Movies - TV
Vin Diesel Wasn't The Only Fast And Furious Actor Who Said No To The Sequel
By BEN PEARSON
Vin Diesel starred in “The Fast and the Furious” and reportedly turned down $20 million to be in the sequel, but he wasn’t the only actor to pass on the opportunity.
Ja Rule played Edwin in “The Fast and the Furious,” and he could’ve graduated to a huge role in the sequel, but he blew it, changing the trajectory of his career and the franchise.
Ja Rule said in 2002 that he passed on the sequel “2 Fast 2 Furious” because he “just felt it wasn't the best move for me as far as what I want to do in Hollywood right now.”
However, John Singleton, who directed “2 Fast 2 Furious,” revealed the real reason why Ja Rule turned down the movie. Singleton simply said, “Ja got too big for himself.”
He added, “[Ja Rule] got 15 grand to be in the first movie. He was really big at that time. [...] He was acting like he was too big to be in the sequel. He wouldn't return calls.”
Ja Rule shunned Singleton. The filmmaker revealed, “I went to the studio to go see him [...] He was kinda playing me to the side and I was like, ‘What? What is this s***?’”
Singleton then decided to reach out to another hot rapper. He shared, “I called Ludacris. [...] I said, ‘I'm doing this movie and I'm wondering if you want to be a part of it.’”
The director continued, “He goes, ‘What? Yeah! Anything you do I want to be a part of,’” adding, “That's how Ludacris got in ‘2 Fast 2 Furious,’ and the rest is history.”
Ja Rule could have slipped into the role of Tej and ended up in at least six more “Fast and Furious” movies, but his potentially recurring role went to Ludacris instead.