Eddie Murphy Richard Pryor
Eddie Murphy Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy declined to play Bill Cosby on the “Saturday Night Live” 40th anniversary special, but the comedian may be open to a role in the upcoming Richard Pryor biopic.
“Strap in and brace yourself,” director Lee Daniels captioned an Instagram photo on Thursday of him and Murphy. “They done let me and him out of our cages!”
The 53-year-old comedian is currently in talks to join the cast of the Daniels-directed biopic starring Mike Epps as Pryor, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
“Richard (Pryor) is the one who made me want to do comedy,” Murphy said in his 1987 stand-up special “Raw.”
“When I was young, I wanted to be Richard Pryor so bad I used to sneak in the basement, put his albums on, and just listen,” he added.
While Murphy won’t star as his idol, he will play Pryor’s father and former boxer, LeRoy “Buck Carter” Pryor, who the late comedian often described during his standup routines as an alcoholic that beat him.
A rep for Murphy has yet to respond to the Daily News’ request for comment.
Also rumored to be joining the cast is Kate Hudson, who would play Jennifer Lee Pryor. They married twice — first in 1981 when she became his fourth wife before divorcing a year later and again in 2001 for his seventh marriage, according to Entertainment Tonight.
The real life Jennifer Lee is a producer on the film along with Bruce Cohen, THR reports.Oprah Winfrey is also said to be onboard as Pryor’s grandmother, Marie Carter, according to ET.
“Strap in and brace yourself,” director Lee Daniels captioned an Instagram photo on Thursday of him and Murphy. “They done let me and him out of our cages!”
The 53-year-old comedian is currently in talks to join the cast of the Daniels-directed biopic starring Mike Epps as Pryor, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
“Richard (Pryor) is the one who made me want to do comedy,” Murphy said in his 1987 stand-up special “Raw.”
“When I was young, I wanted to be Richard Pryor so bad I used to sneak in the basement, put his albums on, and just listen,” he added.
While Murphy won’t star as his idol, he will play Pryor’s father and former boxer, LeRoy “Buck Carter” Pryor, who the late comedian often described during his standup routines as an alcoholic that beat him.
A rep for Murphy has yet to respond to the Daily News’ request for comment.
Also rumored to be joining the cast is Kate Hudson, who would play Jennifer Lee Pryor. They married twice — first in 1981 when she became his fourth wife before divorcing a year later and again in 2001 for his seventh marriage, according to Entertainment Tonight.
The real life Jennifer Lee is a producer on the film along with Bruce Cohen, THR reports.Oprah Winfrey is also said to be onboard as Pryor’s grandmother, Marie Carter, according to ET.