With his athletic build, heavy-lidded expressive eyes and attractive good looks, Omar Epps frequently was cast as sports heroes and troubled teenagers early in his career, but as he amassed more credits and demonstrated his range, he moved on to more substantial dramatic fare. The young actor made a promising film debut as star of "Juice" (1992), cinematographer Ernest Dickerson's directorial debut, a violent and tragic take on four young men growing up in Harlem. Co-starring the late rapper Tupac Shakur, "Juice" showcased Epps' developed emotional range with his nuanced performance that