'Sons of Anarchy' Creator Wanted Dr. Dre in Major Role

He ended up going with someone else.

Sons of Anarchy was a phenomenon in the late '00s and early '10s, with the action drama chronicling the lives of motorcycle gang members becoming the highest-rated series in FX's history at the time. The show featured an all-star cast of actors, and there was one A-list music industry star that could've been a part of the show. 

Series creator Kurt Sutter reflected on possibly casting Dr. Dre in a video with show star Katey Sagal for their podcast Pie. He told Sagal, who starred in the show throughout its run as Gemma Teller Morrow, that he originally wanted Dre to play the police officer character Eli Roosevelt, who has a pivotal role during his time on the show from seasons 4 through 6. 

"We actually wanted Dre. I don’t know if we officially made an offer, but we wanted him," he said. “We thought it would be cool to have Dre play a cop, for Roosevelt."

Ultimately, the role of Roosevelt ended up going to Rockmond Dunbar. In addition to his role on Sons of Anarchy, Dunbar has also had prominent roles in shows like Prison Break, The Path, and 9-1-1. 

Dre might be best known to most people as a hit-making rapper and producer, but the former N.W.A. member has appeared in a few on-screen roles in his career. He had minor roles in iconic movies like Set It Off and Training Day and starred alongside his fellow Super Bowl halftime show performer Snoop Dogg in the beloved 2001 comedy The Wash.