According to FMQB, P. Diddy (or whatever variation of that he wants us to call him) recently visited the set of the Notorious B.I.G. biopic that is currently filming and was so taken aback with Derek Luke’s portrayal of himself, he had to leave. “I had to leave, cause he was acting just like me,” the astute Didster said.
He also had high compliments for Jamal “Gravy” Woolard, who is playing Biggie. “Gravy’s killing it. If I tell you he’s killing it, then that’s all we need to say, you know what I’m saying? I don’t think anybody could have done a better job,” he said.
I have yet to see any footage, but I don’t doubt the actors are doing a good job. However, for me, biopics about recent people all seem to have the same problem in that, no matter how good the actors are, I would just as soon watch a documentary on the person using real footage. Jaime Foxx and Joaquin Phoenix both did amazing jobs in their respective biopics, but I can easily watch footage of the real Ray Charles or Johnny Cash. Ditto for Jim Carrey in “Man on the Moon” and the same goes for the upcoming Biggie one as well.
It works better when the person lived so long ago, there is no video of them. When I think of what Queen Elizabeth I looked like, I think of Cate Blanchett. But when I think of what Johnny Cash looked like, I think of Johnny Cash, not Joaquin dressed up to to look like him. Am I saying biopics of recently deceased people shouldn’t be made? No. I’m just stumping for more documentaries on rock stars. Long live Motley Crue “Behind the Music!”
