“50 Cent Was Losing So Much Weight I Started Calling Him Twenty Five Cents”

Film director/actor Mario Van Peebles recently talked about working with rap star 50 Cent for their unreleased Things Fall Apart movie and how impressed he was about the G-Unit leader dropping massive weight.

According to Peebles, he even came up with a new nickname during 50’s weight loss.

“Everyone has a different skill set that takes us inside his or her characters and 50 Cent’s got good timing. I think he really held his own against actors like Ray Liotta, Lynn Whitfield and myself–we’ve all been in the game for awhile,” Van Peebles said in an interview. “He never gave up. 50 was ready and I really worked him all the way. He really has a natural sense for acting…I had to lose weight–about 20 pounds when I played Malcolm X in Ali, but 50 Cent was losing so much weight I started calling him twenty five cents. He lost a lot of weight to do the role — and we just timed it out so that 50 could slowly add the weight back on when we would shoot certain scenes. He was dedicated, incredibly focused and took it really seriously.” (BET)

Last year, Fat Joe gave his opinion on Fif losing over 50 pounds.

“Yeah, that’s his thing. I’m not mad; he’s trying to get money. I could never do that, though, I wish I could. Fat Joe loves food too much. I’m scheming on some Pinkberry right now. [laughs]” (VIBE)

Former G-Unit member Game also talked about his former affiliate’s weight loss.

“All my boys was sending me pictures of 50 where he sucked up, looking like a smoker, lost all the weight,” Game said in an interview. “They were looking for me to give them some type of funny feedback or clown with it. But all I saw was a dude that’s trying to win an award for playing a cancer patient and really look like a cancer patient. I do my own assessment of character judgment. Right here in my mind, I was like, ‘See? Progress!’ That’s what I’m on today, man. But I have the right to get in your a** if I need to.” (MTV)

Fif recently said he did not envision walking home with an Academy Award for his portrayal of a cancer victim in the upcoming film, Things Fall Apart.

He said he doesn’t anticipate winning awards for his acting role. “Well, you know, I haven’t received accolades that comes with the success that I’ve had in music,” he said. “It would be a surprise” to win any acting awards, he said, noting that it’s already a reward to have people aware of the role. (Billboard)

A release date for Things Fall Apart has not yet been announced.

Check out 50 Cent speaking on his weight loss down below: