Two of the world’s funniest men have joined forces for Lee Daniels’ Richard Pryor biopic. Last year it was announced that Mike Epps beat out Nick Cannon and Marlon Wayans for the role of Pryor in the much-anticipated film. Joining Epps in the movie is another man known for his comedy.
Daniels announced on Instagram that Eddie Murphy would be joining the film.
“Strap in and brace yourself,” Lee Daniels posted on Instagram. “They done let me and him out of our cages!”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Murphy will play Pryor’s father, LeRoy “Buck Carter” Pryor, a boxer and World War II veteran. Pryor, who was raised by both his grandmother and father, had a tumultuous childhood because of abuse suffered at the hands of both.
Murphy has always credited Pryor with being one of the inspirations for his becoming a comedian. Even in his 1987 stand-up show Raw, he paid homage to the late comic.
“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,” Murphy said in Raw.
Rumor has it that Oprah Winfrey will play Pryor’s grandmother, but this has yet to be confirmed.