How The Cast Of Judas and the Black Messiah Compares To The Real People

The events in Judas and the Black Messiah might be hard to fathom for some, but the story told is a true one and it didn't happen all that long ago. The film takes place during 1968 and 1969, so some of the real-life people portrayed by the Judas and the Black Messiah cast are still around today.

We know that Fred Hampton was killed by police in 1969 when he was only 21 years old, but those who surrounded him — whether they be his loved ones or those who fought against him — continued on with their lives. For Roy Mitchell, the FBI agent who hired an informant William O'Neal to track him down, that meant a continued career in law enforcement. For his fellow Panthers leader Bobby Rush, it meant a switch to traditional politics, a job he is still active into this day.

There's also Hampton's partner, Akua Njeri (formerly known as Deborah Johnson), who played a role in the production of the film, along with her and Hampton's son, Fred Hampton Jr.

Click through the slideshow to learn more about the cast of Judas and the Black Messiah, the real people they portray, and to see how their appearances compare.