Cardi B is more than just a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning rapper. Since 2017, she’s been dipping her toe into small and big screen endeavors as an actress. Most recently, she took on a surprise cameo role in F9. It was a headline-grabbing move for the popular franchise, and an exciting challenge for the seemingly fearless rapper. But according to Cardi B, playing opposite Vin Diesel was a "scary" moment for her -- at least, at first.
We first learned that Cardi B would be making her debut in the Fast and Furious franchise back in 2019, when Vin Diesel shared a video of himself with the rapper on the F9 set. It wasn’t her first foray into Hollywood -- she’d given a strong performance in Hustlers earlier that year. But it was still a bit of a surprise to fans of both the musician and the film series. Despite being all smiles in the video that Diesel shared with fans, Cardi B recently admitted in an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip shared by People that while she couldn’t wait to join the cast, sharing the screen with Vin Diesel was initially a bit intimidating:
You know Vin Diesel, he always plays this very serious guy. I was scared, but he’s so nice, so dope, he makes you feel so comfortable, that’s pretty cool.
In fact, Vin Diesel did more than make Cardi B feel comfortable on set. She said that after filming wrapped, the actor even gave her some words of encouragement:
By the way, I really am proud of you.
If you’ve received the Vin Diesel seal of approval, it seems like you’re probably officially a member of the Fast and Furious family. That’s fitting, since according to Diesel, the whole reason Cardi B joined the cast in the first place is because his daughter is a big fan, and she wanted to see them together on screen. He really did take the meaning of “family” seriously this time around.
In F9, Cardi B played Leysa, an old friend of Dom’s who seemingly owes him a favor and helps him out of a tight spot. While her appearance definitely falls into the cameo category -- she doesn’t have much screen time -- it seems like she made a good impression on more than just Diesel. In June of 2021, the actor revealed that Cardi B will reprise her role as Leysa in Fast and Furious 10. And given the huge number of potential spin-offs for the franchise, there’s a chance she could pop up in future films as well -- after all, there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding her character, and therefore plenty to explore.
While F9 is still raking it in at the box office, we won’t have to wait too long to see Vin Diesel and Cardi B team up again. Fast and Furious 10 is due to hit theaters in April 2023.
