Shad Moss, best known by his stage name Bow Wow, wants to be the next Will Smith, who has successfully transitioned from rapper to award-winning actor.  In attempt to follow the footsteps of Smith, the 21-year-old rapper-music producer has decided to focus on acting full time.

Most recently, Bow Wow has been cast in upcoming fifth season of Entourage.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, he'll be in a recurring role as a new stand-up comedic client managed by Eric (Kevin Connolly).

"After 16 years in the music industry and six successful albums, I've decided to shift my energy to something else I'm passionate about, acting," Moss told The Hollywood Reporter.  "I'm going to try to be the next Will Smith."

Entourage isn't Bow Wow's first attempt in the TV circuit.  In fact, he has appeared on shows like Moesha, All That, Smallville and most recently on Ugly Betty.  While he mostly appears as himself on TV, he has also played various roles in movies such as Like Mike, Johnson Family Vacation, Roll Bounce and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Meanwhile, Entourage isn't the only upcoming acting gig for Bow Wow.  He is presently working on Tim Story's Patriots, a sports drama about a high school basketball coach who assembles a team of players who had previously attended five different schools before Hurricane Katrina and leads them on the path to the state championships.  The movie features Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy) and Forest Whitaker (The Shield). 

He has also been cast in the comedy drama Driving Lessons, which is about a mother and wife stricken with memory loss who allows a dysfunctional family a second chance at harmony and happiness.  The film is expected to be released in 2009 and stars Dermot Mulroney, Hope Davis, Brittany Robertson, and Max Thieriot, just to name a few.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
(Image courtesy of Exposay.com)