Eddie Murphy is in talks to join the Richard Pryor biopic that Lee Daniels is directing for The Weinstein Co., The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Mike Epps is starring as the comedian who pushed the boundaries of race and mined his own gritty experiences, becoming one of the most influential acts of all time. See more Hollywood's 100 Favorite Films Pryor was raised by his grandmother, a hard woman who ran a brothel, and by his father, an alcoholic who beat him on the days his grandmother didn’t. Stories of both were frequently told as part of his routine.