Mr. Mariah Carey is back in our headlines today with news that he may soon be portraying one of the most iconic stand-up comedians of all time.

Nick Cannon has spent the past couple weeks teasing the press with the idea he may soon attempt to portray Richard Pryor on the big screen. He’s stated publicly that he has met with director Lee Daniels (The Butler) to discuss the project, and has even begun preparing for the possibility of the role by growing his hair out and taking up smoking. You know, because everyone loves Nick Cannon for his ‘method’ work.

Cannon took things another step further this week when he took to Instagram to share an image of himself alongside a classic photo of Pryor in an attempt to more or less convince us someone who looks the part should have the part. You can view the image at the end of this post.

In a live interview with TMZ, when asked about the hairstyle which he was wearing at the BET Awards, Cannon stated “Here’s the thing. There have been a lot of people out there who’ve discussed playing this role. I never want to jinx anything because you guys know how movies work. If it’s not in production, it’s not real. So all I’ll say is that I’m doing the work right now. I’m doing everything that I need to do to embody it when the opportunity is right.”

Cannon is not the only name circling Lee Daniels’ Richard Pryor biopic. Marlon Wayans, who was sought out by the Pryor family for the project, is also said to be in discussions for the role. He hasn’t taken up smoking or grown out an afro from the 1970s, however, so who knows if he’ll even be able to hold a candle to what Cannon is bringing to the table (joking, of course).

Personally, I think Lee Daniels should step outside of his comfort zone and make a someone who is basically a nobody on the silver screen tackle the role of Richard Pryor. His personality and style is so unique that I feel like any attempt to put a known movie star in his shoes will come across as that person’s best impression of Pryor rather than becoming one with the part.

No word yet on when Lee Daniels’ film will move forward with production, but you can rest assured we will keep you updated. Stay tuned.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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