Jody, Jody, Jody. Though he had some super triflin’ ways, we couldn’t completely rule him out. Perhaps because we saw how he shut ole girl down, though she was doing her best to seduce him. Or more likely, we liked him because he reminded us of a manchild we’ve known (or still know) in our own lives. Either way, watching Jody grow up throughout the course of the movie Baby Boy, was so real and so entertaining and the very talented cast, helped to bring this already relateable story to life. You know the plot, the outcome and those memorable characters; but we bet you don’t know the behind the scenes secrets of this hood classic.
Tupac was supposed to play the role of Jody
Though anyone can see why Tupac would have been great for this role, it’s still a bit eery to think that he was supposed to portray Jody. The role was written specifically for him. But when he died in 1996, Singleton shelved the project. The role probably wouldn’t have been too much of a stretch for the rapper turned actor considering he vacillated between the sensitive, socially conscious poet to the thugged out gangster rapper. So the inclusion of Tupac’s face looming over Jody is no coincidence. In a review of the film, the New York Times pointed out just how powerful and symbolic that mural was: “His image, hovering behind Jody and Melvin, is a haunting reminder of what is at stake for Jody.”
