Fans Debate Who Should Play Richard Pryor
Marlon Wayans Or Mike Epps? Fans Debate Who Should Play Richard Pryor After Screen Test Leaks
The internet stays ready for a good debate. This time the spotlight is on comedy legend Richard Pryor. A recently leaked screen test of Marlon Wayans as Pryor has social media buzzing, with fans quickly reigniting the long-running conversation. Who should portray the comedy legend on the big screen? Read more and watch for yourself inside.
The viral clip, just over two minutes long, shows Wayans fully locked into Pryor’s voice and mannerisms. For some, the performance was enough to silence the doubters.
“The first scene, if you close your eyes, sounds just like Pryor,” one fan wrote, comparing the transformation to Denzel Washington in Malcolm X or Jamie Foxx in Ray. Another praised his stand-up delivery, calling it “spot on.”
Check out the video below:
Still, not everybody was feeling it. Within hours, the Epps hive made their case, reminding everyone why he’s long been tied to the role.
One user joked, “Marlon playing as Richard Pryor instead of Mike Epps? Nah, that ain’t it, y’all,” attaching the infamous Breakfast Club clip of Charlamagne shutting down a freestyle. Another added, “Sh*t look like Marlon playing Damon Wayans playing my drunk dad. They better get Mike Epps on the phone.”
The argument goes deeper than looks. Fans say Epps’ comedic instincts and resemblance to Pryor make him the more natural fit.
“You can’t play Richard Pryor if you’re not as funny as Richard Pryor,” one person wrote. “Mike Epps not only looked like him back then but comedically was much closer to Richard Pryor than Marlon was.”
Here’s the kicker though. According to Vibe, the leaked tape isn’t tied to any current project. Wayans auditioned for the role back in 2010 for a Lee Daniels-directed biopic. That same project later tapped Mike Epps, but the film stalled out in 2014 after creative differences and disputes with Pryor’s widow. Big names like Eddie Murphy and Damon Wayans were even floating around at different points, but the project never materialized.
Luckily, Pryor’s legacy is still getting a spotlight. Kenya Barris is currently developing a 10-episode series covering the comedian’s life from beginning to end.
“He is my comedy god,” Barris told Variety. “The comedy that we remember—even including Chappelle—is derivative of what he started.”
So, the debate continues: Marlon Wayans or Mike Epps? Either way, fans really want Pryor’s story on the big screen.
Marlon Wayans Or Mike Epps? Fans Debate Who Should Play Richard Pryor After Screen Test Leaks was originally published on globalgrind.com
