An exceptional entertainer of his kind, Eminem is a household brand that spans across generations. Not only has he released many great rap albums throughout his career, but he has also helped break the boundary and set the bar high about what it means to be a competitive lyrical rapper. Despite being in the latter stage of his career at 49 years of age, Em still shows no sign of slowing down as he'd just released his latest album, Music to Be Murdered By, not too long ago.
In addition to rapping, Eminem is also a talented actor. He's best known for his debut major film 8 Mile, which depicts his early life as a blue-collar worker who seeks to make his name in Detroit's rap battle scene. Unfortunately, though, he was reportedly overworked at the time, amounting to over 16 hours of work every day, making it his only and possibly last big film appearance. So, what happened to his acting career since then? He's a simplified timeline of the Rap God's on-camera venture.
8 Eminem's First On-Screen Appearance
Before Dr. Dre took Eminem under his wing in the late 1990s, the melanin-deficit rapper was around the streets of Detroit to promote his music and join rap battles. He made his first-ever appearance in a music video for the Motor City's emcee Brian "Champtown" Harmon for his single "Do-Da-Dipity."
At the time, young Marshall was a part of Soul Intent underground rap group alongside his longtime friend DeShaun "Proof" Holton, who formed the rap group D-12 later on. Unfortunately, Em and Champtown had a fallout in his early career but later squashed the beef.
7 Eminem's Cartoon Mini-Series, The Slim Shady Show, Debuted In 2001
As Eminem's career skyrocketed after the stellar releases of Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP in 1999 and 2000, respectively, he launched a wicked comic miniseries titled The Slim Shady Show. The show itself takes on Em's sinister alter ego, Slim Shady, and Ken Kaniff, Big D, and Marshall "going through wicked adventures across Detroit."
6 Eminem's First Film Appearance Also Came In 2001
A lot of people may have thought that 8 Mile was Eminem's all-time debut in a film, but that was not it. In the same year, Em also joined Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre for their stoner comedy film, The Wash. Released through Lionsgate Films, The Wash tells the story of two roommates on the brink of bankruptcy looking for money to pay rent. Eminem's character, Chris, serves as one of the film's comedic relief and antagonists for his erratic and explosive antics.
5 Eminem Introduced The World To B-Rabbit With 8 Mile In 2002
Eminem reached the highest peak of his career with 8 Mile, its Oscar-winning soundtrack "Lose Yourself," and career-defining third major album The Eminem Show. In 8 Mile, Eminem portrays B-Rabbit, a working-class Detroit citizen who seeks to "make it out" in the African American-dominated scene of Motor City's rap battle. The film itself was a cultural reset at the time, and commercially speaking, it amassed over $242 million out of its $41 million budget.
Unfortunately, that was the last time we'd ever seen Em portraying the lead character in a movie. Since then, it seems like he's never going to join his rap compatriots Ice Cube, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg as rappers-turn-actors. He did secure a few cameo appearances here and there though, most notably in Funny People (2009) and Entourage (2010) as a fictionalized version of himself.
4 Eminem Starred In 50 Cent's Video Game As A Corrupted Cop In 2005
In 2005, Em joined 50 Cent's lucrative video game project titled 50 Cent: Bulletproof. In this wicked action-packed video game, the rapper voices Chris, a corrupt police officer who serves as 50's informant throughout the game. Its soundtrack ended up winning the Best Original Song at the 2005 Spike TV Video Game Awards. A classic PS2, Xbox, and PSP of its time.
3 Eminem's Appearance In An MTV Skit In 2009
As a child, Eminem had never actually finished high school after spending three years in the ninth grade due to illegal absence and poor grades. Fresh out of rehab, he made his return to the rap game in the late 2000s with an MTV skit "Eminem, Where Have You Been?," portraying a fictionalized version of himself going back to high school once again. In the same year, he also released his accent-packed eerie-themed Relapse album and won a Grammy for Best Rap Album for that.
2 Eminem's Hilarious Cameo In James Franco's The Interview In 2014
In 2014, Em satirically came out as gay in his cameo appearance in James Franco and Seth Rogen's The Interview. The film itself centers around Franco and Rogen's characters as they go on an adventure to North Korea to assassinate the infamous dictator that rules the country. Despite its commercial failure, many see The Interview as a comedic film that manages to bend the rules and pokes taboo subject.
1 Eminem Starred As White Boy Rick In 50 Cent's BMF Crime Drama Last Year
Em's latest on-screen appearance happened just last year when he joined 50 Cent's newly-released BMF series. Taking place in Detroit in the late 1980s, Em portrays White Boy Rick, the infamous former drug trafficker who became the FBI's youngest-ever key informant, in the seventh episode "All in the Family." More to come?
