Eddie Murphy says Sidney Poitier urged him not to star in Oscar-nominated film

Eddie Murphy has shared the advice Sidney Poitier gave him after he was approached to star in the 1992 film Malcolm X. Murphy, 63, who shot to fame on Saturday Night Live before establishing himself as a lead man with starring roles in The Golden Child and Harlem Nights, was steered away from the role by Poitier.

Murphy continued: “Around the same time, I bumped into Sidney Poitier at something and I asked him, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking about playing Alex Hayley.’

While Washington was eventually cast in Malcolm X, Murphy went on to star in a series of much-loved comedies, including Boomerang, Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle.