Christopher Wallace Jr. Learns About His Dad Through Film

12-year-old Christopher “CJ” Wallace Jr was about four months old when his father, the legendary “Notorious B.I.G.,” was fatally shot. Christopher Wallace Jr. a.k.a Biggie Jr, whose mother is singer Faith Evans, will star in upcoming film “Notorious” as the younger version of his legendary father. Read below as Wallace’s mother, Voletta Wallace, talks to her grandson about stepping into his father’s very big shoes.

VOLETTA WALLACE: I was deeply thrilled that you got the chance to play my son-your father-in the movie. I remember one day I saw you on the set walking with Angela [Bassett, who plays Voletta Wallace in Notorious]. It made me think about how when my son was small, I used to call him Chrissy-Pooh. I got his name, and yours, from the Winnie-the-Pooh books-Christopher Robin was the main character. But I’m telling you, when I was watching you on the monitor, I went boo-hooin’ seeing you because I was so deeply touched. What did you do to prepare to play your father? When he passed away, I don’t think you were 4-months-old.

CHRISTOPHER WALLACE JR.: Well, my mom told me some stuff that he used to do, like how he rubbed his nose sometimes. And then I got some of my character’s scenes like six or seven months before we actually shot the film, so I went over that stuff a lot. I was really ready.

VW: Well, it looked like the real thing when I saw you crying in one scene. How did you do that?

CW: Wendy, my acting coach, said that I should think about if he was alive, how I miss him, and, yeah, I just got really into it.

VW: Would you consider that the hard part, or was it the easy part?

CW: The hard part was the crying.

VW: It looked easy to me!

CW: It wasn’t that easy, though. I just thought about things in the past and about how successfulhe would be if he was still alive.

VW: I saw a YouTube piece where you and your friend Josh were rapping. You think you’re gonna want to do that yourself in the future?

CW: Probably. But first I want to go to college. And I want to graduate and study film.

VW: Oh, excuse me! That’s nice to hear. Do you think you might want to try acting again?

CW: Yeah, of course.

VW: You would?

CW: Yeah. It was an experience I’d never had before. You learn a lot about the person you’re playing.

Courtesy of Interview Magazine

Published 12/16/08 by

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