I knew how special it was instantly, but I didn’t think it would be something in my cards. I went into taping my audition in a more non-overthinking way, which I think helped in the long run because it allowed me to just do it and not think too much about it like I usually do. Then I got callbacks and continuously had to go through that process. It wasn’t too brutal. I remember they asked me to send in a tape of me boxing. so I had to go to some random gym and do that. God, the video was horrible [laughs]. I never want to see it again. But they have it.

You and Claressa are both from Michigan. Were you familiar with her or her story before you signed on to the project?

RD: I was not familiar, and there’s so many of us back at home in Detroit, where I’m from, that we literally had a screening for a lot of my people in Detroit, and a lot of her people in Flint, and there were a lot of people saying the same thing, like, they had no idea. It’s just insane to be so close in proximity and still not know about something so historic, like the woman that she is. It was pretty disheartening to realize that we didn’t know so, but now I do…and then some.

You were initially cast in 2020, but then the pandemic struck. You underwent extensive training to prepare for the role, but then had to relearn everything in 2022 when filming resumed. Would you say it was harder mentally or physically to get yourself back into athlete mode in 2022, and why?

RD: I don’t know. I think when I went in the second time, it was just harder in general, because I had, at that point, added on weight training to my regimen, so I was balancing between weight training and boxing training every week. I think I dieted even more intensely the second time too, to truly try to gain that weight. I’m someone who’s naturally slimmer, so the more I move, the more I lose. So, in order to keep the weight on me, I had to really stuff myself and feed myself full of protein, which was so nasty and it was not enjoyable. I think the second round might have been a little bit more challenging for me, honestly, and even though I knew the fundamentals, I knew how to box at that point, but I think it just came with a whole new set of pressure for myself. I think I pushed myself even harder that second time.

I figured there was some type of diet involved. Was there a certain meal that you had to constantly eat that now you look at and you’re like, “I’ll never touch that again,” because you had to eat it so much?

RD: I don’t think it was necessarily what it was versus how it was paired. I still love oatmeal to this day, but I had to eat oatmeal with nothing added to it. It was so disgusting. I’m like, “What? I can’t put anything in here?” Then it was the same with pancakes and French toast — everything was infused with protein, so it did not taste the same. I think it was more so how it was prepared, more than anything else, because there were things that I still ate on a regular basis, and they asked me for the things that I did like versus things I hated. They catered to that. They just had to take out everything that made it taste good [laughs]. 

Michael B. Jordan actually recommended the boxing coach who trained you. How involved was MBJ in the process and did he give you any tips along the way?

RD: Yeah, Mike put in a good word for Rob Sale, our coach to Rachel Morrison. Obviously, he and Rachel have a great relationship, working on Fruitvale Station and Black Panther, so she knew she wanted the right guy for the job. He put in a good word, and he was absolutely right. [Rob] was incredible! He really, really became a friend to me throughout the entire process. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my coach. Mike, throughout the entire process, was so supportive, and Rachel as well — they were very, very kind. He would give me advice whenever we would talk, and he’d share some uplifting words and all of these things because he knew exactly what I was going through. He had already done it twice at that point with Creed. So, he knew how brutal the training was and how tough it can be to also uphold that on set when you’re trying to juggle acting and being on the sets for 12-plus hours a day, plus having to stay fit and on top of your health. So, to have to juggle those things, I think he knew it all too well. I think he empathized with me a lot and just encouraged me. It was really, really, really nice.

You mentioned your boxing coach treated you like a boxer instead of an actor, which in my mind means there was no yelling, “Cut!” Has that “fight through the pain” mentality carried after the film wrapped?

RD: I felt like I had to throw up numerous times. I also felt like I had to pass out numerous times. He would push me to those limits all the time. I obviously needed it…to get over that hump, so after time went on, it didn’t take the wind out of me as much anymore. He pushed me like he would any other fighter that he would train. I think it was very helpful. We really created such a great bond throughout that time too, and there was a lot of love and respect there. I think that helped me get the motivation that I needed to get up every day on those days when my body literally hurt. It was a very, very different experience that I don’t think I’ve gone through before, but he was such an important part and piece of it. He was great.

When you push yourself past the level of comfort that you’re used to, it’s only up from there…it’s only growth from there. I think it definitely showed me a lot about myself, what my limits are, and what I can do when I really put my mind to something, even if it scares me. I’ve never been more scared about something than this. So it’s a great thing to obviously get past that point. Now I can push myself to another level even more with whatever is next. I’m just very proud of what I’ve created with such amazing people behind it. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them, and I’m just very proud. To have that sense of pride in the work that you’re doing is very, very special. I am literally forever changed and grateful for it.

The film was excellent, by the way, and I love how much you rave about the collaborative effort, that helped bring this project to life. I read that Ice Cube was originally cast, but then Brian took his place. You guys had great chemistry on-screen from the first time we saw you in a scene together to your press tour, you guys just seemed like the best of friends. Did you connect before filming started, or did it all happen on set?

RD: Most of it really happened on set because Brian was coming straight off of another production. I think he was coming straight off of Atlanta, and I believe it was a week in between the two. I don’t know how he did it, but he’s a professional. He does this all the time, and I can’t wait until I can get to that point. He came in, and we met maybe a few days before we were actually about to start filming together. We hit it off instantly. It wasn’t something that we had to force, and we didn’t have to have these instant deep conversations about how we would execute this. We just had great respect and trust in each other that we were both going to hold our own and do our jobs. 

