BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AMERICAN actor, producer, comedian, writer, and movie director Marlon Wayans is said to be in advanced talks about playing the role of legendary comedian Richard Pryor.
According to www.eurweb.com, the movie, Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? would be done on Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions and Sony Pictures.
Entertainment Weekly.com (EW) reported that the $20M production would follow Pryor's controversial brand of comedy and his battle with drugs reports.
Dreamgirls and Gods & Monsters writer/director Bill Condon will direct from his own screenplay, while Chris Rock, Pryor's widow Jennifer Lee Pryor and Mark Gordon are also on board as producers.
Wayans beat out Eddie Murphy who was originally attached to star and, according to EW.com, sources said that Wayans fought for the role, blowing the producers away with a 13-minute screen test where he “transforms into Pryor”.
Wayans is known for mostly teaming with his brother Shawn Wayans in movies such as Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, White Chicks, Little Man and the dance parody film, Dance Flick.
But he is best known for his years on the sitcom show co-starring alongside Shawn in the WB sitcom The Wayans Brothers.
It would not be the first time Wayan had to fight for a role though primarily a comedic actor. He garnered considerable critical acclaim for his dramatic turn in Requiem for a Dream.
According to Wikipedia, it was a role he had to fight for as the director and writer for the movie did not want him for the role.
However, he was determined to get the part and went days without bathing and dressed the part of a junkie for his audition.
