Before his death, Tupac Shakur reportedly auditioned for the part of Jedi Master Mace Windu in 1999's Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, according the website 2Pac-Forum. Rick Clifford, who worked as an engineer at Death Row Records, told the website in an interview that Shakur had told him about going to a reading with George Lucas for the film. Unfortunately for Pac, the part ultimately went to Samuel L. Jackson.
As Rolling Stone notes, the period in which Shakur would've auditioned in unknown; however, shooting for the film began in June 1997, less than a year after his murder in September of 1996.
"Pac found out that I worked for Brian Austin Green, who was on 90210, then he found out I [worked on] some movies, so we always talked about his film career and stuff," Clifford said in the interview. "He was telling me that he was supposed to read for George Lucas and them. They wanted him to be a Jedi. I'm serious. Samuel L. [Jackson] got Tupac's part. [Tupac] said [to me], 'Old man, keep your fingers crossed.' He said, 'I've got three movies coming up. One of them, I've got to read for George Lucas.'"
Beyond his work as an iconic rapper, Shakur also acted in seven films during his career including 1992's Juice (along side Jackson), 1993's Poetic Justice, 1994's Above the Rim, as well as the posthumous releases Bullet, Gridlock'd and Gang Related.
Lucasfilm has not yet commented on Shakur's audition. Do you think Shakur would have made a better Mace Windu? Let us know in the comments section below!
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