Hip hop superstar turned actor T.I. is one of the stars of the film Monster Hunter which opens today and he credits his son for encouraging him to accept the role.
theGrio recently caught up with the rap icon, born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., to discuss his role as Link, one of the soldiers on the task force. The thriller from writer and director Paul W.S. Anderson also stars Meagan Goode and was filmed in South Africa and Namibia. It’s the adaptation of the global video game series phenomenon “that takes you into a world of dangerous and powerful monsters.”
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The 40-year-old says that Link’s loyalty was a trait he saw in himself, along with being a force that empowers those around them.
“I just I think one thing I can do is continue to remind people that every day above ground is an opportunity to win,” he told theGrio. “You can make excuses or you can get results. You can’t do both… I try to be my best, man. Me making it to the place where I am right now defying the odds that I’ve defied, just making the commitment to change. I think that’s an example, hopefully.”
T.I.’s 12-year-old son, Major, encouraged him to take the role.
“I think the decision to do the role or to accept the role came ultimately from my son, from Major. He’s the gamer of the family,” T.I. said.
“When I found out it was an adaptation [of the game] I asked Major if he played the game, if he knew about it. And he said ‘Yeah.’ When I asked him, ‘Should I do it?’, he got excited. If he cussed he’d say, ‘Hell yeah!’ And so, you know, that’s what led me to South Africa to film in the desert.”
The “Bring Em Out’ rapper did admit that he wasn’t that familiar with Monster Hunter at all. When asked if he played, he responded, “Man, I didn’t play the game.”
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Monster Hunter is now playing in select theaters and will also be available for pre-order on Amazon Prime Video and Vudu, where Christmas Day is listed as the movie’s release date.
Check out the full interview above.
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