Most job interviews happen across a desk. One of 50 Cent’s happened on a firing line, with Robert De Niro standing next to him asking whether he really wanted the job. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson told the story in October 2026 on Jimmy Kimmel Live while promoting his new Street Fighter movie. We’re calling it the De Niro firing range test, and as range stories go, it’s a good one.
Below: what 50 actually said, which movie it was really about (at least one clip going around gets that part wrong), and how to run a friendlier version of the test the next time you take someone shooting.
That’s the full interview from Jimmy Kimmel Live. The De Niro story starts at 11:03, or jump straight to it.
What 50 Cent Told Kimmel
Kimmel asked a fair question. When 50 first started acting, were established actors skeptical of a rapper who got cast because he was famous? 50 didn’t hesitate: “De Niro. De Niro was scared.”
When a movie with De Niro was on the table, 50 said, De Niro wanted to meet him first, because “he was trying to make sure that I wasn’t DMX.”
So they met. De Niro asked the basics: “So you want to act?” How long had he wanted to do this? “Is this passion for you?” 50 told him yes, it was exciting. De Niro said “Okay,” and then took 50 shooting at what 50 described as a New York City law enforcement range.
Picture it: ear protection on, a few magazines in, and Robert De Niro turns to you and asks, “Look, do you really want to make this movie?”
50’s honest reaction: “Are you threatening me?” He followed up, in language the show had to bleep, by asking whether De Niro had brought him to a gun range specifically to ask him that.
Kimmel asked if that’s really what it felt like. “It was wild,” 50 said. Did he give the right answer? “Yeah, yeah. Cuz I wanted to make the movie. Who don’t want to work with Robert De Niro, man?” And was he intimidated? “A little bit.”
Wait, Which Movie Was It?
At least one Short of this clip lists the movie as Street Fighter. It wasn’t. Street Fighter is the 2026 film 50 was on Kimmel to promote. The De Niro story is a lot older than that.
In the full interview, 50 names the film himself: “we was supposed to do a film called Streets of Blood.” De Niro didn’t end up in it. 50 did, alongside Val Kilmer and Sharon Stone, and Streets of Blood came out in 2009.
Whatever came of that meeting, De Niro and 50 did share the screen twice: in Righteous Kill (2008), where De Niro and Al Pacino play NYPD detectives, and in Freelancers (2012) with Forest Whitaker. The range trips weren’t a one-time thing either. Back in 2007, 50 told MTV, “De Niro, I’ve been to his house, met his wife. We’ve been to the firing range a couple times together.”
What a Range Day Tells You About Someone
Leave out the intimidation and there’s something to the idea. Spend an hour on a firing line with someone and you learn a lot about them. In our experience, here’s what a range day shows you:
- Do they listen? Range commands, the range safety officer, the rules posted on the wall. Someone who follows them without being told twice is usually easy to work with everywhere else too.
- Where does the muzzle go? In a safe direction, every time, including while loading, clearing a stoppage, and setting the gun down.
- How do they handle a malfunction? A failure to feed tests patience fast. Staying calm, keeping the muzzle downrange, and either clearing it the way they were taught or calling the range safety officer is the right answer. If a shot sounds or feels weak, stop shooting and get the RSO.
- Do they clean up after themselves? Leaving the lane the way you found it is a small thing, and that’s the point.
One more lesson from 50’s story, and this one is serious. If someone asks you a question while you’re on the firing line, don’t turn around with the gun in your hand to answer. Keep the muzzle pointed downrange, take your finger off the trigger, and follow your range’s rules for making the gun safe and setting it down before you turn to talk. Even if the person asking is Robert De Niro.
How to Take a New Shooter to the Range
Taking a friend, a new shooter, or a future business partner to the range is one of the better ways to grow the shooting community. Here’s how to make the day go well.
Call the range first
Guest policies, rental rules, and first-timer requirements vary from range to range. Some want a safety briefing or a signed waiver before a new shooter steps up to the line. Ask before you go so nobody gets turned away at the counter. If your guest will be shooting your guns, make sure that’s allowed where you live and at that range.
Say the four rules out loud
Before anyone touches a gun, go through them together:
- Treat every gun as if it’s loaded.
- Never point the muzzle at anything you aren’t willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you’ve decided to shoot.
- Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it.
Pack for two
Bring eye and ear protection for both of you, plus spares, because guests forget. Our range bag guide covers what’s worth bringing and what to leave at home.
Make the gun easy to run
In our experience, racking the slide is where a lot of new shooters get stuck, and a frustrated first-timer stops having fun. Teach the technique first: keep the muzzle downrange and your finger outside the trigger guard, take a firm overhand grip on the rear of the slide behind the ejection port, and push the frame forward while you pull the slide back. If your guest will be shooting your Glock, the NDZ Slide Racker Plate for Glock Gen 1-5 can help too. It swaps the factory plastic rear plate for one machined from billet aluminum with flared grip tabs, so the hand has more to hold, and NDZ lists it for shooters with reduced hand strength. It fits Gen 1-5 models including the G17, G19, and G45, and does not fit Slimline, V-Series, or Gen 6 Glocks. How much grip tab you get depends on the slide. It won’t replace good technique, and NDZ recommends having any part installed by a qualified gunsmith.
Keep track of whose mags are whose
On a shared bench, magazines wander, and by the end of the session every black Glock mag looks like everyone else’s. The NDZ Glock Gen 1-5 Magazine Floor Plate with Engraved Patterns replaces the factory polymer floor plate with 6061-T6 aluminum, comes in 12 laser-engraved patterns, and offers an optional color fill that makes your mags easy to pick out. It keeps the factory profile without adding length. Floor plates are held on by spring tension and can cause injury if mishandled, so wear safety glasses when you swap one, and as with any part, NDZ recommends installation by a qualified gunsmith. Check our Glock magazine plate compatibility guide to match the plate to your model before you order.
End with the big question
When the day’s done and the guns are cased, ask your guest a friendlier version of the question: do you really want to keep doing this? If the answer is when are we going back, they passed. No movie role on the line.
And if your next range day includes a first-timer, send them this post before you go. It’s a lot less intimidating than meeting De Niro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What movie was the De Niro firing range story about?
Streets of Blood. 50 Cent said on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he and Robert De Niro were supposed to make that film together. De Niro did not end up in it. 50 made it with Val Kilmer and Sharon Stone, and it was released in 2009. Street Fighter is the 2026 movie 50 was promoting on the show.
Have 50 Cent and Robert De Niro made movies together?
Yes, two: Righteous Kill (2008), which also stars Al Pacino, and Freelancers (2012), which also stars Forest Whitaker.
Where did Robert De Niro take 50 Cent shooting?
50 described it as a New York City law enforcement firing range. He did not name the range on the show.
Did 50 Cent and De Niro go shooting more than once?
By 50’s account, yes. In a 2007 MTV interview he said, “We’ve been to the firing range a couple times together.”
Robert De Niro, 50 Cent, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and ABC are not affiliated with NDZ Performance and have not endorsed its products.