Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known as Eminem, is the best-selling rapper in recording music history. In a career spanning nearly 30 years and counting, Eminem has been one of the most dominant forces in hip-hop and has also pursued some acting roles here and there. Most notably, he appeared as up-and-coming Detroit rapper Jimmy Smith Jr., AKA B-Rabbit, in Curtis Hanson's "8 Mile." The film was semi-autobiographical, based on Eminem's real-life experiences, and won him an Academy Award alongside
co-songwriters Jeff Bass and Luis Resto. Although the film follows some derivative cinematic tropes, it is fondly remembered by Eminem fans as one of the highlights of his career, boasting success at the box office and on the Billboard charts.
Not every prominent musician can headline a film to box office success, as proven by The Weeknd's recent box office bomb, "Hurry Up Tomorrow." But to Eminem's credit, he certainly sold his role as B-Rabbit in "8 Mile" very well, given that it was tailor-made for him. Since his work under Curtis Hanson's direction was well-received, it impressed some in the industry to consider giving him roles in films that would have given him a different environment than Detroit, as well as a completely different genre than one would expect from the rapper who popularized the term "Stan" in our lexicon. In another timeline, he'd have starred in Neill Blomkamp's "Elysium."
Read more: The Greatest Character Actors Of All Time, Ranked
Eminem Was Considered To Play The Lead In Elysium
In 2009, Neill Blomkamp burst onto the Hollywood scene with his modern sci-fi masterpiece, "District 9." The film was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and remains one of the best directorial debuts of the 21st century. Cinephiles were eager to see what Blomkamp's follow-up would be, and to their excitement, he would return with another original sci-fi project with "Elysium."
"Elysium" stars Matt Damon in the lead role, and much like "District 9," follows Blomkamp's penchant for social commentary amidst the sci-fi backdrop. However, while the social commentary in "District 9" was handled effortlessly, critics felt that "Elysium" lacked the same bite. Blomkamp himself has been critical of his sophomore effort. Interestingly enough, the film could have turned out to be significantly different than what was produced, especially if it had starred Eminem as the protagonist. Blomkamp discussed his initial plans to AP:
"I'd written a low-budget version of 'Elysium,' which was a very different film. So with my low-budget version, which was a different film, I was like ... 'I want to try to find someone very unusual and weird and unexpected ...' And then he [Eminem] refused to leave Detroit, and the movie was meant to not be in Detroit, so I was like, 'That wouldn't work.'"
Ultimately, Blomkamp wrote the film on a larger scale, which inspired him to seek out a different, bigger actor to play the lead. Because of this, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker opted to cast Matt Damon. In an interview with Variety, Damon confirmed that Eminem almost headlined "Elysium" and reflected on some big roles he passed on in his acting career:
"You never know exactly what the alchemy is going to be. Sometimes you end up with somebody and you can't believe that wasn't your first choice the whole time. I've always felt the right actor gets the part. Even on movies like 'Milk' for instance. I was desperate to do the Dan White role. It was one of the best scripts I'd ever read. Then it got pushed back because of Sean [Penn's] schedule and I was devastated, even though it was only two weeks of work. "When I saw the movie and saw what Josh Brolin did with it, I went, 'You know what? The right actor got the part.' I do believe it all works out."
Eminem And Neil Blomkamp's Respective Film Careers Have Taken Some Interesting Turns
Following his well-received performance in "8 Mile," Eminem has mostly kept his screen appearances small, often playing an exaggerated version of himself. He made cameo appearances in the Judd Apatow comedy, "Funny People," and the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg political satire, "The Interview." Eminem also made an appearance in the HBO series "Entourage."
As for Neill Blomkamp, his film career has had its share of ups and downs. While he will always have "District 9" to be proud of, his projects since then have failed to garner a modicum of impact that his bold sci-fi masterpiece brought to cinemas in 2009. Following "Elysium," Blomkamp directed "Chappie," "Demonic," and "Gran Turismo." Blomkamp has expressed interest in returning to his original film with a sequel, which would be titled "District 10." Despite the career hiccups, Blomkamp brings a unique energy to the sci-fi genre that is desperately needed in our theaters. Here's hoping that "District 10" or his upcoming "Starship Troopers" movie can bring back some of that spark that burned so bright with his debut.
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