As we interviewed CJ Wallace, son of hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G., we couldn’t help but notice his father’s traits come across; the younger Wallace is equally as funny and charming as his father once was.

Still, CJ is miles away from Kenny, the forlorn character he portrays in the new Will Ferrell-led film Everything Must Go. In EMG, Wallace and Ferrell’s down-on-his-luck Nick character forge a unique friendship.

Here the 14-year-old talks to XXLMag.com about his dad’s legacy, working with Ferrell, and Odd Future's Tyler, the Creator. — Jesús Triviño Alarcón

XXLMag.com: Talk about your character in Everything Must Go.

CJ Wallace: Kenny, he’s a loner. He’s a real lonely kid who doesn’t have any friends. His sister is the only adult who looks after him because his mom works late. All he does is ride his bike around the neighborhood. [One day] he notices this stuff out on [his neighbor's] lawn. Kenny sees that as an opportunity to possibly gain a friend. He ends up becoming best friends with him [Will Ferrell's character].

XXLMag.com: Are you a fan of Will Ferrell?

Wallace: Definitely, I love all of his movies. My favorite is Talladega Nights because I can watch it all the time. I can never get tired of it. It’s too funny [Laughs].

XXLMag.com: How was it working with him?

Wallace: It was great. He’s a cool dude. He was kind of different than what I expected. I thought he’d be the guy to crack jokes all the time. He can be real serious. [We had] a good relationship. It was almost like [real life] Kenny and Nick. He was real helpful off-set. He helped me out with stuff I didn’t really understand. He’s real easy to work with and he made me feel comfortable all the time.

XXLMag.com: How was your relationship with director Dan Rush?

Wallace: Dan is amazing. He’s cool. He’s a pushover [Laughs]. I’m kidding. He’s a great guy. He helped me with everything. Whenever I had questions he answered them.
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XXLMag.com: Which was easier to play: your dad in Notorious or Kenny in EMG?

Wallace: It was easier to play my dad because I had more help knowing how to do it. My mom would coach me, telling me how my dad would bite his nails all
the time so I would try to do that a lot. [But also] mainly because Kenny was the complete opposite of me. He’s a real loner and didn’t have any friends.

XXLMag.com: Is your mom [Faith Evans] supportive of your acting career?

Wallace: At first she was a little hesitant because school is always first. She told me, “You gotta be on top of that if you want to do this.” She’s definitely supportive of anything I do no matter what it is.

XXLMag.com: Have you thought about what you want to study in college?

Wallace: I want to go to college and study film because I really like directing and taking pictures. I really like being behind the camera as well as on camera.

XXLMag.com: What sparked your interest in acting?

Wallace: It was a little different. At first I didn’t want to be an actor. My grandma is the one who told me that I should be my dad in Notorious. "You should do it; it would probably be easy for you," she said. I did it and I took a bigger interest in acting. I took advantage of the opportunity and I found out I was really good at it.

XXLMag.com: How is it to see yourself on the big screen?

Wallace: It’s really surreal especially when you’re around friends and family. It’s a great feeling to feel that you accomplished something so big like that. It sounds real cheesy but it feels like a dream.

XXLMag.com: How do you feel about your dad’s legacy?

Wallace: I feel like I’m doing pretty good [in] continuing the legacy [and] just keeping his name alive and carrying it on.

XXLMag.com: What’s your favorite song by your dad?

Wallace: “Machine Gun Funk” is probably one of my favorites. I remember the first time I heard it I was in the car driving in L.A. and it gave me the best feeling ever.

XXLMag.com: How involved is Diddy in your life?

Wallace: I’m around him all the time. I go over his house and hang out with Christian, Justin and Quincy.

XXLMag.com: What are you currently listening to now?

Wallace: I’m starting to listen to Tyler, the Creator a lot. [Odd Future is] really cool. I like what they’re about. They’re real different and hard to understand [Laughs]. They’re cool.

XXLMag.com: Down the line, do you see yourself getting into the music industry at all?

Wallace: I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. I’m only 14 so I got a while to choose. If I can choose it would probably be acting. It’s just more fun.

XXLMag.com: Your father was known as someone who had a great sense of style, a great sense of humor and was a ladies man. Did you get any of
those characteristics?

Wallace: Man, you just named all the three [Laughs]. My mom always tells me that I act just like him especially humorously. Sense of style, yeah I have style.

XXLMag.com: Why did you choose EMG as your second film?

Wallace: After Notorious I got a lot of different scripts. [I chose] this one just because it was a great opportunity to work with Will Ferrell. And it was also the best offer.

XXLMag.com: Are you a gamer? What’s your favorite game?

Wallace: Yeah, definitely. I’m on PS3. It’s a tie between Black Ops and NBA2K11 right now.

XXLMag.com: Are you a Knicks fan?

Wallace: Oh nah, Lakers, man. Kobe all day. I’m not as good as Kobe but I think I can take Fisher. Just kidding.

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