T.I. Trying to Steal Some Laughs in ‘Identity Thief’

by Cherie Saunders

Rapper T.I. arrives at Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Gangster Squad’ premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on January 7, 2013 in Hollywood

*You don’t see him much in the trailers, but T.I. has a plum role in the upcoming film “Identity Thief,” starring Jason Bateman as a mild-mannered businessman who sets out to find the person who stole his identity.

Melissa McCarthy plays the deceptively harmless-looking woman who ruined his credit, and T.I. plays a bounty hunter who chases after them both.

“It was a refreshing stretch to be able to do something different,” the rapper told us of his first major comedic role. “People, they assume that I’m just this straight-faced, hard-core criminal, which I am not… anymore.

After well-received dramatic turns in “ATL,” “Takers,” “American Gangster” and the Starz original series “Boss,” T.I. says he was eager to diversify his resume with a comedy.

“I like shocking people. I enjoy taking advantage of the opportunity to surprise people when they only thought I could do [drama],” he said. “Now, they’re pleasantly surprised with something different. So I welcome that opportunity and I appreciate it.”

Below, Tip tells us if his move toward acting has alienated any of his music fans.