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\n Related: <\/span>Eminem Through the Years: From Slim Shady to Now<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tEminem has become a household name in the music world. Born Marshall Mathers, the rapper may be known by multiple monikers in the music industry \u2014 he goes by Slim Shady as well \u2014 but he\u2019ll always be Eminem. The musician got his start as a member of various hip-hop groups, including D12, before taking [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThey kept running into these people at shows, and some of them would have [Eminem\u2019s then-signature] bleach blonde hair, or they were just die hards that would show up in random countries in Europe [from America], and so they were starting to get this idea of some people that they might want to include in the film,\u201d he explained. \u201cAnd they did some filming back in the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Leckhart joined the project five years ago, the casting process was kicked into \u201chigh gear.\u201d The Emmy-winning director and his team put a link online through Eminem\u2019s own social media accounts to an online questionnaire. \u201cAnd within three to four months, we had, I think, over 9,000 submissions, pretty much from all over the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>
\n Eminem<\/span> Courtesy of AMC Theatres Distribution<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhen it came to choosing who would actually be featured in the documentary, Leckhart stressed they were looking for variety. \u201cLike, \u2018We already have a person who\u2019s got a lot of tattoos [of Eminem] and she\u2019s in the Guiness Book of World Records, so let\u2019s not focus on tattoos,\u2019\u201d he explained, adding that they would\u00a0 \u201clook for people who reflected Eminem\u2019s story or the music in different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eventually, they were able to build \u201cthis awesome mixtape of people\u201d from the 22-tattoo girl to fans who have traveled to Detroit so they could stand on the land where Eminem\u2019s house was once located.<\/p>\n
Despite some of Eminem\u2019s most loyal followers participating in the project \u2014 and a section of the doc dedicated to discussing the possibility those fans would meet their idol\u00a0 \u2014 the \u201cLose Yourself\u201d artist does not cross paths with any of his fellow interviewees in the film. Leckhart said it was a topic he didn\u2019t even broach with Eminem, because he didn\u2019t \u201cwant the movie to become a conduit for our characters to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"Eminem](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Eminem-Doc-Director-Reflects-on-Rapper-s-Impact-on-Stan-Culture-How-He-Avoided-Casting-Obsessed-Fans-GettyImages-2218388607.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>Mike Marsland\/WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI didn\u2019t want to make what would feel like a reality show moment, for lack of a better word,\u201d he said, noting that one particular fan\u2019s story, Zolt, involved meeting Eminem in a special way that deserved its own moment to shine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving already met him and having that picture, and the way he told the story in the interview, was like a dream. It was so bizarre,\u201d he recalled of hearing Zolt tell his story of crossing paths with Eminem. \u201cThe way he describes it, it was like he had ascended to heaven and met an angel. So there was no way that a documentary film crew would be able to capture something that magical that had already happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eminem, for his part, revisits more than just his at times complicated history with his fans y in the doc \u2013 the rapper also discusses his past addiction, life as a father to daughter Hailie Jade<\/strong><\/a> and his public persona. According to Leckart, nothing was actually off limits.<\/p>\n
\n Eminem<\/span> Courtesy of AMC Theatres Distribution<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
When it came to choosing who would actually be featured in the documentary, Leckhart stressed they were looking for variety. \u201cLike, \u2018We already have a person who\u2019s got a lot of tattoos [of Eminem] and she\u2019s in the Guiness Book of World Records, so let\u2019s not focus on tattoos,\u2019\u201d he explained, adding that they would\u00a0 \u201clook for people who reflected Eminem\u2019s story or the music in different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eventually, they were able to build \u201cthis awesome mixtape of people\u201d from the 22-tattoo girl to fans who have traveled to Detroit so they could stand on the land where Eminem\u2019s house was once located.<\/p>\n
Despite some of Eminem\u2019s most loyal followers participating in the project \u2014 and a section of the doc dedicated to discussing the possibility those fans would meet their idol\u00a0 \u2014 the \u201cLose Yourself\u201d artist does not cross paths with any of his fellow interviewees in the film. Leckhart said it was a topic he didn\u2019t even broach with Eminem, because he didn\u2019t \u201cwant the movie to become a conduit for our characters to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to make what would feel like a reality show moment, for lack of a better word,\u201d he said, noting that one particular fan\u2019s story, Zolt, involved meeting Eminem in a special way that deserved its own moment to shine.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving already met him and having that picture, and the way he told the story in the interview, was like a dream. It was so bizarre,\u201d he recalled of hearing Zolt tell his story of crossing paths with Eminem. \u201cThe way he describes it, it was like he had ascended to heaven and met an angel. So there was no way that a documentary film crew would be able to capture something that magical that had already happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Eminem, for his part, revisits more than just his at times complicated history with his fans y in the doc \u2013 the rapper also discusses his past addiction, life as a father to daughter Hailie Jade<\/strong><\/a> and his public persona. According to Leckart, nothing was actually off limits.<\/p>\n<\/div>