I let his process be his process. He let mine be my process. Those things are really vital and important. I don’t know if a lot of people understand that. I think a lot of people come really intensely into things sometimes and try to kind of take over the ego, get involved, and all those things. There was none of that with us. We just formed such a great bond. He’s someone that I look up to and have looked up to and wanted to work with for such a long time now. To be able to do it with this project in particular was really, really special, because he became like a brother to me. He makes everyone around him better…a better performer, a better everything. He brings such a great energy on set, and it just lifts the energy all the way up. He was truly a gift to this film. I’m so thankful that he wanted to be a part of it. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him, literally.

What was your favorite scene to shoot with him?

RD: I want to say it was the fight scene between us, but there are so many scenes to choose from. I’d have to say the one where we had the big Jason/Clarissa breakup; that one was really fun to do. It wasn’t something that we thought too much about. We tried to really stay present in the work and kind of let it guide us through, trying to make it as organic as possible, genuine as possible, and natural. We didn’t want to have this whole conversation about what we felt each other should do. We just let it naturally happen. I think the most that we did was blocking, but the first time we did it full out was on camera, and it just kept growing and growing after each take. Again, it’s that trust in each other and in letting the other person have their time to shine, and knowing when to pull back is really important, and something that I think we both understand a lot.

Were any of the lines or actions improvised in that scene?

RD: I want to say yes, but I don’t remember which parts [laughs], but I do know for sure Barry’s writing as well was so good. It was so grounded and a lot of it did feel very natural from the jump, like right off the page. I know for a fact we added some things in there, but I don’t remember fully everything that we did.

I attended your chat with Angela Yee and Claressa Shields in NYC in October. During the event Claressa revealed she actually wasn’t sure about you playing her in the movie at first. Did that deter you at all, or did it fuel you to prove her wrong?

RD: I was definitely fueled with, “I’m really gonna go hard. I’m gonna go in on this so I can really prove her wrong.” But it was also like, dang, this sucks, because if this doesn’t go exactly how it’s supposed to, or if she herself doesn’t approve of it, that would hurt me…that that would naturally not be a great feeling. So, I definitely wanted her approval more than anyone else’s. Hearing things like that got me a little nervous to see how this was gonna turn out. It was a really motivational time period for me because I was also getting doubt from other people around me — my literal friends and people in the industry were shocked that I was the one who booked this part. It was just about proving everyone who doubted me wrong. It was good fuel. 

Outside of the physical demand, this movie also featured highly emotional themes and dialogue, especially scenes between Claressa and her mother. Did you have any conversations with Claressa to help you reach that emotional peak?

RD: I think my approach to it was a little bit of a few things: I obviously wanted to talk to her and get her insight on things, so whenever I did have questions, she was there to answer them. I wanted to make sure I got the dynamic between Claressa and her mom on point, for obvious reasons. That’s one of the most important relationships that we have in life. It was also just very complex, so there were moments in the script where I would just question like, “Why would she say that? Or why would she do that, or why would she go back?” I really wanted to hear from her and understand how she looked at her relationship with her mom during that time in her life and how she looked at it now. I wanted to know what she’d learned and how she felt about that moment — even though she was hurt by her in those moments, and even though it was a dark time — it was still her mom, and nothing could replace that. 

And you’re always going to have a soft spot in your heart for that person. You might not understand each other, you might bump heads, and you might not really like them at times. Claressa has even said that before. She said, “I loved [my mom], but I didn’t like her.” So there were things like that that I just really wanted to hear from Claressa to truly understand her. Apart from that, there was the documentary that I had that was so incredible and special to have, because it really gave a front row seat to all the dynamics that she had with her coach, with her siblings, with her mom, and with her friends. Those little things were the most important to me to be able to stand and execute well, because those are the things that hit home. I treated everything with the same intent and special attention, whether it be for the physical, emotional, or mental, was always the same for me. I am really glad that she was able to talk to me in that way and be open.

Well, you did an excellent job. The grit and compassion was felt. Did you and the rest of the cast bond at all off-set?

RD: It was tricky. It’s funny because the cast was so split up in a lot of ways. I have scenes with everyone, but not everyone has scenes with each other. On top of that, we were still in the middle of the pandemic, so everyone was pretty much on lockdown; they didn’t want us to go out. They didn’t want us to do too much and get COVID, especially me. I thought I was in confinement [laughs], like in my little bubble in the box where I couldn’t do anything outside of it. We really had our bonding time on-set and during rehearsals, where I would have to do the stunt choreography and work out as well. So those are my those were my nights out [laughs].

Are there any Easter eggs or small details in the film that we should know about?

RD: There are a few moments where you see me kneel down in the corner of the boxing ring at one point, that was something that Clarissa did every single time — she would pray. That was her praying and that was the stance that she would take when she would take a moment with herself and God. She would make sure she was in the right mindset to do the fight. Another thing was she always had a picture of her grandmother with her. I believe we had shot at one time, but I don’t know if it actually made the final cut. I always had i,t whenever I would carry a bag or anything like that, it would be in there. So maybe those two things are little details that people wouldn’t know or notice.

Lastly, do you take anything from the sets you work on as a memento? If so, did you take anything from this set?

RD: I sooo take stuff from sets [laughs]! I love it. It’s my favorite thing to do. It’s so fun. For this one, I always asked about taking so many things, and they tried to tell me no, but I took a lot of her T-shirts. Many of the T-shirts she wore were actual T-shirts from that time that they replicated. They were little vintage tees from the boxing gym she trained at. There was also just a lot of stuff that I ended up using during my scenes and when I would have to train. So I took a lot of that stuff home. Other than that, I don’t think I took anything else.

It was such a pleasure speaking with you!

For more of Ryan, check out her amazing performance in The Fire Inside, which is currently in theaters.