Was 2 Fast 2 Furious your first acting role?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yes. I think there was another movie but I was in it for like seconds. I'm trying to think, but yeah you could say 2 Fast 2 Furious is the first one.

So how does this experience compare to that one, now that you've done more roles and that you've had more substantial challenges?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges:  This is the same character as 2 Fast 2 Furious but in terms of all the movies I've done I've just gained a lot more experience. I'm really starting to have fun with it. That was kind of my objective. To pick small roles so I could kind of get familiar with the craft and try to continue to get better and better because I'm a perfectionist. I would say it's been a big journey. I've had a lot of fun with it. I'm just glad to be a part of such a great movie and continuing on that process of learning as much as I can.

Where do we find your character coming into this? What has he been up to?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges:  Okay in 2 Fast 2 Furious my character was basically all about his money. He was always betting, trying to make five dollars out of one, and he's basically doing the same thing here. I'm sure everybody has told you guys it's like one big heist. I'm just playing my part. I'm kind of like the technical guy. Of course my main focus is the end result is everybody is getting their money, and splitting it up, I know what I'm going to do with my part and that's basically what I do. I'm here to play my part in the team.

Does Brian O' Connor (Paul Walker) bring you in?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yeah.

That's because he knows you from the Miami days?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Exactly.

Do you drive in this one?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No man. Same thing as...Well, I take that back. I do a little bit but most of the action is for them. I'm doing more the technical.

You're the guy that's helping them get ready for everything?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yes. That's exactly what I am. Not much of the action but don't worry man there will be a movie where I get all the action. I'm not tripping about it. Like I said, I play my part. I've juggled so many different things, like I said its strategic how I pick these roles. I've turn a lot of stuff down just so I could pick the right ones gearing up for when I'm able to go forward.

You felt this was the right one for you to do?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Oh yeah. This came because of 2 Fast 2 Furious. They asked everybody to come back. As soon as I read the script I said, "I'm down."

Is there going to be a little inside joke about the hair?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: About losing my hair?

About missing the big Afro from the other movie?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No. No jokes about losing the hair man. It's been such a long time that I think it will be an obvious transition. He's gotten older and he's cut the braids off.

Well it seems like everyone has matured as characters and progressed. Now you guys are working together as a team. Do you want to talk about the way that every character has evolved, maybe how we get to see them work as a team as opposed to individuals against each other?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yeah it's really good because of course you know that Paul was in all of them but Vin [Diesel] wasn't in two or three, he was in four. And then you have my man Sung. He was in Tokyo Drift. So it's basically taking bits and pieces of each one and putting them all together, and everybody working together, so it's interesting to see the characters that never met each other on different sequels together, working together. Like I said it just comes together really well. It doesn't skip a beat. If you are a fan of each of the installments then you will completely understand and won't question what the hell is going on here. You'll know that this person is from this one and that's what he does and he's doing the same thing here. It's just a growth.
 
Is taking on smaller roles, does that make it easier for you to juggle film and music and the same time? Is that a deliberate part of that decision process?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yeah that's definitely strategic. Like I said, I take this very, very serious. From an actor's standpoint, until I feel like I'm ready 100% I'm not just going to dive into the starring acting role.  I really want to perfect the craft and learn as much of the craft before I do that. It's also a timing issue too, to a certain degree, because coming out with albums, and touring, and having all these different businesses going on at the same time. It's better for me during periods of time to be able to maybe take a month or two off as opposed to taking a half a year and just doing a movie for right now.

Are they totally separate, like doing these things at different times, or do you have to juggle the different disciplines of making music when you are doing acting, or are they totally separate?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: I separate them. When we don't shoot on the weekends or days we don't shoot, that's when I focus on music. I don't ever do both on the same day, I like to 100% focus on what I'm doing on that day. Again that goes along to what I said about taking this really serious.

You just did a gig the other day? Because Paul Walker was tweeting about it.

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: It was on the weekend. We weren't shooting that day. They actually came out to the show. It was a good.

Will any of your music be featured in the film?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: That is yet to be determined. I don't want to give you guys any wrong information that's not confirmed yet but we are trying to see if that will happen. As of now I don't know.

But you did write songs for it just in case?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No, no, not just in case. I'm trying to get the green light to do it. I'm just being vague because I don't want to say yes and then it doesn't happen and then you guys have the wrong information. I don't want to say no and then it turns out that I did. Right now I can't answer that question.

I rewatched 2 Fast 2 Furious the other night and your character, correct me if I'm wrong, he has sort of a limp? Is that going to be back in this?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No. He had a limp because he had been in a major accident. Supposedly that was the thing. Like four years later I'm walking better, I'm cool. That's a good point that you brought that up. You pay attention to detail.

