Actor Chidi Ajufo has joined forces with action superstar Jason Statham (“Snatch,” “The Transporter”) for the action drama “A Working Man.” In the film, Statham plays a Levon, a construction worker and a former British Marine commando forced to hunt down criminals who kidnap his boss’s daughter. Ajufo plays Dutch, a military veteran he encounters while on the quest to hunt down a human trafficking network.
“They said they were looking for a big Viking of a man, and I’m thinking they want some long-haired, blonde Scandinavian guy,” Ajufo shares. “But I still did the audition and in less than a week, I got a call,” adds the British Nigerian actor who says he was particularly keen to dive into the physicality of the role and engage in stunts with Statham.
“He is a very nice and friendly guy and after watching a lot of his movies like ‘Snatch,’ it was cool to work with him. It was a very physical role, but I came from a basketball background, so I’m used to four, five hours of practice every single day. The fact that they were calling me in for five days a week, every week for a month and a half, to train, I was, like, ‘Yes, bring me in. I’m ready. I don’t care if my body’s sore, my back is hurting, my knee is hurting. I’m coming in.’”
Sylvester Stallone is behind the film’s screenplay, which is based on the book “Levon’s Trade” by Chuck Dixon and the drama is directed by David Ayer, who is known for bringing gritty realism to films such as “Training Day,” “Harsh Times” and “Street Kings.”
“David has his hands in many things. He is so chilled and cool and it’s interesting learning and working with him,” adds Ajufo whose movie credits include “Gladiator II” and “The Book of Clarence.”
With plenty of brawls, fisticuffs, shootouts and rumbles, there’s a lot to appreciate in this vigilante justice drama for Ayer knows how to cook up intense scenes and packs the film with its fair share of punches.
“People are going to see something different from a typical action film,” Ajufo continues. “There is some comedy and sadness and of course it’s also visually entertaining.”
Rated R for strong violence, language throughout, and drug content A Working Man” releases in U.S. theaters Friday.
By Samantha Ofole-Prince
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