Hard to believe, but if Richard Pryor were still alive today, he’d be turning 75 years old, so it’s odd to hear the latest casting news from ET Online that soon-to-be 54-year-old Eddie Murphy is in talks to play Pryor’s father Leroy Pryor in Lee Daniels’ upcoming biopic Pryor. Mike Epps, just ten years younger than Murphy, will be playing Pryor himself, so we have to assume there will be another actor playing Pryor in his younger days since he started doing comedy at the age of 23.
They got the word from someone involved with the production after Daniels posted a picture on his Instagram of himself and Murphy with the caption:
“Strap in and brace yourself. They done let me and him out of our cages! #idonteventhinkimreadyforthisone! #excited #proud #OMG”
Pryor’s father, also known as “Buck Carter,” was a professional boxer, but what’s interesting about the casting is that for a long time it was thought that Murphy might play Pryor when his Dreamgirls director Bill Condon was attached to write and direct the project for Columbia Pictures. Murphy was then replaced by Marlon Wayans as the project continued to gestate in development, but then Condon left, to be replaced by Daniels.
They also confirm the earlier rumors that Kate Hudson will play Pryor’s widow Jennifer Pryor, who is a producer on the film.
December 10 will be the tenth anniversary of Pryor’s death and Murphy was thought to be his successor after debuting on “Saturday Night Live” in the ’80s, so him joining the film would be as a way to pay tribute to his idol.