Was that a character choice you made then for that?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: They actually made the character choice for me. They asked me to do that small limp but this literally real time. That came out in 2003? 2004? So, six years later my leg has healed the fu*k up.

It would be funny if you were missing an arm. You're like the world's worst driver.

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: That would be funny as hell.

How easily did you jump back into this character? Did you go back and watch the first one you were in?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yeah I did. I went back to it. I think it's only right to do that so I could try to make sure when you do different characters in movies you have to make sure your 100% studying. It was pretty cool transition 2 Fast 2 Furious being my first acting movie it wasn't as far of a stretch from the Ludacris personality. When I do acting of course I want to do everything but Ludacris but I felt that was a great starting role for a transition. If I was doing Rain Man or some shit and we were doing a sequel I would have to jump back into that character.

Could you talk about what it was like working with Justin Lin and how it was different from working with John Singleton on the second one?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yeah. They are both great directors I just think they both have different styles.  It's so good because they both pay attention to detail. Only, I think it's just a different style of shooting. Kind of like how they do different takes. How they both notice different things - they may say we want you to do it like this. That's just basically how directors are but I think they are both 100% great directors. This is my first time working with Justin. He pays very close attention to detail and he's always 100% on it. You know when directors are doing their job they're pretty much doing everyone else's job too. So basically he covers, he knows exactly what's going on the scrip, like every detail. While he's shooting and you try to ask a question about the character he's dead on. He still knows.  He's very, how could I say...what's the word. Just paying attention to detail, I had a word in mind but I can't think of it. He's very good at that.

Do you live in Atlanta?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yes sir.

So you don't have to travel far.

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No not at all. Feels great. This is actually the first movie I've done in Atlanta.

I actually heard some of the cast members are staying with you, at your place right?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No they've been to my house but no one has been staying with me. They all come to my restaurant Straits, so that's a good thing. I'm trying to have the wrap party there.

What's your restaurant?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: It's called Straits. It's downtown Atlanta. It's a Singapore Tai food restaurant. It's pretty damn good if you haven't been there come through. It's on Juniper and 5th. We've all hung out, like I said, Paul came to the concert. We all bring really good energy. Everybody is friends, no egos. Everybody is getting along good. That's a good thing.

You don't show up until the third act do you?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: I show up. When you're saying third act, do you mean that there are four total?

I mean more towards the end of the movie when they finally get the group of guys together.

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No. I show up before then. But most of the cast, we actually show up around the same time. It's kind of Ocean's Eleven reminiscent. We are all together for a heist. We may not be right together at the beginning somewhere in that.

Has your character had any interaction with Brian since the last one in the world of Fast and Furious, since the second movie?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: No he has not.
 
So you're seeing him again for the first time?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Exactly. We are seeing each other and we're like, "Man it's been a long time." That type of thing.

I was thinking, when you were talking about the heist and the team aspect, it's kind of feeling like an Ocean's Eleven heist movie.  Is that what it's going to become? You guys coming together and fulfilling your different roles?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: I don't want to take away from it saying it's like Ocean's Eleven.  It's totally different. But in the way that you're saying it, yeah we have individual roles. We are all gearing up for one big goal.

Do you have conflict with any of the other characters? Like do you and Tyrese's character get along?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Jokingly. You know, jokingly not get along. But yeah, I'm good. My character is good. It's Tyrese's character that's on the rocks with everybody but he's still cool with everybody.

Dom takes to you pretty well along with all the other characters?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Yeah. Dom is Dom. It's almost like you notice with some of the characters, they may not be as friendly with one another but they all understand that we are here for a common goal and we are going to work together. It's that type of thing. You may not like the person but you're going to make it happen. That's the kind of feel you get.

How much does acting impact what you do musically? Like in terms of just the creative exercise of acting, even though you are doing that separately, what has they given to your music?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: That's a good question. I did that album Theater of the Mind based off of being in movies and kind of trying to put the two together because when you do music you're trying to paint a picture. When we do videos the reason I think that a lot of entertainers make the transition to acting smoothly over to acting because when we do videos it's kind of a form of acting already. We are just acting our own words out on screen. So being comfortable in front of that camera and all these things that go back-and -forth, hand-in-hand, all the crafts help each other out.

Do you see the persona that you have on your albums, do you see that as yourself or do you see that as a Ludacris persona that you take on and you're a different person?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: It's both. It is myself and it is one of my personas. That's how I see it, but I don't like that persona being in when I take on a role. I don't want to be Ludacris I want to be the character.

Do you see yourself taking a role that we would never expect in the future to further hone that?

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges: Of course. I love to do the unexpected. I can't say exactly what that is, but yeah. I'd love to do something like that so I'm sure hands down in the future there will be a role that people will be like, "Wow I didn't expect him to do that."