Paul Giamatti is not necessarily the first person you might imagine joining the cast of Straight Outta Compton, the story of influential rappers N.W.A. But director F. Gary Gray needs someone to play Jerry Heller, and Giamatti fits the bill{
Heller was the co-founder of Ruthless records and a music impresario who had already established his credentials on the music scene before working with the rappers. He’d represented the likes of ELO, Journey and REO Speedwagon while also helping Elton John break into America. But his career went in a very different direction when Eazy-E approached him to found the record company that helped launched N.W.A. upon the world.
O’Shea Jackson Jr. (son of original N.W.A. member and one of the film’s producers, Ice Cube) is playing Ice, with Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E and Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre. The story tracks the original members’ lives as they poured their experiences into their music. The ended up splitting when Cube and Dre left, and Heller was accused of mismanaging their finances while also sowing discontent within the group.
With Aldis Hodge, Neil Brown Jr. and Corey Reynolds also in the cast, Gray is cranking the cameras now in Los Angeles.