The best50 Centmovies and TV shows include a mix of projects about his musical success and past life on the streets before hitting it big. As a teenager, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was involved in selling drugs, which resulted in his arrest, and he eventually began to turn his life around thanks to his talent as a musician, which started as an underground rapper before he got noticed and signed a major record deal. However, in 2000, someone shot 50 Cent nine times, an incident that played into his Hollywood breakout.
After the shooting, 50 Cent caught the attention of Eminem and Dr. Dre and got his biggest record deal, becoming a star. This led to him selling his life story, and in 2005,he played a fictional version of himself (Young Ceasar) inGet Rich or Die Tryin',which got his foot into Hollywood. For most of his movie career, though, 50 Cent was relegated to mostly DTV releases, although he was often the most entertaining part of the films. However, he found his biggestsuccess on TV thanks to thePowerfranchise.
The Frozen Ground
Cast
The Frozen Ground is a crime thriller film based on the true story of the hunt for serial killer Robert Hansen. The film, directed by Scott Walker, stars Nicolas Cage as Jack Halcombe, an Alaskan State Trooper, and John Cusack as Hansen, who abducted and murdered numerous women in the 1970s and 1980s.
Most of 50 Cent’s movies have been DTV releases, and many of them received poor reviews and remain mostly forgotten as either action movies or crime thrillers. However, some stand out above the rest, andThe Frozen Groundfits that category. The film stars Vanessa Hudgens as a teenager named Cindy who was sexually assaulted, but no police officer believes her because she is a sex worker. John Cusack plays the abductor, and Nicolas Cage is a state trooper investigating a death connected to the case.
50 Cent has a role in the movie as Clate Johnson, Cindy’s pimp.He is one of the minor antagonists of the movie, someone willing to hand over Cindy to a hitman hired to kill her but also willing to do whatever he can to get what he wants out of the situation. However, as expected in films like this, things never end well for characters like Clate. The movie is based on a real-life serial killer named Robert Hansen, and it gained popularity in 2020 when Netflix added it to the streaming service.
Expend4bles
The Expendables 4 is the fourth entry in the action legacy-hero franchise, bringing together famous action-hero stars from the past and present to battle international terrorist threats. This fourth entry sees the mercenary group dragged into a catastrophic nuclear conflict between the United States and Russia, forcing them to intervene.
The fourthExpendablesmovie (Expend4bles) was the lowest-rated of the franchise for critics as well as the worst at the box office, and the only one that didn’t make back its budget. Part of the problem is that only four members of the original cast returned, and Sylvester Stallone had his smallest role in the four movies. The additions to the cast were hit-and-miss, with some great names (Tony Jaa, Andy Garcia) and some underwhelming (Megan Fox).50 Cent was one of the new additions.
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50 Cent played Easy Day, one of the two new members of the team at the start of the movie (Jacob Scipio as Galan was the other new member). He was a former Army Special Forces operator. The chemistry between the team was not as strong as in the previous movies, with Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas taking over as team leader, and only Dolph Lundgren’s Gunner Jensen and Randy Couture’s Toll Road returning. 50 Cent did fine in his role, butthis film ended theExpendablesfranchise.
Escape Plan
An action thriller film that stars movie action heroes, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Escape Plan follows Lawyer Ray Breslin, a security tester who enters a supermax prison to study its defenses. To accomplish the breakout, he’ll enlist the help of an inmate named Emil, a self-proclaimed hero who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.
In 2013, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone teamed up for a prison action thriller.Escape Planwas a success and created a franchise, but Schwarzenegger did not return for any movie after the first one. Stallone stars as Ray Breslin, a security expert who finds flaws in prison security systems and helps patch up those problems. However, when he is betrayed and locked away in a prison under an assumed identity, he ends up planning an escape with a prisoner named Emil (Schwarzenegger).
While Schwarzenegger left after one movie (and his character’s escape from prison),Stallone remained onboard along with 50 Cent, who played Hush,one of Ray’s associates and the man who figures out what happened to his boss and sets out to help free him in this first movie. 50 Cent is a major part of Ray’s team in all three movies. Of the trilogy, only the first was a box office success and also received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with praise going to its fun factor.
