Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is launching his new Starz series “BMF” (formerly known as “Black Mafia Family”) later this month, a project that marks his BFF Eminem’s first on-screen role of significance since 2002’s “8 Mile.”
So how did 50 convince Marshall Mathers to appear on the Starz series in the part of White Boy Rick, a casting first reported by TheWrap, when Em is clearly more into music than acting at this point?
“What did you say? Because he does almost nothing,” Jimmy Kimmel asked 50 Cent on Thursday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show.
“I actually directed the episode that he’s in. I called him. I put pressure on him, Jimmy,” 50 said in his most intimidating voice.
“Because he did ‘8 Mile’ and it was a huge hit and he was great in it, and then he was like, ‘OK, that’s it, I’m done,’” the ABC late-night show added.
“I think he had a terrible experience on that ‘8 Mile’ project, because he just didn’t want to go back again. Like, ever again,” the “BMF” and “Power” producer said. “There was periods that Hollywood would offer me things to get him. Yeah, like, his agent would go like, ‘Yeah, this is good, give it to 50 and then let 50 take it to him.’ So projects, they offered him $8 million to do it, he’ll look at it and I’ll go, ‘Did you read?’ ‘Yeah, yeah, I read it. I just think we should just we should do like “Warriors.” Like the old movie “Warriors,” we should do something like “Warriors.””
Kimmel spoke for all of us when he said: “He’s right, by the way, you should do something like that.”
“But I’m like, ‘Did you just miss the $8 million?’” 50 Cent said to laughter from Kimmel and the studio audience. “It doesn’t move him at all. He’s like, ‘Let’s just go record records, man.’”
Jackson’s “BMF” is inspired by the true story of two brothers, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who rose from the streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in this country. The Flenory Brothers were the real ones; White Boy Rick just got a lot of the media attention.
“Big Meech” will be played by his real-life son Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. Also starring on “BMF” are Da’Vinchi, Russell Hornsby and Michole Briana White. Snoop Dogg, La La Anthony and Serayah are recurring guest stars.
Rick Wershe Jr., aka White Boy Rick, was an FBI informant in his early teens, when he sold drugs and guns as part of a Detroit gang. By 17, however, he was dumped by the feds and arrested for cocaine possession. Wershe was sentenced to life in prison, though he was eventually paroled and released in June 2020, at age 50.
“BMF,” which is described by Starz as “a story about love, kinship and capitalism in the pursuit of the American dream,” premieres Sept. 26.
Watch 50 Cent’s full interview with Kimmel above.