Eddie Murphy recalls how Sidney Poitier advised him not to star in 'Malcolm X'
"Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy opened up about some advice Sidney Poitier once gave him that left him surprised.
In Apple TV+'s new documentary, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, he said the Oscar winner advised him not to join the cast of 1992's Malcom X.
The film was first directed by Norman Jewison, the director of Poitier's In the Heat of the Night, who cast Denzel Washington in the starring role before Spike Lee took over as director.
"They were talking about doing Malcolm X," Murphy recalled. "Norman Jewison was putting it together. They were gonna use Th e 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 [mess] with that!'."
Murphy admitted he "didn't know" if Poitier's advice "was an insult or a compliment", but was just shocked to be compared to Washington and Freeman. "I was like, 'What?'" he added.
In the documentary, Murphy also spoke about being different from the leading black men on the big screen.
"I was in uncharted waters. For Sidney and all those guys, when I showed up, it was something kinda new," Murphy said, adding, "They didn't have a reference for me, they couldn't give me advice, 'cause 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."
While Lee's Malcom X didn't include Haley as a character, the film ended up being a huge critical success, earning two Oscar nominations: best actor for Washington and best costume design for Ruth E. Carter, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Web Release
15 hours ago
- Web Release
Special Ops: Lioness, Starring Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman, Coming to MENA Screens
In a major content acquisition that solidifies STARZPLAY's position as the MENA's premium streaming destination, the platform has secured exclusive MENA rights to 'Special Ops: Lioness' – the critically acclaimed CIA thriller starring Avatar's Zoe Saldaña, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, and legendary Morgan Freeman. The high-octane series, which has captivated global audiences with its unflinching portrayal of modern warfare and espionage, will launch exclusively on STARZPLAY on June 5, with all 16 episodes from both seasons available immediately. A Powerhouse Cast in an Uncompromising Story Created by Taylor Sheridan, the mastermind behind global phenomenon 'Yellowstone' and 'Sicario,' Special Ops: Lioness delivers the raw intensity that has become Sheridan's signature. The series follows CIA operative Joe (Saldaña) as she navigates the brutal realities of the agency's most classified program – recruiting female operatives to infiltrate hostile networks from the inside. 'This isn't your typical spy thriller,' explains the show's premise. 'It's about the invisible women who sacrifice everything – their identities, families, and safety – to protect national security. These are the stories that have never been told.' Nicole Kidman commands the screen as senior CIA official Kaitlyn Meade, while Morgan Freeman brings gravitas to his role as Secretary of State Edwin Mullins. The cast is rounded out by breakout star Laysla De Oliveira as Marine Raider Cruz Manuelos, the latest recruit into the deadly Lioness program, and Michael Kelly as CIA operative Byron Westfield. Streaming Details: Platform: STARZPLAY (exclusive in MENA) Launch Date: June 5, 2025 Format: Complete box-set (16 episodes across 2 seasons) Availability: All episodes streaming from day one For more information, please visit:
Gulf Today
26-05-2025
- Gulf Today
Highlights from Cannes as film festival wraps up
As the Cannes film festival hands out its prizes, AFP looks back at some of the highlights of a politically charged fortnight of screenings and celebrity sightings. The festival began on May 13 with a flap about a new dress code which states that extravagantly large dresses are prohibited on the red carpet, as well as 'total nudity'. Oscar-winner Halle Berry was the first victim, with the 'Monster's Ball' star forced into a wardrobe change for the opening ceremony because her dress was too long. Although many people seemed to flout the guidelines, Indian model and influencer Snigdha Baruah was forced to remove a flowing train from her dress having been barred by security at the VIP entrance. Not content to let the dresses steal all the limelight, 'Succession' star and jury member Jeremy Strong has brought some eye-catching menswear in bold colours to the Riviera. US actress and member of the jury of the 78th cannes film festival Halle Berry arrives on stage during the closing ceremony at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Saturday. AFP After years of scandals in the film industry and pressure to take a stand, the festival announced a new #MeToo policy by barring an actor in a prominent French film from the red carpet because of rape allegations. Theo Navarro-Mussy, who appears in 'Dossier 137', denies the allegations and an initial police investigation was closed last month. This year's gathering on the Riviera marked a step in the rehabilitation of scandal-plagued star Kevin Spacey, however, who accepted a lifetime achievement award at a charity gala. Australian legend Nicole Kidman meanwhile issued a plea for more women directors, saying their number was still 'incredibly low'. Only three women have ever won a Palme d'Or. A trio of actors made their highly anticipated directorial debuts, with differing fortunes. 