Since his early teens, Christopher Wallace Jr. has found himself earning some serious film credibility as an actor. Many got their first glimpse of him portraying a younger version of his legendary father Biggie in 2009’s Notorious before working alongside Will Ferrell in Everything Must Go.
Years later as an adult, he’s taking a serious acting turn in Justin Tippin’s teenage sneaker odyssey Kicks. In the film, CJ plays Albert, the friend of lead character Brandon (Jahking Guillory) whose dream of getting a fresh pair of Air Jordans is crushed when the shoes are stolen after buying them. Thus, the journey begins for getting the sneakers back in a coming of age tale. Due for release in September, the Focus Features film is already starting to get positive comparisons to last year’s teen dramedy Dope.
HipHopDX attended the LA Film Festival premiere in Culver City, California recently and got some time with CJ to discuss his role in Kicks, thoughts on his father’s portrayal in upcoming Tupac biopic All Eyez On Me and his parents duet album The King & I.
Maturing As An Actor From Notorious To Kicks
“Being able to play my father at a young age was really crazy and different. I wouldn’t say I was ready for that at that stage honestly, knowing his true background and everything he came from. Now growing up and seeing what I was a part of, it’s pretty incredible so now being a part of this is just me being me as I was able to grow up and go through adulthood and go through my own challenges. This was me showing that funny side, Albert being different and making people laugh; that’s really my whole true goal in this whole film, make people laugh.”
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CJ’s Role As Albert Is A Departure From Who He Is
“Albert, he’s a jokester. He’s really just trying to make people laugh all day, he just wants you to realize that through every serious moment, there’s something funny in everything. He’s just always talking about girls and talking about what he would do and you know he never really does. It’s the comic relief of the film pretty much.”
“Honestly, Albert was really different. It was me being the guy that I would never be. Albert was the complete un-gentlemen and my mom raised me right. Albert was not the right way to be raised in terms of a young man. It was really just me taking everything my mom showed me and raised me and my parents raised me and flipping it, completely disregarding it, and going crazy, cause that’s Albert. He didn’t care, he’s reckless.”
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CJ Wallace Hopes All Eyez On Me Shows A Deeper Side Of Biggie
“Of course, they going to do just like Notorious they have the light where they showed Pac at his anger stage. I really feel like they showed a bad light of Pac in that regard. I feel like they could have showed a deeper side of Pac and that’s what they really going to do in All Eyez on Me and I can’t wait to see that side. Aside from what my dad, his role in the film, I hope that they show the deeper role of my dad. Hope they don’t go too much on the bad side of things. Cause there were deep moments and there was a lot of tension between the two but you can’t put aside all the good things that they had and the good things that happened in that era of music. They were a part of a great time and without them, there would be nothing. A lot of people were inspired by them, too. People got to look at the good in things.”
Yes, CJ Has Heard Parts Of B.I.G. & Faith Evans’ The King & I Duet Album
“I have, I was in the studio with my mom a few times, it’s going to be crazy. A lot of special guests, a lot of great artists a part of it, it’s going to be incredible. I heard talks about the hologram and these things, I ain’t trying to give nothing away but, it’s going to be crazy.”
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Future Acting Roles
“Oh definitely, I’m working. That comes in time, I’m just trying to keep it going, keep doing auditions. Nothing right now that I can name, but I have to keep working.”
