NEW YORK — Although he's a fan, Mekhi Phifer initially turned down a
costarring role in rapper Eminem's new film "8 Mile."  
"I was a fan of his music when they first told me that there was an
Eminem movie coming up," Phifer told reporters recently. But the 27-
year-old actor said he wasn't interested until after he'd read the
script.

"I said, 'Well, this is dope.' And then I said, 'All right, I'll fly
in and meet the cat.' And I met him. And then I felt his passion for
what he was going to do."

Phifer said it's been a hard road since his movie debut in 1995 in
Spike Lee's "Clockers." He's also appeared in "I Still Know What You
Did Last Summer," "O" and the TV movie "Carmen: A Hip Hopera."

"Nothing happens overnight," he said. "You gotta really work hard.
Do the best work possible. Make the best choices possible. And don't
sit around complaining. Step up to the plate and do what you gotta
do."

Phifer said he enjoys playing Dr. Gregory Pratt on NBC's medical
drama "ER," and hopes to do the role for several seasons.

"I love every second of it. It's definitely a different character.

And I just get to do different things. ... Be a doctor and talk
doctor jargon and help operate on people and all kind of crazy
stuff," he said.

"8 Mile," directed by Curtis Hanson, opened in theaters Friday

=====================
Credit to Jenn - Eminems Closet