To celebrate the eagerly-anticipated release of King Richard, which opens in UK and US cinemas this weekend, we sat down with some of the film’s extraordinary cast to find out more.

Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard Williams (Will Smith) has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams (Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton) from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance, and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.

We spoke to Saniyya and Demi about their secretive auditions, portraying the Williams sisters and why, as young women, they are an inspiration and working with Will Smith; alongside Smith’s Richard is Aunjanue Ellis’ Oracene “Brandy” Price, the girls’ mother, a powerhouse and inspiration in her own right and Ellis tells us about Oracene’s strength, drive, and determination as well as putting Richard in his place, her sensational on-screen daughters and why the time is right for this story.

Finally, we spoke to Jon Bernthal about portraying legendary coach Rick Macci, getting his mannerisms and style right, the challenges of playing a real-life person when they are still with us and why the film is going to touch many hearts. We also snuck in a little question about the future of The Punisher

You can view the full interviews below:

King Richard opens in cinemas on November 19th.