After making his critically acclaimed acting debut in the semi-autobiographical 8 milesMarshall Mathers - aka Eminem - became one of the hottest merchandise in Hollywood. The already famous rapper briefly explored the possibility of becoming an actor.
However, despite his sizzling and heartfelt performance in 8 milesEminem has only appeared in a handful of movies since 2002, popping up in small roles and glorified cameos in movies like The interview And Funny people. This isn't because he didn't get any offers; in fact, Eminem was approached many times to star in a number of major blockbuster films. But the infamous rapper is also notoriously picky when he signs up for projects that take time away from his family and music career. Believe it or not, here are eight big movie roles Eminem turned down.
8 The fighter
Before Mark Wahlberg landed the role of Micky Ward, Eminem was very close to starring as the underdog boxer in The fighter.
The gritty Oscar-winning drama went through a number of different iterations before David O'Russell signed on to direct. According to producer Todd Lieberman, Eminem grew out of the huge success of 8 miles and wanted to make a boxing movie. Lieberman thought Slim Shady was perfect for the part of Ward and gave him the idea. While he doesn't specify how close Eminem was to taking on the role, Lieberman said there was a very real possibility of it happening.
When Eminem eventually passed on the project for unknown reasons, it was pitched to Matt Damon and Brad Pitt for the roles of Mickey Ward and his trainer/half-brother Dicky Eklund, respectively. Darren Aronofsky was set to direct this version of the film, but the project ultimately fell through.
7 The Fast and the Furious
Paul Walker will forever be remembered for his role as Brian O'Connor in the wildly popular Fast and furious franchise. As hard as it is to imagine anyone else playing that role, there was a brief moment where a few actors stepped up for the role, including Eminem.
Before Walker took the role, Eminem was originally asked to star in the film. Twice. However, the schedule is inconsistent 8 miles prevented Eminem from accepting the job. Stranger still, Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale were also considered for the O'Conner character before Paul Walker was (thankfully) chosen.
6 Elysium
Before Matt Damon signed on as the lead in 2013 Elysiumdirector Neill Blomkamp approached Eminem for the role.
The $115 million sci-fi blockbuster was originally conceived as a smaller, grittier film. Blomkamp's first choice was the South African rapper Ninja (van Die Answer). But Ninja had never acted before and was hesitant to embark on such a big project for his debut. It wasn't long before he retreated.
Since Ninja was no longer interested, Blomkamp contacted Eminem. Although the rapper Eminem was intrigued by the opportunity, he would only agree to the role if they could film the movie in Detroit. When Blomkamp couldn't make that work, Eminem dropped out of the project.
5 Sweater
When director Doug Liman starred in his 2008 sci-fi action movie Sweater, he met many actors. One of them happened to be Slim Shady.
When the script forSweater Stumbled upon Eminem's agency, he met with Liman to discuss the possibility of starring in the film. According to the director, it was more the producer's idea to cast him, but Liman was nonetheless impressed with the rapper and willing to work with him to build out the role that suited his personality and abilities.
However, when Liman auditioned for Hayden Christensen, talks between him and Eminem came to nothing. While Eminem didn't technically turn down the role, it's interesting to imagine a version of Eminem as an action star.
4 Training day
Before Eminem made his acting debut in 8 mileswas he originally slated to star in Antoine Fuqua's gritty 2000 crime drama Training day.
In the film, Denzel Washington plays corrupt narcotics officer Alonzo Harris, who takes Ethan Hawke's ambitious but naive Jake Hoyt character under his wing. When Eminem was first approached to star in the film, rumors claimed he was ready for the role of Hoyt. But he was actually approached to play one of Alonzo's shady criminal associates. Had he accepted the role, he would have teamed up with Snoop Dogg and his mentor, Dr. Dre, have played.
3 Rival gangs
At one point in his career, Eminem was offered $8 million to star alongside fellow rapper 50 Cent in a movie that would star the two rival gang members in Detroit, Michigan.
50 Cent has said that Eminem was initially excited to star in the movie, especially since they would have filmed in his hometown of Detroit (being able to go home every night was a big deal for the rapper). However, Eminem wanted to change the script to more closely resemble the 1979 cult classic The warriors. It's unclear if 50 Cent rejected the proposed changes, but the project ultimately never materialized.
2 Mad Max: Fury Road
Prior to casting Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky Mad Max: Fury Roaddirector George Miller was interested in possibly starring Eminem in the lead role.
In an interview with VultureMiller confirmed that he had become interested in casting the rapper after seeing his performance in 8 miles. His co-star in the film, Britney Murphy, sang Eminem's praises for George Miller, who decided to meet with the rapper to discuss starring in the film. Although he was interested in the film, the film was to be shot in Australia and Eminem did not want to leave Detroit. That ended up being a deal breaker and Eminem called it quits. It's crazy to imagine what Fury gone would look like with Eminem in that part.
1 Southpaw
Producers Alan and Peter Ritchie developed the boxing drama Southpaw as a protagonist for Eminem. They found the actor to be an undeniably raw and striking screen presence, and thought the father-daughter relationship at the heart of the story would have appealed to him, whose daughter Hailie has been a major influence on his life and career.
When the producing partners contacted Eminem, he signed within 24 hours. When Antoine Fuqua took on directing, he flew out to meet Eminem and the two hit it off. The project was officially greenlit, but four weeks before Eminem was to begin training for the film, the rapper dropped out of the project, wanting to focus on his next album.
Alan and Peter were heartbroken by Eminem's decision, but they didn't want it to derail the project. The producing duo contacted Aaron Paul, Travis Fimmell and Charlie Hunnam for the role of Billy Hope, before finally choosing Jake Gyllenhaal.
Although Eminem did not star in the main role Southpaw, he loved the movie and Gyllenhaal's performance in it. The rapper would write and perform two original songs for the film, as well as release the soundtrack on his record label.
Comments
Post a Comment