Nick Cannon had a brief run for awhile where he looked like a potential star in the making. Drumline had been an unexpected hit, in which he showed at least an ability to give a charming, crowd-pleasing performance. It all sort of went downhill from there, at least on the big screen, and now he's basically just the America's Got Talent guy who happens to be married to Mariah Carey.
So he kind of makes for an odd choice to play infamous drug dealer "Freeway" Rick Ross in Nick Cassavetes' upcoming biopic. We learned about the film a couple of years ago, and the search to find someone to play Ross has apparently been going on since. The announcement was made today via YouTube video by Ross and Cannon, where the two exchange hyperbolic platitudes. Ross's story is an interesting one, not at all like your typical drug dealer. His Los Angeles empire rose to prominence in the 1980s, and was supplied mostly by Contras, getting Ross mixed up in the whole Iran-Contra scandal. Of late, Ross has been embroiled in a legal dispute with rapper Rick Ross over the use of the name.
While talking to MTV, Ross said that he had spoken with Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Larenz Tate, Don Cheadle, and Colombus Short about the role, but he really took to Cannon. Ok, sure. Who wants Will Smith when you can have that guy from Roll Bounce? To be fair, Cannon was really good in the little-seen military drama American Son, and if he can bring some of what he showed in that film then maybe this won't turn out so bad. [THR]
