Before Tupac died in 1996, he was almost certainly going to be an absolute star in Hollywood. His charisma and magnetism in his songs translated just as well to his films, especially in his haunting debut role in Juice. Films like Poetic Justice, Above The Rim, and Gang Related saw him radiate on the silver screen. George Lucas even deeply considered Pac for the role of Mace Windu before he passed away, and the role went to Samuel L. Jackson.
Even though Tupac beefed with seemingly everyone in hip-hop, this brash nature didn’t seem to impact how he did in Hollywood. In fact, he even sparked a deep, meaningful friendship with Jim Belushi before he died. They starred in the 1997 film Gang Related together, where the pair work as two corrupt cops. The pair accidentally kill an undercover agent, prompting them to attempt to frame a homeless man for the tragedy.
The film included an all-star cast, with James Earl Jones, Dennis Quaid, Gary Cole, and Lela Rochon giving strong performances. However, it was Pac and Belushi who developed a friendship during the making of the film. In Belushi’s eyes, he believed the All Eyez On Me legend would’ve dominated Hollywood if he didn’t die.
The Unexpected Friendship of Tupac and Jim Belushi Explained
“I guess a lot of people don’t remember (it was a long time ago) but Tupac and I did a movie together called Gang Related. I think if he had survived his 20’s he would have had an amazing career as an actor. He was dialed in,” Belushi wrote on Twitter back in 2021. “It was a pleasure to work with him!”
Additionally, the actor and comedian shared an incredibly heartfelt exchange between the two. “Every time I watch the sunrise, I think of Tupac,” Belushi admitted in another Twitter post. “We once watched the sunrise together after a long night. It was quiet for a second then he looked at me and said ‘I’m a thug, I prefer the sunrise.’ I really don’t know what that means, but I still live by it to this day.”
Pac didn’t just impact Jim Belushi. Director Jim Kouf recalled watching the rapper dazzle in scenes during a 2018 interview. “Tupac was great to work with. He really wanted acting to be his way out of the music world, which was controlling his life at the time,” Kouf revealed. “He was also going to score the movie, but was killed 10 days after we finished shooting.”
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