Update: Kick-boxer Bob Sapp is reportedly being offered this role.
Since casting for the new Conan remake began in January, stuntman-turned-actor Raw Leiba has been rumored to be a strong contender for the part of Ukafa, one of the movie’s key villains.
With the news that the producers are auditioning other actors, including wrestler Shad Gaspard, is Leiba out?
“We’ve definitely been in talks,” Leiba tells TheTorchOnline.com about his relationship with the movie, “but the deal is I’m kind of committed to other projects, and currently I’m trying to work it out, and they’re trying to work it out as well. I’m very excited — I want it to happen now. But unfortunately, these things take time.”
Leiba says, “I feel confident if I were to straighten out my schedule, the role would be mine. But that’s why they haven’t taken the ‘rumored’ off the Conan IMDb page. Until somebody’s really in, nobody’s really in.”
The character of Ukafa is reportedly a massive, gold-toothed African, a mighty warrior who helps lead the Kushite tribe on the savannahs of Kush. He’s the second-in-command behind the character of Khalar Singh, but is plotting to overthrow that leader’s son, who is next in line to be commander.
“He just kicks a lot of ass,” Leiba says of the character. “He doesn’t care. He kicks a lot of his own tribe’s ass, and he kicks a lot of other people’s ass too. He’s just an ass-kicker!”
According to Leiba, the character of Singh has not been cast yet, but Sean Hood, the screenwriter for the upcoming Hercules movie, has been brought in to do last-minute rewrites that may result in Ukafa becoming the movie’s central villain.
Leiba is best known for roles on The Wire and Street Fighter: The Later Years.
He’s says he’s not worried that other actors are auditioning for the part.
“I think I’m perfect for the role,” Leiba says. “I can’t see them going with actors outside of me, unless I’m unable to do the project. I’m an actor first, but I also have martial arts experience, and I also do stunts. You add those three together, it’s phenomenal. The idea of getting in there to fight Jason Momoa [who's been cast as Conan] would be really cool!”
As for the audition process, Leiba says, “I like to come to my auditions in character. So when I go to audition [for Conan], I go to get dressed in the bathroom, so I put on this ‘warrior’ outfit, which is basically me naked with a bunch of chains around my neck. They had me read some lines that might supposedly be in the script — you never know if they will be. And then they looked at my physique — they really liked it. And they asked me why I’d be best for the role, and I told them exactly what I just told you.”
According to Leiba, a final decision will probably be made in the next week or so. On the other hand, the fact that they just brought in a new writer to do re-writes means the production is still somewhat in flux.
“I’d love to work with [director] Marcus Nispel. I think he’s an absolutely fantastic director, and Sean Hood is a fantastic writer.”
It’s possible he won’t be able to get out of his other commitments, Leiba says — “There’s a million-dollar penalty for one of them,” he says.
“The thing that would disappoint me most — I’ve been getting so many emails and positive responses from fans — if I can’t do it is I feel like I’d be disappointing them.”
Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
