The brand new STARZ series BMF is inspired by the true-life story of the Black Mafia Family, a Detroit-based drug and money laundering organization.
Produced by rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, the series stars Demetrius Flenory, Jr., the son of one of the infamous crime circle’s founders, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory.
In an exclusive interview with theGrio, the younger Flenory — who goes by the nickname Lil Meech — admitted that playing his father on BMF was “big shoes to fill.” He revealed that in preparation for the role, Jackson planted him in acting classes for two years.
“He made sure, you know, I had the foundational acting before I just jumped out there on screen and didn’t have any acting experience, you know, as far as any classes,” said Flenory. “(I took) intense acting classes, five days a week, (sometimes) two times a day, for two years.”
He said that although the role he was playing was his own father, there were no guarantees the acting aspirant would get the part.
“You know, they could of got somebody else who has been acting before,” Flenory Jr. noted, “that doesn’t look nothing like my dad. Just because that’s my dad, doesn’t mean I (automatically) get the job. So I had to show people that, you know, I really knew what I was doing.”
The 21-year-old said he had to audition for the series — and for the network — just like any other actor.
The younger Flenory said he had the support of 50 Cent throughout the entire BMF process and that he was the rapper-TV mogul’s first choice to play Big Meech.
But Lil Meech was put in the acting classes, “you know, just so I could have the fun of acting,” he says, “because I still had to audition for the show. (Even though) he wanted me to play my dad. I wasn’t just going to (automatically) get the job as my first audition for my role.” He still had to get a thumbs-up from the network, which he did successfully.
BMF debuted Sunday night on STARZ, also featuring Russell Hornsby, Michole Briana White and brother acting favorites Steve Harris and Wood Harris. Rapper Eminem is set to appear in one episode as the newly-released drug kingpin “White Boy Rick” Wershe.
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