The Wire‘s Michael K. Williams to Play Ol’ Dirty Bastard in Upcoming Film
Michael K. Williams played what became an iconic character with his portrayal of Omar on The Wire, and now he’s reportedly getting ready to play another enigmatic figure: Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Williams will play ODB, born Russell Jones, in the film Dirty White Boy. The story will focus not only on the late rapper, but also on his relationship with Jarred Weisfeld, who was a VH1 production assistant before becoming manager for the Wu-Tang Clan member during a three-year prison bid in the early 2000s.
The film will be directed by Joaquín Baca-Asay, who was the cinematographer for Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.” The screenplay is set to be penned by Brent Hoff, who was a VH1 employee and knew the film’s two central figures during the time they worked on a reality show for the network.
EW is reporting that both Weisfeld and ODB’s mother, Cherry Jones, are cooperating with the endeavor. However, a spokesperson for the ODB estate told XXLMag.com that the rapper’s wife and children have not agreed to any official film on his life. "It’s an unofficial biopic," the spokesperson said. "The ODB estate, his wife and children, have not agreed to any official biopic movie being made."
Dirty White Boy should not be mistaken with another movie in the works about ODB’s life, which is set to star either Eddie Griffin or Tracy Morgan, according to what RZA told XXLMag.com.
Stay tuned as more details become available. —Adam Fleischer @AdamXXL