Actor Tyrin Turner admitted that he intentionally tried to sabotage the 1998 film “Belly” after the lead role went to rapper DMX. Turner shared the story during a recent appearance on the “Dub C & CJ Mac Show” earlier this month.
He eventually went on to play the role of Big Head Rico, but claims he was promised the lead role of Tommy “Buns” Bundy by the film’s director, Hype Williams.
The role ultimately went to the late “Who We Be” artist, who passed away in 2021 from a cocaine/fentanyl-induced heart attack.
“I met Hype Williams, I did the ‘Mary Jane’ video for Scarface, and so then Hype was like, ‘I got this movie called ‘Belly.’ I want you to be DMX’s character,” he recalled on April 9.
“But DMX wasn’t out then, he was just like, that’s what he wanted,” said Turner. “A few months later, he was like, ‘We got this dude named DMX, he the next one from New York — it was a New York movie.’ He say he was gon’ go in that direction. It was cool; at first I was irritated ‘cuz I was like, ‘Damn, you said you wanted me.’ ”
Related: Rapper DMX Dead at 50 After Suffering Heart Attack, Fans and Family Mourn
Turner went on to say that he was offered another role in the film, but he was still irritated and told himself he would make his character goofy on purpose to sabotage the film.
“I was mad that I didn’t have the lead,” he added. “I’m young and I didn’t get the character I wanted so I’m like, ‘I’m finna f—k this movie up!” he explained.
“I’m gonna put on some glasses and I’m gonna be the worse country snitchin’ dude that I could ever be.’ But I’m thinking that I’m sabotaging the movie.”
He went on to joke about his performance, helping to make the film “iconic.”
“It was iconic. I couldn’t even f—k up what I wanted,” he added as the hosts laughed and noted how perfect he was in the role.
Turner’s character Rico eats a banana in one scene as he delivers one of the film’s classic lines.
“I might have to drop a dime on them n—as,” he said. “You know what I’m saying? I don’t like that s—t.”
Turner is also best known for his startling role as Caine in 1993’s “Menace II Society.” His serious role in the film was the complete opposite of his character in “Belly.”
The film brought in approximately $9.6 million at the box office, more than three times the movie’s budget. The film also starred rappers Nas and Method Man and Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins of TLC fame.