'Babygirl' actor Harris Dickinson, 28, and 'Twilight' star Kristen Stewart, 35, left Cannes with praise ringing in their ears for their films, 'Urchin' and 'The Chronology of Water'. Reviews for Scarlett Johansson's first turn behind the camera, 'Eleanor the Great', would have made for more difficult reading, however. There was no escaping the war in Gaza this year. Hundreds of film figures signed an open letter on the eve of the festival calling on the movie industry to call out 'genocide'. Iranian film maker Sepideh Farsi's heart-wrenching documentary about slain Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, killed in an Israeli air strike on her home in Gaza last month, left its audience in stunned silence when it premiered on May 15. Scarlett Johansson poses for a portrait at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, on Wednesday. AP Wikileaks founder Julian Assange walked the red carpet wearing a T-shirt bearing the names of killed Gaza children as he promoted a documentary about his own life. US President Donald Trump was also focusing minds, particularly in the Cannes film market where the deals are cut for new projects. Trump's pledge to implement 100-per cent tariffs on movies 'produced in foreign lands' provoked a mixture of horror, disbelief and mockery from industry insiders. 'I can't find myself taking it very seriously. It's just too surreal,' American director Wes Anderson told AFP. 'Taxi Driver' star Robert De Niro slammed 'America's philistine president' in his opening ceremony speech. Tom Cruise swept into Cannes on a steamroller of hype around 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' which premiered to mixed reviews in the first week. Director Christopher McQuarrie revealed that Cruise — who does his own stunts — took his risk-taking a little far during a shoot in South Africa and could have died. Tom Cruise. 'He was laying on the wing of the plane. His arms were hanging over the front of the wing. We could not tell if he was conscious or not,' said the US filmmaker. Saturday's closing ceremony was the final act of a drama-filled day that saw Cannes suffer a more than five-hour power cut. Local authorities blamed suspected sabotage at a nearby electricity substation and a pylon. The reaction of French emergency services was also one of the biggest talking points among attendees this year after a man was knocked down by a falling palm tree in a freak accident during the first week. Agence France-Presse
Broadcast Pro
26-05-2025
- Broadcast Pro
Alexandra Loewy joins Miramax as President of Film
Loewy will work directly with Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman. Miramax has appointed veteran film executive Alexandra Loewy as President of Film, marking her return to the studio where she began her career over two decades ago. Starting out as an assistant in Miramax's New York office, Loewy will now assume a top leadership role at the company, officially stepping into the position on May 27. She will be based in Los Angeles and report directly to Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman, according to a report by Deadline. Glickman praised Loewy's appointment, highlighting her distinctive ability to identify standout projects and nurture emerging talent. 'Ali has a rare talent for spotting clutter-busting ideas and breakout filmmakers, pairing sharp creative instincts with real commercial firepower,' he said. 'She's exactly the kind of leader we need to take Miramax's legacy into its next chapter.' Her appointment follows the March hiring of Alix Jaffe, formerly of Village Roadshow, as Miramax's Television President, signaling a broader leadership restructuring at the studio. Prior to joining Miramax, Loewy served for over six years as President of Working Title Films, where she managed the company's Los Angeles office. During her tenure, she was executive producer of Coralie Fargeat's Oscar-nominated The Substance, as well as Nisha Ganatra's The High Note. She also oversaw production on Genie, a Peacock original film directed by Sam Boyd and written by Richard Curtis, featuring Melissa McCarthy and Paapa Essiedu. Earlier in her career, Loewy held the role of Senior Vice President of Production & Development at di Bonaventura Pictures. There, she supervised production on the global box office hit The Meg, which grossed over $529m worldwide and led to a sequel. She also developed the action thriller Plane for Lionsgate, starring Gerard Butler. Additional leadership roles included a tenure as Senior Vice President at Global Produce and previous work at Red Wagon, where she played a key role in discovering and developing Veronica Roth's Divergent series before it became a bestselling franchise.
