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Social media campaign pays off as Tyrese Gibson nabs role in next 'Transformers' movie

Fast Furious 6 Tyrese
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s always interesting to see actors and actresses campaigning for particular roles. While we tend to think of these folks as even-keeled, too-cool-for-school types, they can be just as anxious over their employment situations as your average Joe/Jane. Case in point: Tyrese Gibson lobbying on social media for a role in the upcoming Transformers: The Last Knight. Though his posts have since been deleted, they seem to have had their intended effect, as one very important person took notice.

According to ScreenCrush, director Michael Bay appears to have appreciated the actor’s sticktoitiveness, as the Instagram posts below show Tyrese and the king of explosions/slow-motion helicopters at sunset palling around.

First off, is that a tricked-out Transformers plane? Bus? Autobot? We can’t tell, but it looks pretty darn cool. Second, it’s sort of ironic to see a guy that shoots movies for a living acting so camera-shy. Thirdly, it looks like Tyrese will, in fact, appear in The Last Knight, joining a cast that already includes Mark Wahlberg (Cade Yeager), Isabela Moner (Izabella), and the great Anthony Hopkins.

The actor played Chief Master Sergeant Robert Epps in the franchise’s first three films, but was left on the sidelines for its fourth installment: Transformers: Age of Extinction. No word yet on just how substantial his role in this film will be, but we’ll keep you updated as the details filter in.

Transformers: The Last Knight is set to hit theaters June 23, 2017. In the meantime, you can catch Tyrese in Ride Along 2, now on DVD, and in Fast 8, which is scheduled for an April 14, 2017, release.

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Adam Poltrack
Adam is an A/V News Writer for Digital Trends, and is responsible for bringing you the latest advances in A/V…
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