Anthony Mackie to Portray Johnnie Cochran in Film About Police Violence

By Sameer Rao May 03, 2016

Before he achieved international fame as O.J. Simpson‘s defense attorney, Johnnie Cochran established his reputation when he represented the family of Ron Settles, a Black man who was found beaten and hanged in a California jail cell. Now, actor Anthony Mackie is set to portray the Cochran in a film about that case.

According to Deadline, the "Captain America: Civil War" and "She Hate Me" actor signed on to star as the lawyer in the still-untitled movie about the 1981 case. Settles was arrested by the officers of the Signal Hill Police Department. His death was ruled a suicide, and none of the officers involved faced jail time. 

Mackie also stars in the upcoming HBO film "All The Way," portraying Martin Luther King Jr. alongside Bryan Cranston’s ("Breaking Bad") Lyndon Johnson.