EXCLUSIVE: 50 Cent Talks His ‘For Life’ Debut As Cassius Dawkins
In ABC’s prison drama For Life, inmate Aaron Wallace (Nicholas Pinnock) is working desperately as a novice defense attorney assisting other inmates while trying to excavate details about his own case that could aid in his release. The series is based on the life of Issac Wright, Jr. a wrongfully convicted felon who became a lawyer while still incarcerated.
In this exclusive clip from Tuesday night’s episode, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (who is also a producer on the show) makes his debut on For Life as a new inmate named Cassius Dawkins. In the clip, Dawkins arrives at the prison and immediately makes a strong impression on the warden, Indira Varma (Safiya Masry). Unlike his character Hush from 2013’s Escape Plan, Dawkins has no eyes on escaping.
BET got the scoop from 50 Cent about playing this new character and how he’s different from his Power villain Kanan Stark.
BET: How is your character, Cassius, different from Kanan on Power?
50 Cent: What happens in Power happens in low income environments all the time, with a guy that makes it to the top of a drug trade and maybe he could have possibly made it in a legit way because he did well in the illegal way.
Cassius Dawkins never had anything or accomplished much on the outside, but on the inside he is someone to watch out for. His drive is how to achieve control inside the prison system. His arrival in the prison immediately makes things more dangerous. He gets energy from that reputation, that fear from the other prisoners.
BET: What does Cassius’ arrival mean for our hero Aaron?
50 Cent: Cassius has no interest in going home. He is the polar opposite of Aaron and doesn’t understand why he is working so hard to get out. Cassius never meant anything to anyone on the outside. He isn’t needed on the outside. Aaron has a family that he is fighting to get back to.
BET: Is your character based on a real person or part of the fictionalized aspect of the show?
50 Cent: He is a fictionalized character. Prisons are filled with lots of people like Cassius Dawkins. People who are institutionalized and only know how to function on the inside. They know how to function when they can create fear in others. That’s where Cassius gets his power.
To see what happens when Cassius and Aaron meet, tune into For Life, Tuesday at 10pm on ABC.
