A legendary bodybuilder who competed in his early 60’s, Tony Pearson opened up about his latest documentary based on his life story.
Pearson, mentored by Arnold Schwarzenegger joined The Roman Show to talk about the award-winning, feature documentary Driven: The Tony Pearson Story.
Winner of the Grand Prize, Best Documentary Feature at the 2023 Golden State Film Festival, the documentary is set to premiere on major streaming platforms in all English language speaking territories, including Apple, Amazon, Google Play and VUDU, on October 6, 2023.
The documentary is based on a biography written by Pearson. It came to life after a client suggested to put his book on film.
“You read the book and you put emotions into it but when you put it on screen and you see someone narrating or crying through it, you can feel the emotions and what they have gone through,” he said. “It has been a long road. I have been blessed.”
He wrote the book in an effort to inspire people and to push them to believe in themselves.
“It is not a bodybuilding documentary. It is a true story based on real life and it is inspiring. It can inspire anyone no matter the age. Arnold was a great motivation to me. If you don’t work out or you have never been to the gym, you should see watch because you will feel emotion.”
Tony Pearson first came to California at the age of 19 with only 75 dollars to his name. At the world famous Muscle Beach, Arnold Schwarzenegger saw Tony training and encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming a champion.
Tony went on to become a legend in the bodybuilding community, winning multiple titles over four decades in the AAU, WBBG, WABBA, IFBB and NABBA organizations all over the world. He has been featured in fitness and lifestyle magazines around the globe and has made many television appearances over the years.
In 2020, Tony came out of retirement for one last competition.
He also gives his thoughts on the world of bodybuilding. Hear the complete interview on this week’s episode.
