Mekhi Phifer Was Worried About Eminem's Lack Of Acting Experience While Making 8 Mile

Summary

• Mekhi Phifer revealed Eminem's dedication to acting and his initial doubts about his ability to perform in 8 Mile.
• Phifer and Eminem built a strong friendship during the five months of filming.
• Phifer suggests that Eminem's difficult experience with director Curtis Hanson may be a reason why he hasn't returned to acting since 8 Mile.

Despite already being a music industry legend, Eminem catapulted his stardom into the stratosphere when his semi-autobiographical 2002 film, 8 Mile, was released. While 8 Mile's $242.9 million box office earnings only account for a portion of how the acclaimed rapper made his net worth, it is certainly one of his most beloved achievements.

But to claim that the success of the Curtis Hanson-directed film lies squarely on Eminem's shoulders would be a fallacy. Sure, Eminem's performance and music (including the showcased 'Lose Yourself') were nothing short of outstanding. But Mekhi Phifer's supporting performance as Eminem's best friend, Future, is electrifying. During an interview with Vulture, Phifer, who became famous for his role in Spike Lee's 1995 film Clockers, revealed the truth about his relationship with 8 Mile and Eminem, as well as if the two tolerated each other during production...

What Mekhi Phifer Said About Working With Eminem On 8 Mile

The supporting cast of 8 Mile was nothing short of stacked with the likes of Michael Shannon, Brittany Murphy, Chloe Greenfield, and Kim Basinger. However, for many, it was Mekhi Pfifer would really stole the show. During an interview with Vulture, Phifer revealed what it was really like to work with Eminem in the Curtis Hanson film.

Phifer revealed that he was a huge fan of Eminem's music prior to signing on to play his best friend, Future, in the 2002 movie. While he had seen Eminem in his short scene in 2001's The Wash -- Eminem's debut performance on screen -- Phifer definitely identified him more with music. This, of course, wasn't an obscure opinion. However, Phifer quickly released just how committed Eminem (Marshall Mathers) was to acting.

"I didn’t know how serious he was as far as being an actor. Back then, they were doing a lot of those rappers-in-movies movies — and they weren’t good. So when it initially came up, it was like, 'Come on, you can’t be serious; I’m going to play a doctor!' But I loved the music. I always thought Eminem was a genius with his artistry and his wordplay. I had all his music, but I didn’t think it was going to translate into doing a good job in the film. And I was very wrong."

Mekhi Phifer realized just how committed Eminem truly was through various conversations the pair had.

"I could tell that he was serious about it. And he was nervous. He was a fan of my work, and, obviously, this is what I do, and so he really sought advice. Just him asking questions and conversing, it felt like, 'Yo, this guy really wants to do a good job.'"

While Phifer was, in no way a stranger to acting when he shot 8 Mile, he was a foreigner in the realm of rap music. This is where he leaned on the late-rapper Proof as well as Eminem for guidance. But director Curtis Hanson, who also didn't come from the world of rap/hip-hop, also aided Phifer in his journey due to the month of rehearsals he afforded them. It was during this time that Mekhi Phifer and Eminem built a friendship.

"We spent five months together, Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and he was great. So Em had three trailers: his trailer, a trailer that was a studio, and then he had a workout trailer. Between takes, Em would go to the studio, and sometimes we’d go in there and fool around with him. But he’s very, very focused about his music and he had a lot to do with the soundtrack."

But Eminem wasn't closed off while making his music. In fact, he invited Phifer to take part in it.

"I remember one day, we were all on the set shooting, it was two or three in the morning, and Em walks up, like, 'Mekhi, I want you to come to the studio. I wrote this song and I put your name in it.' And I said, 'Oh, word? Okay, let’s go.' So we all piled into the studio and he played it. It was raw, wasn’t mixed or anything, he had just written it and recorded it. And when he said my name, everybody busted up, like, 'Yo, this is crazy!' But I didn’t know it was going to have that much impact and be the workout anthem of the world. For him to put me in that song, it’s a testament to how close we were. We hung out a lot; we played basketball at his house, we swam at his house. So it really made me feel good for him to think of me in that way."

During his interview with Vulture, Mehki Phifer claimed that one of the reasons why Eminem hasn't returned to acting (including rumored 8 Mile sequels) is due to the difficult time he had with director Curtis Hanson on set.

"I think he had a great experience with 8 Mile, but collaborating with Curtis was tough for him, just creative differences when it came to the music and things like that. When you are a rapper, a writer, and a producer, you’re used to being in charge of your destiny, whereas film and television is too much of a collaborative effort. You have to deal with the writers, the directors, the producers, the other actors, locations, timelines. I’ve noticed that a lot of musicians who are really in control of their career will collaborate — but on their terms."

What Mehki Phifer Really Thinks About 8 Mile

One of the questions Vulture journalist Derek Lawrence asked Mehki Phifer during their interview was what he thinks about most when looking back on 8 Mile. The ER actor claimed that the first thing he thinks about is how he almost turned it down. Why? Because he didn't think Eminem could carry a movie on his own.

"The only thing I’ve ever seen [Eminem] do before 8 Mile was that movie The Wash with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre — and it wasn’t anybody’s finest hour. So I thought it was just a joke. But then they told me that Curtis Hanson was directing. I was a huge fan, I thought he was a great storyteller, and he had just done L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys. They wouldn’t release the script, so I had to go to Curtis’s office to read it, and I loved it. So that got me excited, and then they flew me to Detroit so that Eminem and I could hang, since we play best friends in the movie."

It's clear that Mehki Phifer is extremely grateful for his experience making 8 Mile. Not just because he loved the role, the direction, the people of Detroit (where it was filmed), but also because of the relationship he built with Eminem.

"It was one of the best experiences."