The family backlash for upcoming biopics is becoming more commonplace than surprising this year.
After Aaliyah’s family got the late R&B star’s biopic stalled on a technicality, Whitney Houston’s fiesty daughter verbally assaulted director Angela Bassett’s womanhood for cutting her out of the deal. And then there was Lil Eazy-E who felt that his Straight Outta Compton snub was pure hating on Ice Cube’s part.
Now Nick Cannon is finding some opposition from the Richard Pryor estate after he cryptically suggested that he was playing the legendary comic.
And they have a myriad of reasons.
Reports TMZ:
Nick Cannon seems to think he has the role of Richard Pryor locked up for a new biopic … but Pryor’s kids tell us they don’t think he cuts it … but they say they know who can.
Richard Pryor Jr. and Rain Pryor say the man for the role is Marlon Wayans. They believe Wayans understands their dad’s psyche and can connect with the character in a compelling way.
As for Nick … they just don’t think he has the acting chops to pull off the role. They say “Drumline” doesn’t give him the cred to play Richard.
But the kids have a more fundamental problem with the biopic … they tell us it dishonors their dad because it’s become a vanity project for their stepmom, Jennifer Pryor, who they believe will skew Richard’s life to make her look good.
The kids are also clearly pissed they’ve been cut out of the project.
This may explain why Nick was kind of coy on TMZ Live Wednesday … reluctant to acknowledge if director Lee Daniels has tapped him for the role. It seems he wants his participation to fly under the radar, so the family doesn’t kick up dust and scare the studio.
Does Cannon have the cojones to pull this off? Sound off in the comment section below.
Related: Some Kind Of Hero: 10 Facts About Richard Pryor
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Photo: FayesVision/WENN.com
