Wu-Tang Members to Play Themselves in Ol' Dirty Bastard Biopic

Although the upcoming movie Dirty White Boy will tell the story of Ol’ Dirty Bastard through his relationship with his white manager, the late rapper’s group mates will be on hand to ensure the story’s authenticity. Actor Michael K. Williams, who is playing ODB, revealed that members of the Wu-Tang Clan may portray themselves in the film.

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Speaking to the New York Daily News, Williams said that the film’s producers “have no desire to cast any actors as the Wu-Tang.” “We need all hands on deck,” he added.

Dirty White Boy chronicles the relationship between Ol’ Dirty Bastard (real name Russell Jones) and Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1 production manager who became the rapper’s manager in the early 2000s. According to a synopsis on Entertainment Weekly’s website, the film will also explore “the beleaguered rapper’s well-known addictions.” Although no Wu-Tang members have confirmed whether or not they will play roles in the film, many of the group’s members appeared on screen in the past. RZA played one of Seth Rogen’s character’s co-workers in Funny People; Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Oli Grant, Method Man, Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck all played themselves in James Toback’s Black and White.

Williams also talked to MTV from the set of the short film, They Die by Dawn, and he indicated that the film would not be comedic, despite ODB’s penchant for getting into unpredictable situations. “If you know ODB, there's going to be some comedy, but we're not playing to that,” he said. “It's going to be shot as a serious piece, no buffoonery, for lack of a better word.

"It's only going to cover the last two years of his life when he was released from prison to the day he died. It's just an insight into what he struggled with in the public eye."