Make no mistake about it, Andre Fili is still very much focused on becoming a UFC champion, and he intends to fulfill that goal. But he’s also got some plans for what might come after that.
“It’s definitely my life’s ambition to be an actor,” Fili told MMA Junkie. “I have a lot of things I want to do in fighting. I’m going to be a world champion at some point. I’m working my ass off towards that. There’s goals I want to accomplish. I have a lot to prove.
“I had a rocky couple of years, and I found my footing a little better, so I’ve got a lot to prove in this world, still, but acting is definitely something I want to do after I’m done fighting, or even at the same time, maybe, towards the end. But it is exciting.”
Fili’s film debut is finally available for viewing with Tuesday’s release of “Green Rush,” a Lionsgate film produced in part by UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber. Fili is a credited cast member and said he had always dreamed of appearing in film.
“I’ve always wanted to act,” Fili said. “I really love acting. I did drama in high school. I wasn’t, like, your typical drama kid. I was out running around getting in trouble and getting in fights, but I really enjoyed acting, so I did drama in school until it got to the point where you have to try hard, and I just wasn’t trying hard at anything. I wasn’t trying hard at school at all, so I stopped doing drama. I really stopped doing everything at school, but I always loved acting. I always wanted to act.”
“Green Rush” creator and producer Rick Lee, a former MMA Junkie videographer, describes the film as “‘Murder Mountain’ in reality.”
“The movie involves a lot of twists and turns,” Lee said. “It’s pretty dark – it’s pretty dark. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised.”
Fili said he found the process of shooting the movie a welcome challenge, though not nearly as daunting as stepping into a cage.
“No one’s punching you in the face or kicking you in the head,” Fili said. “It’s definitely long days, and it’s a little intimidating because I was around a bunch of very legit actors, and I’m not a legit actor yet. I didn’t want to be the guy that sucked. I didn’t want to be the fighter guy they brought in that blew it, so there was definitely some moments where I had to take it real serious and I had to put a lot of effort into it, but it was always fun.”
And now, many months after putting in the work, Fili said he’s excited for fans to finally get a chance to view his work.
“I’ve always wanted to do movies, and getting to do my first one was exciting, but it’s even more exciting that now people get to see it, finally,” Fili said. “Because it’s cool that you get to do a movie, but no one can watch it. You’re just like, ‘I did a movie,’ but no one having seen it, like it doesn’t really matter until people watch it.”
“Green Rush” is now available on UHD, On Demand, and Redbox. The cast includes Mike Foy, Paul Telfer, Kriss Dozal, Misha Crosby and Andre Fili.
With release of 'Green Rush,' Andre Fili certain he's found his path after fighting
