50 Cent's portfolio in the entertainment industry possesses quite a vast diversity. The Queens business mogul rose to fame in the early 2000s as a hot hip-hop star under Dr. Dre and Eminem's wings and elevated his career to a whole new domain of acting by the 2010s. In addition to his multi-million selling rap albums, 50 is also the mastermind behind some of the best action and crime shows, including Power and its subsequent sequels.
It's been quite a journey in acting for the rap star. For someone with no formal education in performing arts, 50 is a born-ready talent with acting skills that come naturally. His debut full-feature film, Get Rich or Die Tryin, was released in 2005. Here's a simplified look at the timeline of 50 Cent's acting career.
6 50 Cent Founded G-Unit Films In 2003
Before making his acting debut, 50 Cent launched his production company, G-Unit Films, in 2003 to accommodate anything that 50 and his G-Unit soldiers made. The independent firm, however, was shortly disbanded when the rapper teamed up with Randall Emmett to form another company called Cheetah Vision, but he revived it in 2010. In the same year, he also inked a lucrative 10-movie deal worth $200 million. As noted by Rap Radar, the rapper was funded $20 million for each project through Grindstone/Lionsgate.
5 50 Cent Made His Acting Debut In 2005
Two years after that, 50 Cent's debut film, Get Rich or Die Tryin, had its first screening. Inspired by his explosive debut album of the same name, Get Rich or Die Tryin' is a semi-biopic movie that tells the story of a young man, who's fighting for his life after being shot nine times, as he seeks shelter in the rap game to escape his unhappy life. It drew inspiration from Eminem's 2002 flick 8 Mile and 50's personal life, and while it amassed negative reviews from the critics, the rapper's debut acting wasn't quite so bad.
4 50 Cent Also Wrote Screenplays For Several Films He's Starred In
In addition to acting, 50 also penned some of his movies. As noted on his IMDb profile, the rapper wrote the screenplay of the 2011 drama film All Things Fall Apart where he had to extremely drop from 214 pounds to 160 in just nine weeks of a crazy diet. The film itself centers around an aspiring football player with impressive athletic abilities as he fights for his life against cancer. It drew inspiration from 50 Cent's longtime childhood friend, who passed away from cancer; hence the project was extremely up-and-close and personal to him.
"I had so much muscle on me that it was hard for me to lose definition even as I got lighter and slimmer. I started running to suppress my appetite," he recalled his weight loss journey for the film in an interview, "Towards the end it was really difficult. It was like, if I don't get close enough to what my best friend looked like to me at that point before he passed, then I'm not doing the story any justice."
3 With 'Power,' 50 Cent's TV Career Peaked Between 2014 & 2020
However, after a series of TV cameos and a few box office flops, the peak of 50's acting career began in 2014 when he teamed up with Courtney A. Kemp for Starz's crime-drama series Power. He played Kanan Stark throughout the series' six seasons until 2020 and its subsequent spin-offs, including one that centers on his character, Raising Kanan, in 2021.
"I feel good, and then to have the spinoff perform. Viewership be higher than the original show, says, it speaks volumes," he told TV Fanatic about the spin-off. "Like the nostalgia of the 90s, the fashion, just the feel of it, even the musical choices, it all feels like for the kids right now, growing up and going out into this whole trap music sound."
2 50 Cent's Directorial Debut Came In 2019
Furthermore, 50 made his first-ever foray into directorial roles for TV series back in 2019. He directed the third episode of the sixth season of Power called "Forgot About Dre," an obvious nod to the infamous song of his mentors Dr. Dre and Eminem. He also directed the seventh episode of the first season of Black Mafia Family last year.
With that being said, it wasn't the first time he served behind the cameras, though. He also directed, wrote, produce, and starred in the 2009 crime drama flick Before I Self Destruct. It accompanied his fourth studio album of the same name.
1 What's Next For 50 Cent?
So, what's next? Despite approaching the latter stage of his career, 50 Cent's various ventures in entertainment have somehow kept him afloat. His recent series, Black Mafia Family, is a massive hit. Serving as the show's executive producer and writer, 50 takes his audience to the life of one of the most dangerous drug trafficking rings in the States. He's also set to star in the upcoming Expendables 4 alongside Megan Fox, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Iko Uwais, and more.