For Life
For Life is a legal drama series centered around Aaron Wallace, played by Nicholas Pinnock, who becomes a licensed attorney while serving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit. The series follows Wallace’s quest to overturn his unjust conviction and his efforts to help other inmates navigate the legal system. Created by Hank Steinberg, For Life examines themes of justice, resilience, and the power of perseverance.
In 2020, 50 Cent joined the cast of the TV showFor Life. Season 1 saw50 Cent in a recurring role as Cassius Dawkins,a dangerous inmate who is a minor antagonist in the series. The legal drama stars Nicholas Pinnock as Aaron Wallace, a man wrongly convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. While in prison, he warns a license to practice law and helps exonerate fellow prisoners who were also wrongly convicted.
The show is based on the real-life story of a man named Isaac Wright Jr., who helped overturn the convictions of 20 wrongfully convicted fellow inmates before finally proving his own innocence.50 Cent’s Cassius causes a lot of problems for Aaronwhen he is transferred to Aaron’s prison by prosecutor Glen Maskins, the man who put him away. Maskins wants to become the Attorney General and will do anything he can to cover up any idea that Aaron might be innocent of the crimes.
All Things Fall Apart
All Things Fall Apart is directed by Mario Van Peebles and stars 50 Cent as Deon, a talented college running back. The drama unfolds as Deon faces an unforeseen crisis that threatens his career aspirations and prompts a profound reevaluation of his life and identity.
All Things Fall Aparthas one of the most impressive 50 Cent performances of his career. The DTV release stars the rapper as Deon, a college running back who develops a genetic disease when he is ready to make his way to the NFL.Deon is based on one of 50 Cent’s childhood friends who died of cancer.Because of this, 50 Cent wanted to do it the right way and honor his friend with his performance. He went on to lose 54 pounds to accurately portray his emaciated character.
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When a movie calls for an actor to be a certain weight, plenty of Hollywood’s elite are willing to step up and lose some major pounds.
50 Cent has been muscular and sported a toned physique since he went into rehab after his shooting, but he dropped from 214 pounds to 160 pounds in nine weeks with liquid dieting. “I think the world took note because people kept making comparisons with great actors like Tom Hanks in Philadelphia and Christian Bale in The Machinist,” 50 Cent said. “There is no way to play a role like this without really committing to it.” (viaHuff Post).
Southpaw
Southpaw is a 2015 Drama and Sports film starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Kurt Sutter, the film chronicles the life and career of professional boxer Billy “The Great” Hope. Although he continues his dominant career, people around him begin to worry about his safety in the ring.
In 2015, 50 Cent joined a major Hollywood movie when he took a role inSouthpaw. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day),Southpawstars Jake Gyllenhaal as Billy “the Great” Hope, a professional undefeated boxer whose wife, Maureen (Rachel McAdams), wants him to retire after he suffers a severe beating in a win, keeping his undefeated record intact. When Maureen is shot and dies during an altercation at a fundraiser with a rival boxer’s brother pulling the trigger, Billy’s life starts to fall apart.
50 Cent stars inSouthpawas Jordan Mains, Billy’s manager who ends up leaving himafter the tragedy to work with the boxer whose brother killed Maureen. The movie is an inspirational sports story with Billy fighting to regain his confidence and get his life back under control, all leading to a final fight for the title. 50 Cent was solid in his role as someone who seemed to just use everyone he could to stay on top. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the film a 60% approval rating.
Den of Thieves
Den of Thieves is a gritty crime saga released in 2018, focusing on the intense rivalry between an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and a notorious bank robbery crew. The film details their strategic battle as the outlaws aim to accomplish an audacious heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.
In 2018, 50 Cent joined the cast of theDen of Thieves, a crime heist drama about a cop trying to stop a band of thieves from pulling off a shocking heist. Gerard Butler stars as “Big Nick” O’Brien, a detective investigating a robbery for the Major Crimes Unit. He has his eyes set on the leader of a criminal organization who steals an armored truck following a major shootout. While Pablo Schreiber stars as Ray Merrimen, the crew’s leader, the film is full of twists and turns before a shocking end.
