The much delayed Nina Simon biopic is set to start filming this week, and Indy’s own Mike Epps has landed a supporting role as comedian Richard Pryor opposite Zoe Saldana who will play Nina herself. He’s definitely stepping up his movie game as his latest project Sparkle just hit theaters this past August.
According to The Hollywood Reporter:
In a supporting role, Epps will play Pryor, who opened for the singer when they two were starting out in the early 1960s. Pryor had terrible stage fright and Simone, in her autobiography, recalled how she regularly rocked him into calmness.
Much controversy has surrounded Zoe Saldana’s role as Nina. Critics say she is too light-skinned and her appearance does not match that of Nina Simone’s. Mary J. Blige was originally given the role.
Nina’s daughter, who goes by Simone, expressed her disappointment saying:
As a child, my mother was told her nose was too big and she was too dark.
Will you go see the movie?
