More About Tupac's Acting Career

Tupac's Acting Career

At the time of his death, Tupac was also building on his acting career. John Singleton wrote the film Baby Boy with Shakur in mind for the leading role, but Shakur died before it was made. It was eventually filmed with Tyrese Gibson in his place and released in 2001, five years after Shakur's death. From 1991-1996, Shakur acted in seven films, including the critically acclaimed Juice, Poetic Justice with Janet Jackson, and Gridlock'd with Tim Roth. He had also been slated to star in the Hughes brothers' "Menace II Society" but was replaced by Larenz Tate after assaulting the directors.

Tupac: Resurrection (2003), directed by Lauren Lazin

On November 14, 2003, a documentary about the rapper entitled Tupac: Resurrection, was released under the supervision of Afeni Shakur and narrated entirely in Tupac's voice. The movie was nominated for "Best Documentary" in the 2005 Academy Awards.

Biggie & Tupac (2002), directed by Nick Broomfield

Gang Related (1997)

Two cops, played by Tupac Shakur and James Belushi, kill an undercover DEA agent by mistake, and frantically try to cover their tracks by framing a homeless man for the crime. That involves juggling evidence, coaching witnesses, and improvising to keep their desperate scheme from unraveling.

---

Gridlock'd (1997)

After a friend overdoses, Spoon (played by Tupac Shakur) and Stretch (Tim Roth) decide to kick their drug habits and attempt to enroll in a government detox program. Their efforts are hampered by seemingly endless red tape, as they are shuffled from one office to another while being chased by drug dealers and the police.

---

Rhyme & Reason (1997)

A study in the world of hip-hop, done mostly with interviews, in order to see why it is as popular as it is today and what the future holds. This documentry features Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Puff Daddy and Ice-T among others.

---

Bullet (1996)

In this gangland action thriller, a pair of urban underworld thugs struggle to come to terms with both their intense, violent rivalry and their grudging respect for one another. A small role for Tupac (playing Tank).

---

Above The Rim (1994)

Story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationships with his two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a basketball star now employed as a security guard. Tupac Shakur stars as Birdie.

---

Poetic Justice (1993)

After witnessing the murder of her first and only boyfriend, young Justice decides to forget about college and become a South Central Los Angeles hairdresser. Avoiding friends, the only way for her to cope with her depression is by composing beautiful poetry. On her way to a convention in Oakland, she is forced to ride with an independent-minded postal worker whom she has not gotten along with in the past. After various arguments between them and their friends, they start to discover that their thoughts on violence, socially and domestically, are the same. Justice may finally feel that she is not as alone as before. Movie stars Janet Jackson as Justice and Tupac Shakur as Lucky.

---

Juice (1992)

Best friends Q, Bishop (played by Tupac Shakur), Raheem, and Stell live in a world where fun and danger exist side-by-side, and violence is powerfully seductive. These four Harlem friends take on the neighborhood - and each other - to get the power and respect they call Juice.

---

Nothing But Trouble (1991)

A financier [Chevy Chase] meets a spurned lover [Demi Moore] and agrees to take her to a business meeting. On the way there, they run a stop sign in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. They are arrested and taken to the local court. But all is not as it seems: the courthouse and the "prison" are a maze of zany booby- traps and deadly contraptions. The antics of the captured couple as they try to escape from the mad judge and his bizarre family make up the rest of this unusual film. Tupac Shakur appears in a cameo as a member of Digital Underground.