At the center of Fightland is an explosive performance by Howard Charles. The actor leads the Starz series as Maduka “Duke” Kilroy, champion boxer whose life takes a violent turn, sending him down a rabbit hole of crime and vengeance. And Charles’ portrayal, by turns seething and saddening, is the biggest reason the show works.

In an interview with TVBrittanyF.com, the actor explained what drew him to the character of Duke. He also spoke about what it was like to go from solving crimes in the British TV hit Whitstable Pearl to committing crimes in Fightland. Get to know more about Howard Charles and his character ahead of the Fightland series premiere.

Brittany Frederick: What was it about the character of Duke that made you want to inhabit him for hopefully years to come?

Howard Charles: I actually think it was his pain. When I first read the episodes. I just felt his pain. I really felt for the guy, and I wanted to honor him. He struck me as someone who was very complicated—perhaps misunderstood—and on the face of it seemed like this dangerous, reckless, vengeful character, but I didn’t judge him, and it was clear to me that that although he may be capable of terrible things, he’s not a monster. Far from it.

Duke is wounded. Duke is a man with a heart and a strong capacity for love, and so I think ultimately, although he may not necessarily be aware of it, Duke actually wants peace. But there are many different forms of peace. Peace can be gift-wrapped in a a box with a ribbon wrapped around it, or it can be a laying down of arms… This is the complexity of human nature sometimes. But the point being Duke is wounded, and I really felt for him.

Viewers might recognize you from playing DCI Mike McGuire in Acorn TV’s Whitstable Pearl. How interesting is it to go from solving crimes to playing in Fightland‘s criminal underworld?

Extremely interesting. It’s part of the pleasure of what it is to be a storyteller, I’ve been very fortunate, and had the pleasure and the privilege of playing a wide variety of very different characters. They all ask something different of you, and they often demand certain things from you.

With Duke, I knew I had to go much further into the deeper and darker spaces of the human heart. It was really important because like I said, on the face of it he may seem [to be] one thing, but underneath that is a man trying to survive the wreckage of his own life, and it’s compelling.

Duke is a very physical character. How would you describe that element of the role? Was that comfortable for you?

I’ve always done my own stunts, and I was very fortunate that I was allowed to do all my own stunts in Fightland. I love that physicality. I’m a very physical actor myself.

There are so many intense scenes in Fightland, not just physically but emotionally. What resonated with you throughout the season?

Quite frankly, this is a very rich character and rich world. Fightland, it’s populated with characters that are carrying grief, guilt, shame, rage, pride. And yes, it takes place in the world of boxing, but it’s really about family, and betrayal, and love, and vengeance.

And so fortunately for me, in the position I’m in, there are many, many, many, many scenes that I enjoyed playing and enjoyed kind of going up to that line and then going over it, artistically. It’s hard to pick one out. But something that does come to mind when you ask is the relationship between the father and the son. But that kind of covers a few characters, not just two, as it were. That relationship is quite important, I think, and I found [it] very intriguing and rewarding to explore.

Fightland premieres July 31, 2026 on Starz and the Starz app. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Starz.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.