Rapper/Actor Xzibit has been honing his acting chops going toe to toe with Academy Award nominees Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson as the villain Shyne on Fox’s Empire.
He chatted with The Knockturnal about working on Empire, his upcoming movie and more.
I wanted to start off by asking with your role on Empire, possibly being your biggest acting role to date, I was interested to hear how your past roles have prepared you to take on your character?
Xzibit: Well, you know, it is my first television series, it’s that as a first. I’ve done franchise films where I played FBI agents and I’ve done, you know I’ve played a football coach in Gridiron Gang and my theatrical releases have been some experience. I think it’s all of it, not only just want I’ve done in my acting roles, but what I’ve done as a musician, what I’ve done as a father, all of that takes … I can draw from that in order to build this character because it is, you know my first dramatic role. It’s been quite an experience, I’ve had a lot of fun doing it.
I’m curious because you share a lot of intense scenes with Terrence Howard. I would love to hear a little bit about what it’s been like working with him.
Xzibit: He is a constant professional. He brings it, he brings the A game. Him and Taraji are … definitely I’ve learned a lot from working with them on set. How natural it comes to them, you know, like I said, I come from a musician’s background so I have to work at acting. It’s not something that you just automatically … everybody thinks they can act, first of all. You know what I’m saying.Β Everybody thinks they’ve got it. You know, but it’s not until you get in front of that camera and have to bring it take after take after take, and to be working under them and see how effortlessly they do things. It’s something to work towards, you know that’s something that I definitely learned a lot.
I’m also curious how your collaboration with Lee Daniels has been while you’ve been on the show?
Xzibit: I mean I’ve seen him a few times on set and you know he’s a man that wears many hats. He’s definitely, you know he’s got another show coming and I mean the fact that he comes out, I mean Brian Grazer’s been on set. I mean everyone involved in this show is very involved and they see it as a labor of love. It’s been good being around Lee Daniels and seeing his vision and as a creator of the show, you know to help that vision come to life.
You’ve mentioned your own musical background and of course a lot of the cast of Empire has a musical background as well. I’m just curious, if you had to pick one member of the cast to work on with a song, who might get your pick?
Xzibit: Ha ha. I would have to say just from me being an abstract thinker, I think I would choose Andre because you never get to see if he has any musical talent. (laughter) You never see him sing at all. He gotta have something, he can rap, do something.
Yeah. I respect the choice (laughter). Also, sticking with this topic of music, so much of Empire deals with the music industry and I’m just curious being someone who’s been involved in it, I’m interested to hear about sort of how the version that is presented on Empire sort of is similar or different from the industry that you came up in essentially.
Xzibit: Oh it’s totally different. You know, everything on Empire is glamorous, whereas in the real music industry it is not so glamorous. (laughter) All that stuff is staged, you know, but when I came in the hip hop, it was a lot of grinding, you know, and it seems as though Empire picks up from after that grinding has happened. So I mean when it gets to big business like that, there’s a lot of sacrifice that had to happen to get there. From that standpoint, it’s two different worlds. They are similar in a sense because it always ends up coming to be about the music. You’re only good as your last hit. I think that theme rings true with the way they write and prepare for Empire.
You are going to be in a film, Sun Dogs next year. What we can expect from that?
Xzibit: I’ve worked with a first time director, Jennifer Morrison, she’s a beautiful, wonderful, talented actress from Once Upon a Time. She’s on that show. This is her directing debut and she takes me to play one of the marine recruiters, like a staff sergeant, master sergeant actually. The story is wonderful. The cast is incredible. It was a nice independent film that I got to get done before I started production on Empire. I can’t wait to see it. I haven’t seen it yet so I mean I can’t wait to see it cut together.
Just going back to your own music career, I was just curious if we can expect any sort of music from you, either associated with Empire, or on your own?
Xzibit: Yeah, Open Bar Entertainment is still in effect. I just recently signed an artist named James Savage. We’ll be finishing up this year. It’ll be out early next year. Then the Xzibit album will come shortly after that.
I’m curious just if you can tease us a little bit about what we can expect from your character on Empire for the last few episodes of the season?
Xzhibit: I don’t know. I guess the best way to describe it, is fireworks. You gotta wait and see. (laughter).
