Movies
Brooklyn-based rapper Jamal Woolard is to play Notorious BIG in a forthcoming biopic.
Woolard will take the lead role in Notorious, which is produced by Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
Angela Bassett is attached to play his mother, while Derek Luke will play Combs and Anthony Mackie stars as rival rapper Tupac Shakur.
George Tillman has signed to direct the Fox Searchlight production, which starts filming this month.
BIG - real name Christopher Wallace - was killed in an unsolved drive-by shooting in LA in 1997.
The film's producers held open auditions last autumn after deciding to hire a rapper rather than an actor for the central role.
BIG's mum Voletta Wallace said Woolard was chosen because of his "charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humour and beautiful smile".
The biopic is scheduled for a January release.
Woolard will take the lead role in Notorious, which is produced by Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
Angela Bassett is attached to play his mother, while Derek Luke will play Combs and Anthony Mackie stars as rival rapper Tupac Shakur.
George Tillman has signed to direct the Fox Searchlight production, which starts filming this month.
BIG - real name Christopher Wallace - was killed in an unsolved drive-by shooting in LA in 1997.
The film's producers held open auditions last autumn after deciding to hire a rapper rather than an actor for the central role.
BIG's mum Voletta Wallace said Woolard was chosen because of his "charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humour and beautiful smile".
The biopic is scheduled for a January release.
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