Richard Pryor's Children Opposed To Nick Cannon Portraying Their Dad In Biopic. Who Should Get The Role?

A Richard Pryor biopic has been in the works for some time now. Marlon Wayans was linked to the lead role, but that seems to have changed with Nick Cannon hinting that he will portray the iconic comedian in the Lee Daniels-directed film.

Cannon posted a side by side photo of himself and Pryor on his Instagram account. During a conversation with TMZ Live on Wednesday, July 2, he all but confirmed he is in.

"I never wanna jinx anything because you know movies work. If it's not in production it's not real," Cannon told TMZ. "All I'm saying is I'm doing the work right now. I'm doing everything I need to do to embody it when the opportunity is right. I've definitely sat with Lee [Daniels] who is a close friend and we've actually worked quite a bit on getting it right. When it comes to something as sensitive as a legend like Richard Pryor there's family, there's friends, there's production. There's so many things that go into weighing in on who should be this person. I don't wanna be out there like one one of those people like 'Oh yeah, I'm doing it' and then you look up and that's not the case. I'm just trying to play it close to the vest. I have been in the character. I'm doing everything that I need to do. The hair, I'm growing [my facial hair] out looking like I'm 40-years old, chain smoking. I told Lee the one thing I'm not gonna do is freebase."

Upon hearing the news Pryor's kids, Richard Pryor Jr. and Rain Pryor, immediately objected. They still want Wayans to portray their father.

According to TMZ, neither one of them believes that Cannon can pull it off and blame their stepmom, Jennifer Pryor, for this latest move.

Jennifer and Richard Pryor

The kids believe Jennifer has turned the entire thing into a "vanity" project designed to make herself look good.

Who do you believe should play Pryor?

I am so tired of the families of entertainers, trying to dictate terms in movies when they are not skilled in those areas! Most people did not think Jamie Foxx could do the superb job he did as Ray Charles 10 years ago, but he nailed that role. I think Nick will be great in this Richard Pryor movie. 

Respectfully, to the kids of Richard Pryor, Fall Back. If you dad was alive he would not let you pick who was in his movie, and you can't pick it now!