Richard Kiel is a BIG star- literally. A familiar face to anyone who grew up on movies and TV series from the 1960s and 1970s, the Cinema Retro contributor has appeared in countless pop culture hits ranging from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to The Twilight Zone, The Longest Yard, Silver Streak and of course starring as the mute villain Jaws in the James Bond hits The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. For the last 27 years, Kiel has immersed himself in researching the real Cassius Clay. We're not talking about the early years of Muhammed Ali, but an actual historical figure who the legendary boxer was named after. In the pre-Civil War South, Clay was a plantation owner who went against the grain by freeing the slaves he inherited and paying them a living wage. This larger-than-life character fought slavery decades before the abolition movement motivated Abraham Lincoln to run for president. He also served as ambassador to Russia and was instrumental in the American purchase of Alaska. Topping things off, he was a man of action who killed two would-be muggers when he was 90 years old!

Richard Kiel wrote the newly-published biography titled The True Story of Cassius Clay: Kentucky Lion with Pamela Wallace, who co-wrote the screenplay for Witness. To read an interview with Richard Kiel about the creation of this important work, click here.

To order the book visit the official web site by clicking here