Eddie Murphy to play Richard Pryor


Tommy Vercetti

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http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/26/eddie-murphy-to-play-richard-pryor/I'm not sure about this cause I think Richard Pryor didn't like Eddie Murphy. They didn't get along on a movie they were in together.But Murphy did a brilliant impression of Pryor in Raw. That was bloody hilarious when he was talking about taking a sh!t ("You're strainin' for a long time and one little pebble sh!t come out! That's all the sh!t I'm gonna get mothaphuka?")
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Terrible idea. Pryor was in a class all his own. I like Murphy, but he can't touch Pryor. I can see where they'd get the idea to have him play Richard, but IMO this wouldn't work. I could be wrong, though. On a somewhat off-topic note, I was hugely disappointed with Raw. Only Jedi mind-tricks on Mr. T got a really big laugh out of me.

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Raw was the beginning of the end. He'd already become too famous, and therefore insulated from real life, to be relatable to his audience.Eddie's had a 25-year career now, but he was only funny for roughly six of them. But maybe (maybe ....) the Pryor role would be a good fit. I know he used to be a fan, I hadn't heard about their falling out.

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Eddie was great on Saturday Night Live. 48 HRS was good. Trading Places is a tad overrated IMO. By far the best thing about it is Jamie Lee (Oo la la). After that his movies got repetitive until he reinvented himself as a family entertainer.A lot of the material in Raw was recycled from Delirious. His Bill Cosby impression was hysterical. Just as good as the classic Cosby Show spoof on The Simpsons. And I thought the drunken dad monologue at the end was funnier than the one in Delirious, when he was going on and on about eating toys.Murphy's standup was never politically or socially aware, like Pryor's was. That's why he was cold shouldered by the likes of Spike Lee and Public Enemy.

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Eddie was great on Saturday Night Live.

Eddie saved SNL, and that's no exaggeration. Him and Joe Piscopo were pretty much the only reasons to watch before the 1984-1985 season (when Billy Crystal, Martin Short, etc. came in and kept it afloat until Lorne Michaels came back the next season). Frankly, I don't find a whole lot of his work post-SNL all that great (Raw being a good example).
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Have you seen the crap he plays in now, great scott, The Haunted Mansion? What was that? His films he makes nowadays are mostly for the 10 and under bunch, the only flicks I liked of his was Beverly Hills Cop and Showtime. Him playing Richard Pryor, no way he could, he doesn't even look or sound a bit like him.

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...I'm not sure about this cause I think Richard Pryor didn't like Eddie Murphy. They didn't get along on a movie they were in together...
I personally never heard this one' date=' but who knows. I can say that they acted terrifically off each other in Harlem Nights.I heard they tried editing it for TV, but it ended up being only ten minutes long when they took out all the "F" words. :) (just kidding ;))
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  • 3 weeks later...

Well I guess we will just have to give him a chance? I agree with the prior comments about Eddies lack of judgment in recent films (they have been stinkers for sure!)Look at Jim Carey when he portrayed Andy Kaufman. I was not a big Carey fan at the time, but he captured Kaufman perfectly! I actually saw the original broadcast of SNL when Kaufman did the "Mighty Mouse" 45rpm record thing. I thougth it was hilarious back then. Pure genious.There have been a few individuals that shine from SNL and have kept that show alive over its 26 year history. It was quite a roller coaster ride.

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I actually saw the original broadcast of SNL when Kaufman did the "Mighty Mouse" 45rpm record thing. I thougth it was hilarious back then. Pure genious.

Ummm, yeah, that wasn't genius.Kaufman and Chris Farley are charter members of my "Thank God They're Dead" club.
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I can think of a few others that belong in the dead pool. It would be a tough choice between David Spade & Will Ferrel for number one on my hit list. Most of them are from SNL which jumped the shark almost 20 years ago. Why these so called comedians continue to get work is beyond me. Jimmy Fallon is now hosting late night!? Just kill me now!

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Him playing Richard Pryor' date=' no way he could, he doesn't even look or sound a bit like him.[/quote']It's called acting for a reason, lol. Eddie can do a spot-on Pryor impersonation. But you know who I think would have been aninteresting choice for the role? Philip Michael Thomas (but around 10-15 years ago).
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