Dickerson: I WAS TRYING TO FIND FOUR YOUNG GUYS THAT, TOGETHER,
WOULD CREATE A FIFTH CHARACTER, WHICH WAS THE GROUP MIND.
THERE WERE NO ACTORS THAT I FELT COULD PLAY THESE ROLES.
IT HAD TO BE REAL.
IT HAD TO BE WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON IN THE STREETS.
WE MADE "JUICE" INDEPENDENTLY.
IT WAS LATER BOUGHT BY PARAMOUNT.
BUT WE MADE IT AS AN INDEPENDENT FILM WITH INDEPENDENT FINANCING
FROM ISLAND PICTURES.
I WAS LOOKING FOR YOUNG ACTORS.
I WAS LOOKING FOR UNKNOWN ARTISTS.
MY CASTING DIRECTOR INTERVIEWED HUNDREDS OF KIDS,
MAYBE EVEN THOUSANDS.
WE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.
WE WENT TO NEIGHBORHOOD THEATER GROUPS.
ONE DAY, TREACH CAME IN, FROM NAUGHTY BY NATURE.
HE AUDITIONED, AND HE DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB,
'CAUSE HE IS IN THE MOVIE.
BUT HE HAD THIS GUY THAT WAS WITH HIM.
I SAID, "WELL, WHAT ABOUT YOU? YOU WANT TO AUDITION?"
HE SAID, "YEAH, SURE. WHY NOT?"
SO I GAVE HIM THE SIDES, ORIGINALLY FOR Q.
SO HE TOOK THE SIDES AND WENT AWAY AND CAME BACK
AND DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
BUT AT THAT TIME, I PRETTY MUCH FIGURED I KNEW WHO MY Q WAS.
I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING BISHOP.
AND I JUST SAID TO HIM, "HEY, MAN, THANKS A LOT.
BUT CAN YOU STAY LONGER AND READ FOR THIS ROLE?"
AND I GAVE HIM THE SIDES FOR BISHOP.
HE WENT AWAY, CAME BACK, DID BISHOP, DID A VERY GOOD JOB.
I SAID, "OKAY, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"
HE SAID, "TUPAC."
I SAID, "THAT'S AN INTERESTING NAME.
WHAT IS THAT?"
HE SAID, "IT'S THE NAME OF A MAYAN DEITY."
"WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME?" "SHAKUR."
I SAID, "ARE YOU ANY RELATION WITH ASSATA SHAKUR?"
HE SAID, "YEAH, THAT'S MY AUNT."
I SAID, "OH, WOW. TELL HER -- HOW IS SHE?" YOU KNOW.
'CAUSE SHE'S, YOU KNOW, A LEGEND.
HE SAYS, "SHE'S OKAY." "TELL HER I SAID 'HI.'
AND WE HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFO?" "YEAH."
"OKAY." HE LEFT.
SOON AS THE DOOR CLOSED,
WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER, WE SAID, "WOW, THAT'S HIM."
NOW, TUPAC AT THAT POINT WAS STILL A BACKGROUND SINGER
AND A ROADIE FOR THE DIGITAL UNDERGROUND.
HE WAS NOT "TUPAC."
AND WHILE WE WERE SHOOTING, HE WAS ALWAYS WRITING.
HE ALWAYS HAD A LITTLE RINGED NOTEBOOK.
AND I KIND OF BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF WHAT HE WAS WRITING
BECAME SOME OF THE MUSIC THAT WE LISTEN TO TODAY.