50 Cent On The Money With Movie Career - page 2

31 October 2009

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Q: And you met British hard man actor Danny Dyer, what was that like?

A: Yes, Danny Dyer's an amazing talent. That guy, he reeks of charisma, you know. I had got a chance to see Danny before the project in 'Layer Cake' and when Alex was telling me about the project that was one of the things that attracted me to it. I don't get involved in projects that don't have a certain level of artistic integrity to them.

But it is interesting, to do this film, I was working on a film project in New York 'Thirteen' with Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham and Ray Winstone. And I had a break for a few days and during the time I was off, I got this opportunity, so I flew to London and shot my scenes for this film. In fact they condensed the role so I could do it. And I then had to go straight back onto '13'.

Q: What was it like on '13' working alongside the heavyweights?

A: At this point it's exciting, but it's a learning experience for me. I mean, I've had the opportunity to work with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro before, and it's interesting from an artist's perspective to be around other artists that have an energy that is in some sense stronger than your own. It's like, when we go into the nightclub environment - I'm absolutely the man! That's where music lives, but when we're working on film projects and you're talking about Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, I can't get the attention, I'm like, 'Hello! film people, I'm over here'. It was the same with the likes of Mickey Rourke, so that project was a great project and I can't wait to get a chance to see it, how it comes out. When I got a chance to see the trailer, man, for '13' I was blown away, completely.

Q: You've worked around many people who are famous for playing gangster roles; have any of them asked you - a real life gangster - for advice on how to play it?

A: Well, they haven't yet. But I think that's because great actors can pull it off. They understand the aggression in the actual character and can convey that energy with no problem once they're in that mindset. It's just them working themselves into a stage and they find a place to grow from to be that character. I think most great actors have played good guys and bad guys.

Q: You've played a number of violent characters yourself; do you worry about getting typecast? Would you consider something different, like a comedy?

A: Sure, I'd do a comedy. A romantic comedy or something like that, it's just got to be the right one. I need to read it and really be excited by it, to commit to the actual project. Even some skits or viral clips that I put out personally, I'll put humour into, because there are lines, there are limits to how far you can actually go in music and entertainment with the aggression, or with the descriptions of it.

Q: Have you ever had to tone down your performance in films or got too involved in the aggressive side of your characters?

A: Yeah, absolutely. You have to tone it down because when you get into that mental space where you can do things and really get crazy for real - then, actually, in the script you shouldn't be doing it. Then you gotta pull back and get exactly what the director wants.

Q: Are there any examples of that happening with you on set?

A: Well, not to the point of breaking anything, but during 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' - that was my first film project - it was harder to play a character based on myself than another character, because I was drawing from my own self, my real experiences at different points in my life. But because film projects are shot out of sequence, you are mentally going back to these places where you're drawing from your real memories, a real dark scene - then the directors going 'cut' and you're moving onto the next thing and that's comedy. And I'm like, 'nah f**k that, we're still doing the other thing!'

I know it's a therapeutic process to think about your past for that long because you talk to the writer about party times and the past and I was reflecting on the things that had happened while we were shooting. It's probably the longest time I've ever spent reflecting on myself.

Q: You're in films called '12' and 'Thirteen' and have just signed up for a role where you're character is called 'Seven' - do you have a thing for numbers? Do you have a particular lucky number?

A: Well, seven would probably be the lucky number. But that's in 'The Ski Mask Way' which hasn't gone into production yet.

Q: There's rumours Forest Whittaker is to play your father in a film, are they true?

Yeah, absolutely. We are supposed to work together on a project called 'Jekyll and Hyde', so hopefully we'll be working with each other in January.

Q: Are you going to be playing Jekyll or Hyde?

Ha ha, well you gotta wait and see that one!

By Andy Tillett

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