With the release of the eagerly anticipated Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me released in cinemas across the UK today, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the actor tasked with bringing the visionary artist to life, Demetrius Shipp Jr. Paired with Kat Graham, who plays the musician’s closest friend Jada Pinkett Smith within the film, we discussed the challenges on portraying such revered figures on screen.
Shipp Jr. explained the difficulty in capturing the essence Tupac, and why it’s important not to bow down to fan pressure. We asked Graham about playing somebody still alive, and somebody who will no doubt have watched the title – and whether she sought advice, or feedback from Pinkett Smith.
Given one of the leading themes in the movie is America’s issue with having powerful, black individuals in the public eye (something Tupac’s mother Afeni Shakur warned him about within this title), we wanted to discuss how important it was to these two actors that the film explores this notion, which is still all too relevant today.
All Eyez on Me is released on June 30th.
