SEAN COMBS - COMBS DITCHED BLING LIFESTYLE FOR FILM ROLE

SEAN COMBS swapped his luxurious lifestyle for a more humble existence to prepare for his role in TV movie A RAISIN IN THE SUN. The rapper-turned-actor reprised the role he took to Broadway in 2004 for a small screen adaptation, due to air in the U.S. on Monday (25Feb08). Combs plays Walter Lee Younger, a chauffeur who dreams of rescuing his family from a life of poverty - and the star was determined to take the role and his burgeoning acting career seriously. He tells the New York Daily News, "I moved out of my house and rented a two-bedroom apartment. I even cut off my Blackberry (cell phone). Every time I do a role I want to get better."