Just weeks after the troubled Tupac Shakur biopic, All Eyez On Me, found a new director, we now know who will play Tupac himself. TMZ reports that the role of Tupac will be played by Demetrius Shipp, Jr., a relatively unknown actor whose only previous appearance was in one TV movie.
According to TMZ, Shipp landed the role in part because his father, who works in the music business, crossed paths with Tupac when Shipp was a kid, and he's been a huge fan ever since. Aside from the tenuous connection, there's another, more obvious reason Shipp was perfect to play the rapper: They look almost identical. To prepare for the role, Shipp has reportedly been taking acting classes four times a week.
Director Benny Boom, who picked up the project after former directors Carl Franklin, John Singleton, and Antoine Fuqua all left film, posted a few exclusive shots from set, and Shipp appears to be in his element.
The biopic reportedly covers Tupac's entire life, including his murder in 1996. It's worth noting that DPG 4 Life, the alleged sequel to the enormously successful Straight Outta Compton, cast a different Tupac, and Compton featured yet another Tupac (Marcc Rose). Maybe they can take a group photo or something.
