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LaMonica Garrett joins George Blitch to unpack Man Of War, his first leading role in a major motion picture, and the wild way it came together. While filming a brutal, heat-soaked Lioness finale (for season 2) in Fort Worth, he gets an unexpected call from director William Kaufman: the original actor is injured, production in Europe is close, and an answer is needed fast. Garrett reads the script in hours, commits immediately, and is on a flight to Europe days later. The result is an action thriller built on urgency, performance under pressure, and the kind of preparation that defines modern military movies: learning character stakes while also learning the mechanics, movement, and muscle memory of an AK-47.
 
Man Of War centers on Michael Connor, a former Navy SEAL and CIA operative whose adopted daughter and niece is abducted as Russia invades Ukraine. The hook is familiar but the intention is not: the story doesn’t simply glorify a one-man wrecking crew. Garrett describes Connor as a reluctant hero, rough around the edges, and almost aggressively uninterested in anything beyond the rescue mission. That hardness becomes the starting point for the film’s real arc, where another character pushes back with empathy and moral urgency. The movie keeps the spotlight on civilians, the crossfire, and the fallout, aiming for a war film perspective that treats human cost as more than background texture.
 
One of the most powerful parts of the conversation is how the production’s emotional authenticity was shaped by people who lived it. On set in Bulgaria, several actors had fled Ukraine and were displaced by the real war. Garrett recalls conversations that reframed scenes, including a moment with an actress bearing a visible scar tied to drone strikes. Seeing the final cut later brought those stories rushing back, and he notes how audiences reacted emotionally to images of chaos, loss, and the violence that lands on ordinary families. For listeners interested in filmmaking, acting craft, and responsible storytelling, this is a clear example of how context and lived experience can change what an action movie feels like.

The conversation expands to Lioness (Season 3), promising bigger scale and “foreign soil” energy, plus upcoming projects including the Western Blood On The Promontory and a return to Bulgaria for a sci-fi dystopian film.

Man of War begins streaming on Amazon Prime & Apple TV on July 3rd, 2026

Lioness, seasons 1 & 2 are available now, and season 3 begins on August 2nd, 2026

Make sure to follow "LaMonica Garrett" on all socials to learn about his upcoming work and release dates!