How the Star of Race Trained to Be Jesse Owens, Once the Fastest Man on Earth
To win four gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympics, Jesse Owens had to do more than just be an incredibly gifted runner. As a black man, he also had to battle against the racism of Hitler’s Germany, where the 1936 Games were held. So to play Owens in the new movie Race, out Friday, actor Stephan James had to learn not only how to run, but also how to have the determination of Owens himself. To do that, he drew inspiration from Owens’ example. “When I look at a guy like him who was able to go over to Berlin, Germany and accomplish what he did, you think, ‘If Jesse Owens can do it, then I can do it,’” James says. Find out more about his preparation to play the track star in the video above.