People first started calling him Pac' in high-school, but Demetrius Shipp Jr. couldn't have imagined what looking like Tupac would do for him and his career. Initially set on being a music producer, the actor from Carson, California had to be urged by his best friend to even audition for the role. Now he's playing the lead in one of the most anticipated and coveted films in the past five years.
He stopped by Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show to discuss his part in the new biopic. "Man, this is my first time on a talk show! This is great!" he says with a huge smile. The humble, 28-year old was an unlikely pick for the new movie, and had no intention of ever becoming an actor. "I was just working... trying to make a living. I always wanted to be a music producer, so, you know, working on that and then just doing my regular job, paying the bills." His regulars jobs included a variety of retail positions at places like Target, Sam's Club, and Sears he tells Fallon.
About the film, which is directed by Benny Boom, "they're just gonna get a great understanding of Tupac," he says, "[initially] I was a fan of the music and I didn't know the man. This is gonna give you an insight into the man." The film premieres this Friday, June 16th.