50 Cent has conquered music, Hollywood and business (at least, it would appear that way), but boxing was the one profession he has only been able to look at from the outside. As fight promoter Jordan Mains in Antoine Fuqua's drama Southpaw, Fiddy gets as close as ever to being a part of the world that has fascinated him since he was 12.
"I live vicariously through some of the top fighters," he tells us when we sat down with him to discuss his new role. One fighter in particular, he'll admit. "Floyd [Mayweather]...he's so talented that he never really puts control in someone else's hands, but a lot of other fighter's I've interacted with have traits very similar to [Jake Gyllenhaal's] character."
Gyllenhaal plays Billy Hope, an undefeated champ whose life crumbles after his wife is killed. What made him a huge success in the ring keeps him from seeing his daughter when she's placed in foster care after he loses custody — but, despite so effectively humanizing the behavior of athletes whose job it is to turn men into pulp, Gyllenhaal is unsympathetic with those who carry that behavior into their personal lives. 
"I think there's a responsibility, anytime you do things professionally...to behave like a gentleman. That's what separates professionals from amateurs...hopefully," he says.
Watch our interview with the actors below, and see Southpaw when it hits theaters this Friday.

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(Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)