ABC/Lou Rocco(NEW YORK) — Mike Epps is set to portray iconic comedian Richard Pryor in an upcoming biopic, directed by Lee Daniels. The Survivor’s Remorse star tells ABC Radio how he felt about nabbing the role many in Hollywood wanted.
“Richard Pryor, man, this is a role of a lifetime, right here,” he says. “And I’m very humbly nervous. You get scared when you have to approach the greats.”
Epps says he can’t do much to prepare for the role. “It’s a very spiritual quest. There’s no way to prepare for it. It’s something that you have to do. And it’s something that has to be in you and something that has to be a part of your repertoire; what you do,” he explains. “Because you know, in the whole auditioning process it was like, ‘I can’t really prepare for this. I have to just do it. I’m either him or I’m not.'”
The comedian says he bumped into Oprah Winfrey during auditions. She eventually nabbed the role of Pryor’s grandmother, Marie Carter, who raised Pryor in her brothel. “It was crazy to see Oprah Winfrey auditioning, but I could really respect it because I ‘m like, ‘Man, she really wants to show [Daniels] she can do it,'” he adds.
Before fans see him step into Pryor’s shoes, they can enjoy him as he plays Uncle Julius on the Starz series Survivor’s Remorse. The Lebron James-produced comedy, now in its second season, centers on a star NBA player who struggles to adjust to fame and fortune.
“This season is gonna be a little bit more exciting than last season,” Epps teases. “The stories are a little bit more twisty and unravel-y and a lot of surprises.”
Epps says he signed on to the series that centers on fictional NBA point guard, Cam Calloway, played by Jessie T. Usher, because he can relate to struggling with success.
“One thing about fame, you know, [is] if you’re not born into money or royalty or being rich, it’s really like a Robin Hood story. And when you come back you have to always feel remorseful for people who didn’t make it. You feel bad for people who didn’t make it,” he says. “You wish your friends would’ve made it with you, but it wasn’t in their cards.”
“Not my team though, they’re dusty as hell,” he deadpans.
The second season of Survivor’s Remorse, which also stars Tichina Arnold, premieres on Starz on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
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