Cynthia Erivo will portray Afeni Shakur, the mother of Tupac Shakur, in Universal Pictures’ upcoming biopic about Snoop Dogg, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
Erivo joins a cast that includes Jonathan Daviss, Myles Bullock, Lauren London, Camron Jones, Algee Smith, Tre Hale, Laya DeLeon Hayes, Olly Sholotan, Corey Champagne, Jonica Booth and SwayvoTwain.
Afeni Shakur was a former Black Panther and political activist. She was the subject of several of her son’s songs, including the 1995 single “Dear Mama.” A year after its release, Tupac was shot in Las Vegas and died a week later.
Afeni founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation a year after her son’s death and oversaw the late rapper’s estate. She died in 2016 at age 69.
Daviss will play Snoop Dogg, while Jones will portray Tupac. SwayvoTwain, born Michael D’Angelo Archer II, will play Notorious B.I.G. Bullock plays Dr. Dre, Hale stars as Suge Knight, London portrays Snoop’s mother Beverly Tate, and DeLeon Hayes plays his wife, Shante.
Erivo’s upcoming projects include the film adaptation of the Broadway play “Prima Facie,” on which she is also an executive producer. She is also starring in “Karōshi,” an action thriller written and directed by Takashi Doscher.
