Former Eagles defensive back and husband of Kerry Washington, Nnamdi Asomugha, is starring in his first major film role in the soon-to-be-released “Crown Heights.”
Opening this Friday, “Crown Heights” tells the real life story of Carl King (played by Asomugha), who spends 20 years searching for an angle to get his friend, Colin Warner (played by Keith Stanfield) out of jail for a murder he didn’t commit.
A Trinidadian immigrant, “Crown Heights” explores both the importance of a support system as well as the major flaws in the United States legal system. Despite King being sent to jail in 1980, the problems are ever present, as evidenced by a 2017 report by the National Registry of Exonerations that shows the majority of wrongful convictions are of black men.
In recent interview with Philly.com, Asomugha notes that there are more outlets than ever before to get these stories heard.
“There are so many more avenues,” he says. “So many more ways for people of color to get their stories out there.”
Crown Heights opens on Friday, Sept. 1 at select theaters, including the Ritz at the Bourse and AMC Marple 10.
You can check out the trailer below.
