Brian Guest talks Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.
Brian Guest is set to appear on Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. soon. Check out our chat with him about his role, diving into the story, and more!
Brian Guest has been on several crime-driven shows, but Unsolved dives into the true stories of the Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. murders. The murders remained unsolved to this day, so I asked Brian some questions about how he prepared for the show and how it was different from the previous crime shows he worked on.
“Unsolved was particularly cool because there was so much information available about the Tupac and Biggie cases to research. Detective Greg Kading (Unsolved Producer) worked the cases and wrote a book which then turned into a documentary,” said Guest. “So, there was a lot of detail that helped me stick pretty close to the truth while preparing. There is a heightened responsibility when you play a real person so you have to up your game. Especially since this story is so iconic. When it comes to telling the Tupac and Biggie story I felt I had to make sure to get it right.”
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The book that Guest mentions from Kading is Murder Rap, which revealed additional details about the investigations. On the show, Guest portrays Tim Searight for an arc in the second half of the season. He’s a U.S. Attorney who caught the case, and Guest was asked to audition for this role specifically.
“I’ve known Director/Producer Anthony Hemingway for a long time. He is literally one of the best in the biz. I know people probably say that all the time about people, but he really is… anything that man touches turns to gold! When he asked me to audition for the role of U.S. Attorney Tim Searight, I knew what a huge opportunity it would be so I just focused on bringing my A-game to make him proud,” said Guest.
The Tupac and Biggie murders are ones that are hard to not be at least vaguely aware of. Famous people’s murders don’t typically go unsolved, so the fact that both of these did is inherently interesting. Guest was pretty familiar with both stories going into the show.
“I followed the story pretty closely when I was younger because I was such a fan of both of their music. I think as time went on I developed sort of an obsession with the case. I’m not saying it’s healthy, but I love murder shows – Dateline, 48 Hours… I’m obsessed,” stated Guest. “In regard to the Tupac and Biggie murders, there are so many theories out there as to what happened. Some of it is so absurd. When I found out that they were going to make Unsolved, I really did a deep dive into researching the case. Having Greg Kading on set was invaluable. Being able to talk to him, the lead detective on the case, made all of our jobs easier.”
When asked if he could give us a sneak peek of what to expect from his character, Guest’s response was “Spoiler alert: The Titanic sinks! Besides that, these lips are sealed. You just have to watch!” The show is three episodes in so far. I highly recommend catching up if you haven’t started it just yet.
These murders took place over 20 years ago now, which gives the show a lot of history to work with. We get a look at the original investigation alongside the 2006 task force that started working on it, too. A lot of information is being thrown at you and Guest spoke about what it was like working on something that has so much history to it.
“It’s weird. This was a moment of time that I lived through. So, to play a part of something that you already feel like you have a connection to is… weird. I’m really lucky to have been a part of such an amazing production, and I think everybody that was a part of this feels the same way,” said Guest. “Kyle Long (Writer/Producer) did a fantastic job of weaving this story, with so much information out there already, which everyone thinks they know. Everybody has such a strong opinion as to what they think happened, hopefully they all watch to get this perspective.”
Of course I couldn’t finish up the interview without asking Guest if he’s team Tupac or team Biggie. That’s one of the main things everyone wants to know when discussing these cases, isn’t it? Guest had to give it a little thought before answering.
“Hmm… I guess I started out listening to way more Biggie. I mean, I grew up on the East Coast in Delaware so I felt more of a connection to him. But then as time passed, I started listening to more Tupac. All of my friends and I were into their music. Any party we ever had or went to always had both of their music blaring. It was sort the anthem to my high school and college years.”
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Before he left, Guest gave us a quick update on what he’s working on next, The Oath, in addition to being a dad. The film is currently in post-production.
“I just finished a part on a new Ike Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish movie, which was AWESOME. Ike wrote and directed an incredible satirical thriller which I think we will all be able to relate to. I also have a two-year old daughter, so a lot of what I am working on is raising a tiny human… It’s insane!”
Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. airs on USA on Tuesdays at 10pm EST. Be sure to tune in!