The Poster Memorabilia blog

The Vibe is Always Right with Eminem

An intern, a tenth-anniversary shoot, and the poster he almost didn't have the nerve to pull out.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

He may not look it, but Eminem is a good time guy. He huffs and puffs with that hard-man persona, but away from the camera, he smiles and plays around with his friends. At least, that's what I witnessed when I got to assist at a magazine shoot back in 2012.

It was the 10th anniversary of 8 Mile, and the magazine I interned for reunited most of the cast for a special shoot. Eminem was naturally there, but so were Anthony Mackie, Mekhi Phifer, Omar Benson Miller, and Evan Jones. Sadly, Brittany Murphy had already passed away by that point.

The shoot went well for the most part. I had only seen the movie once before, but it was still great seeing them together again. It was also fun to see them joke around and have fun throughout the shoot. They made it easy to work that day despite how big they were.

“He may not look it, but Eminem is a good time guy.”

As I've mentioned previously, Eminem surprised me the most. I was braced for the guy from the album covers, someone who'd bite my head off if I so much as looked at him funny, but he couldn't have been further from it. I'd even say that he was the nicest that day.

Did he get annoyed at times? Sure, but he's only human. It was a long shoot, and I can't even imagine how long his days were at the time. We were told his schedule was packed, which was why he arrived looking tired, but not once did he snap at any of us.

Like the professional he is, he maintained his persona in front of the camera and gave us some amazing shots. The same goes for the rest of the cast, too, despite how grueling the shoot became by the end of it.

✦ ✦ ✦

In fact, they were so nice that I found the courage to ask them for their autograph. Knowing I'd get to meet them at this shoot, I brought my 8 Mile movie poster, hoping to get it signed. I never knew I'd actually get to do it, but here we are.

Now that I remember it, Eminem was actually very nice about it. He was quiet and all, as you'd expect a celebrity to be, guarded when faced with a fan, but he still signed it anyway. Mekhi Phifer and Omar Benson Miller were seated right beside him, so when they saw him sign it, it made it easy for me to ask them, too.

The only ones I didn't get were Anthony Mackie's and Evan Jones's. They were busy shooting when I went up to the other three. The day became even busier after that, so I missed my chance to ask them. I still regret it to this day.

I've met countless celebrities since, but that day will always stay with me. It was the first time I saw someone as famous as Eminem in person, and seeing how different he is off camera was a life-changing experience.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

Guaranteed authentic for life • 90-day returns, any reason