Will Ferrell has a new movie out. It’s not very funny but it is pretty good. The goodness of it is derived, in significant measure, from a supporting character who is a junior high-aged kid. The actor who plays the kid, if you’re not already aware of who he is, should look very familiar: he’s Biggie’s son. The one he had with Faith Evans.
Christopher “CJ” Wallace has been making the rounds to promote the flick and to help satisfy the curiosity of his father’s fans. So far, we’ve seen three interviews worth sharing. Following are excerpts from each:
http://www.thebvx.com/2011/05/02/5-questions-with-christopher-cj-wallace/
BJ: What attracted to you to the role?
CW: Kenny was the kid that I’m the opposite of. He’s like really lonely, not athletic kid, doesn’t do much, doesn’t really have friends, only has his sister to look out for him because his mom works all the time. All he does is ride his bike around his neighborhood where Nick (Will) lives. His best friend is an alcoholic who’s losing his wife. He sees Will as an opportunity just possibly to get a friend. No matter if he’s a crazy drunk or whatever. It was kind of a way to draw Kenny in to him, asking so many questions why, why do have so much stuff on your lawn, why do you keep drinking beer…It was almost like a good challenge for me to do it, to see if I could pull it off.
BJ: You’re the son of the most perhaps beloved rapper ever, the Notorious B.I.G. Do you ever think about doing music?
CW: [If I did music], I feel that a lot would be expected of me, and I’m definitely not up to where my father was. Acting just came randomly. I wasn’t even into it at first. When I did ‘Notorious,’ my grandma, Ms. [Voletta] Wallace, she told me that I should come in and read for the part as my father. Honestly, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to do it because it seemed so likely for me to do it, like Biggie’s son is going to play Biggie. After I had my acting coach and really read through it, I started to find out things that I didn’t know about him. Then I took more of an interest into it. It was actually fun, going out to New York, living like him, going into his old apartment, doing what he did. It was cool.
http://www.bet.com/news/celebrities/2011/05/12/q-a-christopher-jordan-wallace-acts-up.html
Let’s talk about your Dad a bit. I know you were still a baby when he passed, but do you understand how iconic and beloved he and his music still is?
I never really knew him—it’s hard to believe that sometimes. Maybe if I would have known him or had conversations with him it would have been different. But I haven’t really understood all of that yet.
Does your mom ever tell you about how you’re similar to your dad?
My mom always says I’m a lot like him. She says I even rub my nose the way he did and the way I breathe and snore is like him, too. She always says that I remind her of him.
So as the son of the Notorious B.I.G., why didn’t you want to become a rapper?
I really just wanted to make my own path. I definitely would not be able to continue my dad’s rapping legacy because I’m not on that level yet—I’m not that good. I rap, I joke around, but I’m not serious about it. I didn’t want people to be like, “Like CJ, little Biggie.” I’d rather them be like, “CJ the actor made his own movie, directed his own film and won the Oscar,” stuff like that.
http://www.movieline.com/2011/05/before-he-made-his-screen.php
Did you start listening to rap by listening to your dad’s music? I think I was your age when I first started listening to him.
I don’t know — I remember one time, when we first moved to L.A. in 2004, being in the car and it came on the radio and said, “And that was Christopher Wallace’s ‘Juicy.’” I asked my mom, I didn’t even know! “That’s me — I’m Christopher Wallace!” She was like, “No, no, no, that’s your dad.” Then I kind of got into it a little more.
Well there’s also the fact that some of his lyrics are a little explicit! Were you even allowed to listen to some of those songs when you were younger?
[Laughs] My parents treat me a little older than I am, and I actually appreciate that. I don’t like being treated like a little kid.
You do seem to have an old soul.
[Laughs] Is that good?
