Eddie Murphy reveals who told him to not star in 'Malcolm X'

IANS April 2, 2025 184 views

Eddie Murphy recently shared an intriguing behind-the-scenes story about the making of Malcolm X. In a revelatory interview, Murphy disclosed that legendary actor Sidney Poitier advised him against taking a role in the film. Poitier's cryptic advice highlighted Murphy's unique position in Hollywood as a groundbreaking Black performer. The film ultimately starred Denzel Washington and was directed by Spike Lee, becoming a critical and commercial success.

"You are not Denzel, and you are not Morgan. You are a breath of fresh air, and don't fuck with that" - Sidney Poitier
Eddie Murphy reveals who told him to not star in 'Malcolm X'
Los Angeles, April 2: Hollywood star Eddie Murphy revealed that actor-director Sidney Poitier advised him not to star in ‘Malcom X’ which was originally being put together by Poitier’s ‘In the Heat of the Night’ director Norman Jewison.

Key Points

1

Murphy shares Poitier's unique perspective on his groundbreaking Hollywood career

2

Spike Lee ultimately directed Malcolm X with Denzel Washington

3

Eddie Murphy was offered Alex Haley role initially

4

Poitier saw Murphy as a uniquely different Black actor

However, Spike Lee took over the project, and cast Denzel Washington in the lead role, reports ‘Variety’.

Eddie Murphy made the revelation during an interview for the Apple TV+ documentary ‘Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood’ (via Entertainment Weekly).

“They were talking about doing ‘Malcolm X'”, Murphy said. “Norman Jewison was putting it together. They were gonna use ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ by Alex Haley. And they approached me about playing Alex Haley. Around that same time, I bumped into Sidney Poitier at something, and I asked him, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking about playing Alex Haley’. And Sidney Poitier said, ‘You are not Denzel (Washington), and you are not Morgan (Freeman). You are a breath of fresh air, and don’t fuck with that”.

“I didn’t know if it was an insult or a compliment”, Murphy added about being compared to Washington and Freeman. “I was like, ‘What?'”.

As per ‘Variety’, speculating on why Poitier did not view Murphy in the same field as other actors, Murphy said that he was in “uncharted waters”.

“For Sidney and all those guys, when I showed up, it was something kinda new”, Murphy said. “They didn’t have a reference for me, they couldn’t give me advice, because I was 20, 21 years old, and my audience was the mainstream, all of everywhere. My movies (were) all around the world, and they had never had that with a young Black person. So nobody could give me advice, really. Everything broke really big and really fast”.

With Spike Lee behind the camera and Washington in the lead role, ‘Malcolm X’ earned critical acclaim and box office success. Washington was nominated for the best actor Oscar. Murphy would get his shot at more dramatic roles years later in films like ‘Dreamgirls’, which earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.

Tags:
Eddie Murphy Sidney Poitier Malcolm X Hollywood Black Actors Spike Lee Denzel Washington
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