50 Cent is part of Ray’s team of thieves; Enson Levoux, a Marine veteran who is Merrimen’s right-hand manwho helps with the attack on the Federal Reserve Bank of downtown Los Angeles. The movie was a small box office success and received mixed to negative reviews. However, it was popular enough towarrant a sequel,Den of Thieves: Pantera, which will hit theaters in 2025. 50 Cent won’t be back as his character died in the first movie.
Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Get Rich or Die Tryin' is directed by Jim Sheridan and follows an inner-city drug dealer who seeks a new life in rap music. The film explores themes of ambition and redemption, showcasing the protagonist’s transformation from crime to his true passion.
The movie that proved 50 Cent could be a star in Hollywood wasGet Rich Or Die Tryin', named after 50 Cent’s debut album from 2003 andit is a fictional retelling of 50 Cent’s life story.His acting debut, 50 Cent stars as Marcus “Young Caesar” Greer, who, like the rapper, was a drug dealer as a teen and left that life behind after a prison sentence, setting out to become a musician instead. Also, like 50 Cent, Marcus ends up surviving a shooting and makes his dreams come true again.
Get Rick Or Die Tryin’is similar to Eminem’s8 Mile, which was also a movie that had a fictionalized retelling of Eminem’s life story, but with a fictional lead character in his place. While the movie received mostly negative reviews from critics, it is still what 50 Cent was best known for in Hollywood and the reason he was able to pick up his DTV and action movie roles in the years to come.Roger Ebertpraised the film, calling it “a rich and convincing texture, a drama with power and anger.”
Power Book II: Ghost
Power Book II: Ghost is a crime drama series that follows Tariq St. Patrick, the son of the late notorious drug dealer James “Ghost” St. Patrick, as he navigates his new life balancing college and the legacy his father left behind. Starring Michael Rainey Jr., the series explores themes of loyalty, family, and the struggle to escape one’s criminal past, set within the complex world of drug trafficking and higher education.
50 Cent produced and starred inPower,and in 2020, he was part of the first spinoff series,Power Book II: Ghost. He was only part of the cast in a recurring role in season 2, but he returned as Kanan Stark, Ghost’s old friend and Tariq’s mentor. As fans of the franchise know, Kanan died in the original series. This happened when Kanan went after Ghost for revenge and ended up killed by Tariq. However,50 Cent’s Kanan returned for a role inPower II: Ghost, albeit from beyond the grave.
In the first season, Kanan was there in a flashback, but in the second season he was actually there as someone who spoke to Tariq and gave advice in nightmare scenes. The role was great for 50 Cent, as he was able to play a small protagonist role despite the fact that his character was dead. It played out like his advice when raising Tariq allowed his old lessons to offer advice through those dream scenes and hallucinations.
Power
Power, released in 2014, follows a successful New York entrepreneur who covertly leads a drug empire catering to wealthy elites. As he seeks to leave the criminal world behind and protect his family, he navigates the precarious balance between his dual identities.
50 Cent’s best role of his career came when he was able to produce and star in the TV seriesPower. While 50 Cent was the big name for the series, Omari Hardwick was the star, playing James “Ghost” St. Patrick, a ruthless drug dealer who wants to leave the criminal world and go legit with his nightclub business. However, this is no easy feat, and is harder for Ghost than rising to the top of the criminal world.50 Cent stars as Kanan Stark, a former friend turned rival.
Power True Story: How Much Is Based On 50 Cent’s Real Life?
The crime drama Power has spawned four successful shows to help tell its complex story. While many details are fabricated, some key elements are real.
After serving as a recurring character in the first two seasons, 50 Cent moved to a main cast role in season 3 and remained there until the main series ended in its sixth season. He was Ghost’s former mentor until he was betrayed and spent 10 years in prison as a result. When he got out of prison, he wanted nothing more than revenge against his former protégé.50 Centearned an NAMIC Vision Award nomination for Best Performance - Drama in 2018.
