8 Mile is a biographical film that is loosely based on the early career of legendary Detroit MC, Eminem. The film, set in the mid-90s, follows Jimmy Smith Jr. a.k.a B-Rabbit (played by Eminem), a struggling young white rapper trying to carve out his lane in a genre created and defined by the African American experience. The film’s title is taken from 8 Mile Road, a highway that separated the primarily African American-inhabited city of Detroit and the largely white suburbs, north of Eminem’s stomping grounds.
The loosely based autobiographical film proved to be a Blockbuster hit, bringing in more than $200 million at the box office. The movie stands as one of hip-hop’s best autobiographical movies, partly due to Eminem’s incomparable career. Another reason why the movie is so iconic is because of the incredible plot and the cast ensemble that brought it to life. Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Michael Shannon, Anthony Mackie, Kim Basinger, Omar Benson Miller, and Taryn Manning took on supporting roles in Eminem’s theatrical debut. 8 Mile also features cameos from rapper Obie Trice and Xzibit.
A majority of the cast went on to have stunning careers in Hollywood. Sadly, several actors who starred in the film passed away. De’Angelo Wilson, who portrayed Jimmy’s best friend DJ Iz, unfortunately, died from an apparent suicide in 2008. Brittany Murphy, who played Jimmy’s love interest, Alex, was pronounced dead in 2009 after suffering health complications related to pneumonia and amenia. The director of the film, Curtis Hanson, passed away from natural causes in 2016. Here is what the cast members have been up to after the success of the 8 Mile film.
Marshall “Eminem” Mathers – Jimmy a.k.a B-Rabbit
What is there to say about Eminem that hasn’t already been said? Eminem is widely regarded for taking hip hop from the urban communities and inner cities to the suburban communities of America. His skill as a rapper, his influence, and the commercial success of his albums made him one of the greatest and best-selling rappers of all time. Global record sales for the Detroit native stand at around 200 million records.
Eminem dropped eight number-one solo albums, a chart-topping soundtrack for 8 Mile, and two greatest hits compilation albums since 2002. His latest LP, 2020’s Music to be Murdered By debuted at number one on the Billboard Chart, moving 279,000 units in the first week. He has won 15 Grammys, an Academy Award for “Lose Yourself,” 8 American Music Awards, and 17 Billboard Music Awards in the span of his career.
Eminem is the CEO of Shady Records, which he launched with his long-time manager Paul Rosenberg in 1999. He also has his own SiriusXM channel, Shade 45. Most recently, he took inspiration from the 8 Mile soundtrack to launch Mom’s Spaghetti Restaurant which he opened in 2021. Marshall has had a long-standing relationship with Nike and the Air Jordan brand. He occasionally releases limited edition Eminem sneakers based on iconic names such as the Air Force 1, the Jordan IVs, and the Air Max 90s.
Anthony Mackie – Papa Doc, Final Rap Battle Opponent
8 Mile was actually Mackie’s first movie. He has starred in commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies like Million Dollar Baby and The Hurt Locker. He is also famously known for playing the late Tupac Shakur in Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G” Wallace’s biographical film, Notorious. The New Orleans native has also portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the HBO drama, All The Way.
Mackie has, in recent years, achieved global superstardom, thanks to his portrayal of Falcon and the new Captain America in the blockbuster machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eventually, this led to a starring role in the Disney+ series, Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Mackie has also been busy on the Netflix streaming platform appearing in the sci-fi series, Altered Carbon (2020). He has also starred in and produced the sci-fi movie, Outside the Wire (2021). The Marvel superstar has a new dramedy movie on the platform titled, We Have a Ghost. Mackie inked a deal to reprise the role of the new Captain America in the fourth sequel of the Captain America movies.
Taryn Manning – Janeane, Jimmy’s Ex-Girlfriend
Manning is an actress and singer who most notably portrayed Tiffany “Pennstatucky” Doggett in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. She also played the character of Cherry in Sons of Anarchy and Nola in the hip-hop-inspired drama film Hustle & Flow. The Virginia native frequently made cameos in other popular TV series like NYPD Blue, CSI: Miami, Boston Public, Hawaii Five-0, and Law & Order.
She has two chart-topping singles in the United States. “Send Me Your Love” reached number one in 2012, and “Turn It Up” number 21 in 2011. Taryn is currently filming a horror film titled The Skulleton where she will reportedly star alongside Tyrese Gibson.
Michael Shannon – Greg Buehl, Jimmy’s Former Classmate & Stephanie’s Boyfriend
Michael is one of the few Hollywood thespians to achieve success on the big screen, the silver screen, and on stage. His career took off with appearances in Groundhog Day, nearly a decade before 8 Mile. Michael went on to star in critically acclaimed films such as Lucky You, Revolutionary Road, and The Broken Tower. He has also had his own fair share of blockbuster films such as Bad Boys II, Machine Gun Preacher, Bullet Train, and the comic book movie Man of Steel where he plays the antagonist, General Zod.
Michael’s latest TV pursuit is his portrayal of George Jones in the American drama miniseries George & Tammy. The show airs on Showtime and co-stars Jessica Chastain as Tammy Wynette. He has also starred in Waco, Little Drummer Girl, Nine Perfect Strangers, and Little Demon. The Kentucky native also has an active career on the theater stage. He has performed in over 30 plays between 1991 and 2023. Michael has won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for his role in the drama series, Boardwalk Empire.
Kim Basinger – Stephanie, Jimmy’s Mother
Basinger moved to Los Angeles and transitioned into acting after a brief career in modeling in New York. Her global fame came when she appeared in Playboy magazine in 1983. That same year, she starred in her breakout role as Bond girl, Domino Petachi, in the James Bond sequel Never Say Never Again, alongside Sean Connery. After 2002’s 8 Mile, Basinger appeared in popular movies such as The Nice Guys (2016) and Fifty Shades Darker (2017).
Mekhi Phifer – Future, Jimmy’s Best Friend
The New York native is largely known for starring as Dr. Gregg Pratt in the medical drama series, ER. He had numerous appearances on the big screen in films like Honey, and Dawn Of The Dead. Still, the actor is more known for his roles in TV. Besides ER, Mekhi has had recurring roles in TV shows including Fox’s Lie to Me, British sci-fi series Torchwood, Showtime’s House of Lies, and Love, Victor which is on the Hulu streaming platform.
Evan Jones – Cheddar Bob, Jimmy’s Friend
Evan has had a low-key acting career compared to his 8 Mile co-stars, though his credits are quite expansive. Since 8 Mile, he starred in several films including The Book of Eli alongside Denzel Washington, Seth MacFarlane’s comedy, A Million Ways to Die in the West, 50 Cent’s Den of Thieves, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume II. He has made episode cameos on ER, House, CSI: NY, Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Evans’ last appearance in a movie was in 2018 with his roles in Den of Thieves, Hotel Artemis, and the TV movie Cagney and Lacey where he played a detective.
Omar Benson Miller – Sol George, Jimmy’s Friend
From Spike Lee’s Miracle of St. Anna (2008) to Eleventh Hour, Omar Benson Miller continued to have a thriving career post-8 Mile. He’s had long-standing roles in popular TV series such as CSI: Miami (playing Walter Simmons) and Ballers (playing Charles Greane). Omar has repeatedly reprised the voice of Raphael, both in animation and in film, from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Franchise. He currently stars in the action-thriller television series True Lies. Shortly after 8 Mile, he also appeared in 50 Cent’s autobiographical movie, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ as Karlo.