Image via Complex Original
The Man on the Moon's acting career is poised for take-off. After a few TV roles here and there, Kid Cudi is scoring blockbuster placements now. First up, he's the comic relief in this weekend's Need for Speed opposite Aaron Paul, and next summer, he'll be beside Ari Gold in the hotly anticipated Entourage movie.
Now that he's blowing up, let's take a look at Mr. Rager's thespian origins. Take a look at Kid Cudi's Most Oscar-Worthy Acting Moments.
RELATED: The "Need for Speed" Movie is Probably the Best Video Game Adaptation Ever
RELATED: Drake's Most Oscar-Worthy Acting Moments
"Pursuit of Happiness" Video (January 2010)
Nomination: Best Lightweight
The world's first glimpse at Cudder's acting acumen came via the clip for his single with MGMT and Ratatat, "Pursuit of Happiness." In the video Cudi, with some help from Drizzy Drake, parties a bit too hard and the celebration suddenly gets as real as it does in the audio.
Of course, the floor of a bathroom stall is the perfect place to depict Cudi's pained warbling, asking himself why he drank so much. But the acting flair comes in the woozy close-ups, where dude nails the transition from drunk and happy to hungover and depressed perfectly.
"No One Believes Me" Video (August 2011)
Nomination: Best Loner
The Lord of the Sad and Lonely is in full effect in the visual for the song Kid contributed to Colin Farrell's Fright Night. Going along with the theme of the movie, Cudi plays a vampire ambling along through a hauntingly empty suburb. The very emo clip is both a logical extension of his music and a good display of his on-screen capabilities.
Cruel Summer Short Film (2012)
Nomination: Best Leading Man
The cruelest thing Kanye did in 2012 was direct this film, premiere it at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews ... and not include it in the Cruel Summer album packaging like he did with Runaway and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
The 35-minute, seven-screen immersion experience stars G.O.O.D. Music's then-starting player Kid Cudi as a high-end car thief who falls for a beautiful but blind Arabian princess. Maybe someday by the grace of Yeezus we'll be able to actually tell you how well Cudi fares as Yeezy's protagonist, but the lucky few who attended only had positive things to say.
Need for Speed (2014)
Nomination: Best Sidekick
After appearances on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and How to Make It in America, Cudi keeps the comedy going by fulfilling the necessary role of action movie comic relief in this weekend's new blockbuster Need For Speed. He cracks a few jokes and pulls off a few stunts (flying a helicopter!). While the part is minimal, the look is huge.
Te best part is, dude's not even dependent on the film's success because he's already locked his next job: hanging with Ari Gold and the Entourage cast next summer.
Maniac Short Film (2011)
Nomination: Biggest Creep
Shia LaBeouf directed this 10-minute short, which bears the same name as one of the standout tracks on Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. In it, Cudi and rapper Cage, who also guests on the "Maniac" track, play serial killers as a crew documents their kills.
It may be brief, but it's genuinely creepy, and unlike any other role Cudi's taken on before or after, it suggests his range is even wider than audiences initially thought.
How to Make It in America (2010-2011)
Nomination: Best Supporting Cast Member/Breakout Performance
During the gone-too-soon HBO dramedy's uneven first season, Cudi's role as Domingo Dean, co-leads Ben and Cam's stoner-dealer pal, seemed like vanity casting. Fast forward a year later after the show's second season, things have improved so much that the Home Box Office actually angered a small but passionate core group of fans when they chose not to renew for a third. One of those improvements: Cudi's expanded role.
When producers gave him more than just two scenes per episode and an actual plotline, he surprisingly stepped up to the plate and hit it out of the park. An arc that saw him dive into a complicated relationship with Ben's ex—where he was the one that maybe wanted more out of it—allowed him to flex dramatic chops the world didn't know he had. Meanwhile, a subplot involving he and Cam running afoul of drug dealers displayed his talent for physical comedy and comedic timing. Consider the doubt towards Cudi's thespian game officially erased.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, "48 Hours" (2013)
Nomination: Funniest Guest Star
Cudder introduced himself to a whole new demographic in his guest spot on Andy Samberg's breakout hit cop-sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. As Dustin, a wisecracking, smarmy perp confident that Samberg's Jake had no solid evidence on him, Cudi synthesized the dramedy chops he learned on How to Make It to deliver a nice cameo that had the Internet buzzing the next morning. A very successful chess move on his part (and probably his agent's too) that no doubt opened the blockbuster doors he's walking through now.