Remembering Tupac: A Film Retrospective
Today would have been the slain rapper's 40th bday
1 / 9
Juice (1992) - Pac shows off his acting chops as the troubled Roland “Bishop” in this gritty film alongside Jermaine Hopkins, Khalil Kain and Omar Epps. He plays a convincing sociopath enamored with James Cagney in the film White Heat. Set to one of the dopest film soundtracks of the '90s, Bishop and his crew get caught up in the pursuit of status and rep with murder and mayhem pursuit in the streets of Harlem.
2 / 9
Above the Rim (1994) - In this hoop dreams drama, Shakur plays neighborhood thug Birdie. Onscreen he tormented Marlon Wayans, but off camera the two became great friends. Pac’s “Pour Out a Little Liquor” was featured on the double platinum soundtrack, which also included "Regulate" by Warren G. featuring Nate Dogg.ABOVE THE RIM, Tupac Shakur, 1994, (c)New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection
Photo By Photo: New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection
3 / 9
Poetic Justice (1993) - Pac plays a mailman in the John Singleton-directed film, co-starring Janet Jackson as “Justice,” Regina King and Joe Torry. On a drive up the California coast to Oakland Tupac’s character, Lucky, falls for Justice—in real life, however, Pac says Janet changed her number.
4 / 9
Gridlock’d (1997) - Tupac as “Spoon” and Tim Roth as “Stretch” are heroine addicts determined to kick their habit in a detox program after a friend overdoses. But they have to get past the police and drug dealers first. Thandie Newton, in one of her first starring roles, is “Cookie,” Tupac’s lounge singing dope fiend girlfriend.
5 / 9
Bullet (1996) - Mickey Rourke is a drug addict parolee living in Brooklyn who robs neighborhood dealer, Tank, played by Shakur. The two were nemesis in the film but respected each other off set. Rourke once said about Shakur, "I had met Tupac before and I thought it was funny because I never get to meet anybody that's supposed to be, like, bad, because I'm usually in that category. There was just this unspoken thing that two men feel and understand. It's been great working with him. Been f---in' great. I look at him and I think, "Yeah, this motherf---er would pull the trigger on me.”
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