'I Embody the Fighter My Father Couldn't Be' – Melvin Boomer on Netflix's The Cage

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Melvin Boomer, star of the new MMA-centric Netflix series The Cage, was thrilled to have the opportunity to become the fighter on screen that his father would never become in reality.

In the five-episode drama series, Boomer plays the lead character Taylor, a young fighter struggling to find his path to fame and fortune in mixed martial arts until an unexpected, but career-changing fight comes about. Throughout the series, which has been described as both inspirational and gritty, Taylor encounters real-world UFC stars including Georges St-Pierre, Ciryl Gane, and Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.

Thus far, The Cage has received mostly favorable reviews with many of them praising Boomer’s performance as a struggling fighter from Paris. As it turns out, stepping into the role of mixed martial artist wasn’t that big of a stretch for Boomer.

“My father is an MMA fighter,” Boomer revealed in an interview with Schon! Magazine. Nowadays, he does Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but for a long time, he was an MMA fighter, even before it was legal in France. I followed him a bit all over, to Belgium, Portugal… It was never my aim to become a professional fighter like him, even though I did make my way through several practices, from Capoeira, and Parkours, to Break dancing, which I did for a very long time.

“So, it wasn't really my father to show me the way to this role, but it gave me incredible insight into the behind-the-scenes, to know what goes on before a fight in the changing rooms, the mindset of a fighter…”

Melvin Boomer’s Dad was ‘Very Proud’ of the cage

Raised in Vincennes, France, Boomer often traveled out of the country to watch his dad fight as MMA wasn’t legalized in The City of Light until January 1, 2020.

“My father is very, very proud. What's beautiful in this story is the fact that I embody, in a way, the fighter he couldn't be. He began when he was super young, and at a time when MMA weren't as accessible as they are nowadays. Now, with social media, if you're a young fighter, you can get ahead. He started in 2010 or 2011, but the whole scene has transformed since then. 

“There have been films about MMA — one with Tom Hardy, and a series called Kingdom, but it's not really a series on MMA. This is the first series based around MMA, around the leagues that really exist, like KSW or UFC, with a storyline around a fighter that isn't one that we're used to seeing.

The Cage — also known as La Cage in France — is currently available to stream on Netflix.