Eminem has just picked up his next acting role. Almost two decades after hitting the big screen with his acclaimed performance in 8 Mile, the famous rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, has been cast in longtime friend 50 Cent’s upcoming Starz series Black Mafia Family. He will appear in one episode as White Boy Rick, and his casting has been confirmed by 50 Cent.
“I’m honored and appreciative of my good friend Em for supporting my new show ‘BMF,'” Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson said in a statement, via TheWrap. “We couldn’t do a show based in Detroit without incorporating the legend that is Eminem.”
Tweeting the news, Jackson added: “Oh yeah i’m bringing the big dogs out, I couldn’t do a show based in Detroit without incorporating the legend @eminem. Got him to play white Boy Rick in BMF, this sh-t is out of here. Green Light Gang.”
Oh yeah i’m bringing the big dogs out, I couldn’t do a show based in Detroit without incorporating the legend @eminem. Got him to play white Boy Rick in BMF, this shit is out of here. 🚦Green Light Gang #bransoncognac#lecheminduroipic.twitter.com/YaklhzgJER
— 50cent (@50cent) August 17, 2021
Richard Wershe Jr., aka White Boy Rick, was a real-life teenage FBI informant in Detroit. At the age of just 17 years old, he was arrested on charges of cocaine possession and given a life sentence. He was released in 2020 at the age of 50 and has since filed a lawsuit against the FBI, alleging that he never would have gotten involved with drugs and gangs had he not worked as an informant as a teenager. He was the subject of the 2018 movie White Boy Rick starring Matthew McConaughey with Richie Merritt as Wershe.
Black Mafia Family follows Demetrius Flenory (Demetrius Flenory Jr.) and Terry Flenory (Da’Vinchi) as they launch Black Mafia Family, a drug and money laundering organization. The main cast also includes Russell Hornsby, Steve Harris, Michole Briana White, and Ajiona Alexus. Several guest stars will also be featured along with Eminem including Kash Doll, Snoop Dogg, La La Anthony, Serayah, and Markice Moore.
Starz has described BMF as a “story about love, kinship and capitalism in the pursuit of the American dream.” Randy Huggins serves as the series showrunner. Jackson and Huggins will also be executive producing with Terri Kopp, Anthony Wilson, and Anne Clements. Tasha Smith is on board to direct multiple episodes and executive produce. Senior Vice President of Original Programming Kathryn Tyus-Adair is overseeing the series on behalf of Starz, while Erin Conroy will oversee the project for Lionsgate.
Eminem made his Hollywood debut in 2002’s 8 Mile, a semi-autobiographical feature about an aspiring rapper in Detroit trying to launch a career in hip hop. The movie was a tremendous hit at the box office and earned Eminem an Oscar win for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself.” Eminem has made sporadic appearances in other movies and TV shows over the years, though they’ve typically been brief. The rapper also usually plays himself, such as for a cameo in the 2014 comedy The Interview.
Black Mafia Family, or BMF, is set to premiere on Starz on Sept. 26. In the meantime, Eminem fans can revisit his classic performance in 8 Mile by watching the acclaimed movie on the streaming service HBO Max. This news comes to us from TheWrap.