- Characters like Jay and Kim must adapt to dangerous circumstances beyond their control.
- Protagonists balance loyalty, guilt, and self-preservation, offering a perspective grounded in vulnerability.
- The show highlights how not everyone chooses to enter perilous situations, but must find strength to endure.
While Fightland centers on a former boxing champion’s quest for revenge, stars Tyler Conti and Tahirah Sharif say some of the series’ most compelling stories belong to the characters simply trying to survive the fallout.
During a recent press day for the STARZ drama, created by Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith and executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, actors Tyler Conti and Tahirah Sharif spoke with BOSSIP’s Lauryn Bass about portraying two characters unexpectedly swept into a dangerous world where loyalty, guilt and survival often outweigh personal choice. Rather than leading the conflict, their characters are forced to respond to it, offering viewers a different perspective on the show’s crime-filled landscape.
Tyler Conti Says Jay Finds Himself Caught In Someone Else’s Fight
For Tyler Conti, Jay represents someone whose good intentions quickly collide with circumstances far beyond his control.
“Jay’s in a place where he wants to prove himself,” Conti said. “He’s motivated by guilt and loyalty, and I think he’s got it in his head that he’s going to be there for Duke no matter what.”
As the story unfolds, however, Jay begins to realize the reality of what he’s signed up for.
“The conflict is that he has no idea what Duke has been through or what Duke is willing to do,” Conti said. “I’ve got to follow him into that whirlwind.”
That emotional vulnerability is exactly what first drew Conti to the role.
“I cared for him,” he said. “I saw him as a human being. I saw his flaws and also his positives.”
Rather than portraying a traditional action hero, Conti believes audiences will connect with Jay because he approaches the world with empathy.
“He wants to do better,” Conti said. “He’s a bit of an underdog, and you always want to cheer for the underdog.”
He also sees Jay serving as one of the audience’s primary entry points into the story.
“I think he represents a moral compass within the show,” Conti said. “I think a lot of the audience will see the show through the eyes of Jay and root for him.”
Tahirah Sharif Says Kim Learns To Survive By Wearing Different Masks
For Tahirah Sharif, portraying Kim required stepping far outside of her own personality. Sharif explained that unlike herself, Kim can’t always reveal what she’s truly thinking or feeling.
“Kim is acting off choices that have been made by other people that were never part of her own plan,” Sharif said. “She’s being pulled into this world that she didn’t necessarily always want to be in in such a dangerous way.”
As a result, Kim constantly adapts to survive.
“She’s having to survive by any means necessary,” Sharif said. “That does mean putting on different masks and having to hide your true self from the people around you.”
The role challenged Sharif because it required balancing what Kim says with what she’s actually thinking.
“It was quite hard,” she admitted. “In life, I’m probably a private person, but if you ask me a direct question, I’m going to answer it directly.”
Kim, however, couldn’t afford that kind of honesty.
“She’s having to be really cunning and calculating in the answers she gives and the information she lets out about herself,” Sharif said. “It was tiring at times because Kim is thinking something completely different from what she’s saying.”
Finding Humanity In The Middle Of Chaos
Although Jay and Kim navigate Fightland in different ways, both actors said their characters are defined less by violence than by the difficult choices they’re forced to make.
Jay enters the story hoping to prove himself while remaining loyal to someone he admires, while Kim struggles to protect herself in circumstances she never anticipated. Together, they offer viewers a perspective grounded in vulnerability rather than power.
Their stories also reinforce one of Fightland‘s central themes: not everyone enters dangerous situations by choice. Sometimes survival means adapting, questioning your instincts and discovering strengths you didn’t know you had.
As Fightland unfolds, Conti and Sharif hope audiences see more than the action. They hope viewers recognize the humanity behind the decisions their characters make when life changes in an instant.
Fightland premiered July 31 on STARZ, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays.
