Wiz Khalifa is taking another venture into the world of acting. Entertainment Weekly revealed that the Pittsburgh rapper will be starring in a new TV series, Dickinson, as the role of Death. The show was commissioned by Apple for its upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service. It will present an updated perspective on the adolescence of famous 19th century poet, Emily Dickinson.
Seeing Wiz cast in this role might come as a shock to some, as he is widely known as a giggly stoner - far off from a grim reaper. But Dickinson's creator, Alena Smith, had a specific vision and it included Wiz. “We literally put Wiz Khalifa on our tone board as this would be the dream, like he’s the aesthetic we want Death to have and then somehow we magically got Wiz Khalifa, so that was incredible,” she told EW.
According to Wiz's fellow cast member, Hailee Steinfeld (who will play the lead role of Emily Dickinson), he "loved the idea of [the show] and "showed up unbelievably prepared." Since the show is aiming for a modern twist, hip hop will be prominent in its soundtrack, which also makes Wiz a perfect fit. “I wanted Death to be the coolest guy in the world because Emily is in love with Death,” Smith said. "I just really wanted it to be someone that you would genuinely get excited to see.”
Dickinson premiers on November 1.
Wiz Khalifa has also been dropping songs like crazy recently. Check out some of the loosies: "Neighbors", "No Rush", "Presidential Smoke", "No Change".