Soto explains that Charm City Kings represents Meek Mill "finding in this character a way to play a better version of himself, if that makes sense, of being able to really be himself and yet tell the version of himself he wants people to follow from now on."
The director notes that Mill certainly wasn't alone in his journey. "I think doing so, definitely, he had a lot of help from Will Smith. I'm sure his journey was an inspiration," Soto reasons. "Also, Louis Stancil, an acting coach, spent a lot of time with him, making sure he [went] over the [lines and] learned the body language. And he started loosening up."
Watching actors grow and hone their craft is one of the most rewarding things a director can witness on set. "It was really awesome to see him from the first day he came to set, and when we left, how he owned that character, how he embodied that character," Soto recalls. "How he even pushed himself to deliver the best performance he could."
Charm City Kings is available to stream now on HBO Max.
