Despite Eddie Murphy eventually being Oscar-nominated for his nuanced turn in 2006's Dreamgirls, the actor was primarily known before that for his comedic roles that defined his career and turned him into one of the biggest box office stars in the industry. It's unclear how many dramatic aspirations Murphy had during the early '90s, but he had an opportunity to take a role in a 1992 Spike Lee Joint that would go on to star Denzel Washington, but he was advised against taking the role from none other than the late and great Sidney Poitier.

During an interview in the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, via Entertainment Weekly, Murphy revealed that Poitier advised him against starring in Lee's biographical drama, Malcolm X, which would go on to be led by Washington. The movie was originally spearheaded by Norman Jewison, who had...