Wanda Sykes Takes On Her First Dramatic Film Role In Tamika Miller’s ‘Undercard’

Inside the boxing world, the fighters who headline the card usually receive the spotlight. Yet the stories that unfold earlier in the night often reveal the harder truths of the sport. Director Tamika Miller’s new film Undercard takes its name from those overlooked bouts, drawing inspiration from the people who spend years chasing a chance that may never come. The drama centers on a complicated reunion between a former boxing champion and the son she once left behind.

The film also marks a new chapter for Wanda Sykes. Known primarily for her comedy, the veteran performer steps into dramatic territory for the first time on screen, portraying a once-great fighter whose career and personal life have unraveled. The character attempts to rebuild a relationship with her son by training him for the biggest fight of his life. Sykes also serves as an executive producer on the project, working closely with Miller throughout the production.

For Miller, the origins of Undercard stretch back to a period when boxing had become part of her daily routine. While training in Los Angeles, she began to observe the fighters and trainers who spent countless hours inside the ring chasing a breakthrough.

““The idea, the spark, was born at Wildcard Boxing Gym, where I was working out with a trainer and got to know a lot of the boxers there, a lot of the trainers,” Miller said of the story’s beginnings. “I was a bit obsessed with boxing at the time, just as a workout, but I wasn’t trying to get hit. However,  I was around these fighters every day and I started noticing the personalities and the stories.”

Many of the people she met at the gym shared similar motivations. Some were rising prospects hoping to reach the top of the sport, while others had already seen their best days, but each person was willing to take on the sacrifice that boxing demands. Miller eventually partnered with writer Anita M. Cal to shape the script.

“At the forefront for me as the writer, the stories that I tend to gravitate toward are those intimate stories,” Miller explained. “Boxing is the backdrop of the film, but the relationship between a mother and son is something people recognize. Everyone has some connection to family, and that connection carries a lot of history, a lot of pain, and sometimes a lot of love.”

Casting Sykes in the lead role added another layer to the project. Miller saw something in the comedian’s work that suggested she could bring depth to a dramatic character shaped by regret and determination. Sykes said she immediately felt confident in Miller’s vision when the project was first presented to her. “The script was really good,” she explained. “Tamika presented the deck and I just knew right away that she knew exactly what she wanted and how it should look. Her vision was so clear that I felt comfortable saying yes. Sometimes you get involved in something and the direction isn’t clear, but that wasn’t the case here.”

Preparation for the role began earlier than Sykes expected. Before contracts had even been finalized, Miller invited her to visit the same gym that inspired the film. “She told me, ‘Meet me at Wildcard Saturday morning,’” Sykes said, laughing. “I’m thinking, wait a minute, we haven’t even locked this in yet. But she threw me right into the environment. I’ve always loved boxing. I grew up watching it, so being there with the fighters and trainers made it easy to get immersed.” Training sessions soon became a regular part of Sykes’s routine. The experience helped her understand the physical discipline and mental focus required inside the ring.

The emotional preparation came later, just before production began. Miller arranged rehearsal sessions between Sykes and Bentley Green, who plays her estranged son in the film. “Tamika brought Bentley in while I was performing a show out in Palm Desert,” Sykes said. “She put us in a room together and had us do exercises and rehearsals. She pushed us toward vulnerability. Right there I realized this role was going to ask something different from me.”

Behind the camera, Sykes also took on the role of executive producer, which allowed her to remain closely involved with the creative process. Additionally, Miller built a creative team that reflected her own perspective. Many of the key positions on the film were >William Stanford Davis, Roselyn Sanchez, and Berto Colon. Prior to the theatrical release, the film premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, and later earned the Audience Award for Best Independent Film at the St. Louis International Film Festival. And for Miller, the recognition signals that the story is connecting with viewers.

“I think people see pieces of their own lives in these characters,” she said. “At its heart, the film is about forgiveness and trying to repair something that was broken. That’s a journey many families understand.”

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