Snoop Dogg's longevity can be in part attributed to the fact that his appeal is not merely aural, but visual. As his voice embodies cool, so does his physical presence — tall and unflappable. Early on, Snoop showed signs of promise as an actor.
During the beginning of his 1993 music video "Who Am I (What's My Name)," he rebuffs an expression of affection from his girlfriend. "You don't love me, you just love my doggystyle," he tells her, with a note of sorrow. The next year, he starred in Murder Was The Case, an 18-minute short film about his death and subsequent resurrection. This experience surely developed Snoop's appetite for thespian endeavors. Since then, he has made nearly 100 appearances in films and TV shows.
Ever eager to grow his brand, Snoop has fearlessly traversed all corners of Hollywood. He's written and produced pornos. He's appeared in soap operas and Oscar-nominated films. And though his range is somewhat limited, he's stayed committed to his craft. “Snoop is actually a really good actor,” said Training Day director Antoine Fuqua. “I never had to wait for him. We had over 200 people show up on the street — people screaming ‘Denzel! Snoop!’ I could barely get the shot out.”
"When I'm not longer rapping, I want to open up an ice cream parlor and call myself Scoop Dogg," Snoop once said. This (sort of) sums up Snoop's artistic approach. He does not view himself as merely a rapper. He is eager to adapt, to make himself useful in any setting. Indeed, some of these film and TV roles to which he has agreed give off the faintest whiff of desperation. But Snoop (estimated net worth: one hundred and thirty-five million dollars) is from desperate. He's a man who can't say no to life. He's Jim Carrey in Yes Man. In this regard, we could all stand to be a little more like Snoop.
Today is Snoop's 46th birthday. Happy birthday, Snoop! (Snoop-a-loop!) Celebrate by watching 10 of his most memorable TV and film cameos, from "Old School" to "Training Day" to "Soul Plane"... and beyond.
Old School
Snoop Dogg's performance during the Mitch-a-Palooza backyard bacchanal is interrupted by a PSA from a nude, inebriated Frank the Tank. Frank exits stage center and "Snoop-a-Loop," silky smooth under duress as ever, gets back into the music as if Frank's appearance never happened.
The Boondocks
Snoop voices Macktastic, a rapper and member of Thugnificent's Lethal Interjection Crew best known for his verse on Robert Freeman diss track "Eff Granddad." The only reason that I pack a strap / Is that I knew this old nigga was foul like hack-a-Shaq.
Chappelle's Show
Snoop voices Dangle, a promiscuous puppet ("I get so much puppet ass it could be from anywhere") who, with the help of Dave Chappelle and Q-Tip, endeavors to educate the children of Kneehigh Park about STDs.
Half Baked
We all know a guy like Scavenger Smoker, the incorrigible mooch who violates the sanctity of puff puff pass. I smell it, let me inhale it.
Training Day
In Training Day, Snoop delivers maybe the best performance of his film career. He plays Blue, a paralyzed crack dealer who leads Ethan Hawke on a thrilling chase and winds up meeting the Wrath of Denzel in the back room of a wig store.
One Life To Live
The producers of long-running soap opera One Life to Live gave Snoop a rare opportunity: write our theme song, and appear in an episode. His castmates' acting is Tommy Wiseau-grade terrible, but that theme song is pure flames.
Starsky & Hutch
Snoop's innate charisma and voice of caramel are enough to carry any role he takes on. This is especially true of '70s buddy cop rebooot Starsky & Hutch, in which he somehow makes a narc look cool. He plays Huggy Bear, the Lincoln-driving, newsboy cap-wearing, iguana-loving slickster.
Crank Yankers
RIP Crank Yankers. C DEEZ NUTS.
Freaknik: The Musical
Freaknik: The Musical is comfort food for your Sunday morning hangover. Snoop voices a gangster who holds up the Sweet Tea Mobsters at gunpoint and brings them to his boss, an Actavis-sipping medusa named Trap Jesus.
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Soul Plane
Snoop produces comedy gold in Soul Plane as Antoine Mack, a pilot who learned to fly on a prison flight simulator and is afraid of heights. Mack's résumé objective: "Fly big ass planes all over the world and meet fun and interesting people. (You know, get girls and shit!)."