Fire Spitter

Are you a fan of Wanted's original, gun-busting graphic novel?
I read some of the comic once I got the script and was hired. The story grabs you. It also grabs you that "Wesley” (James McAvoy's character) looks like Eminem, and that Angelina Jolie's character, "Fox,” looks like Halle Berry. I thought I was tripping.

Dyslexic casting director, perhaps. Aside from Brad Pitt's boo, this also stars the legendary Morgan Freeman. Did he spit game your way?
Morgan is the guru. Each day, he'd do off-camera readings with me. I'm coming from music; a lot of actors, especially the greats, may not respect people who make that transition. So for him to give advice, it was nice.

Your character's name, the Gunsmith, says a clipful. How'd you switch from conscious MC to triggerman?
I went straight to Gun 101. I did a lot of training and research—learning how to dismantle and put guns together. If you've been around guns at all, if you're on one end of it, you're running [laughs]. And when you're shooting, you don't necessarily know the mechanics. I stopped thinking of them as the worst thing in the world and started respecting that it depends on who's buying the guns.

Sounds like you're NRA-ready.
Nah, I'm not with all that. I'm not going overboard. But once you've handled them and you're acquainted with how guns work, the knowledge replaces fear.

Good. The last thing hip-hop needs is for Com Sense to become a killing machine.
[Laughs] Nah, I'm a learning machine. My character's not some cold-blooded killer. You kill because of fate. It's duty and destiny. Taking them out 'cause it's their time.

Would you ever cop your own gun?
Definitely. It'd definitely be legal, let's make that clear: a 9mm Smith & Wesson

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Wanted hits theaters on Friday