Paul Giamatti will be lending his acting chops to the biggest hip-hop film of 2015.
Hollywood Reporter says that the 47-year-old — who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2005 Oscars after his turn in Cinderella Man — will play N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller in next year's Straight Outta Compton.
HR notes that Heller was a prominent figure in the music industry before signing hip-hop's most successful gangsta rap collective. He was known for representing acts such as Journey, ELO and REO Speedwagon (not to mention stints as tour manager for Elton John and Pink Floyd).
His will mostly be remembered for his foray into hip-hop. He co-founded Ruthless Records with Eazy-E, oversaw the rise of N.W.A., and later was accused of being a primary reason for the group's eventual breakup.
Giamatti does not have much of a history with hip-hop, although rappers Factor and Evil Ebenezer teamed up for the single "Paul Giamatti" earlier this summer.
The title appears to have been culled from a verse, with the name-drop used strictly as part of the rhyme scheme:
Poppin' a molly with Paul Giamatti
Walking like a zombie talking to Gandhi
Not exactly the stuff of legends, but it's a start for a guy who has never been known for his street credibility.
The movie itself is roughly a year from release, but it has already been in the news several times.
The crew survived a drive-by shooting right next to the set in Compton this week, which may or may not have been karmic retribution for a series of racist casting calls earlier this year.
Ice Cube, Gary F. Gray and Dr. Dre are involved in the making of the film, while O'Shea Jackson, Jr. (playing his father, Ice Cube), Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E) and Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre) are among the actors slotted to play famous rappers in the movie.
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