Mike Epps may have played a part in why Ice Cube missed out on an opportunity with Oprah Winfrey.
Epps and Cube have been friends for decades, co-starring in movies like “Next Friday” and “Friday After Next.”
But one unscripted joke in a separate film reportedly complicated things for Cube and his “Barbershop” cast mates.
During the Nov. 11 episode of “Club Shay Shay,” Shannon Sharpe spoke with Ice Cube and Epps about collaborations and their work over the years.
Sharpe asked Cube why he wasn’t included in a 2006 press stop on Oprah Winfrey’s self-titled talk show for “Barbershop.”
Despite his role in bringing the comedy to life, the N.W.A. founding member vividly remembers being excluded from Winfrey’s show.
He suggested that an unscripted joke in “All About the Benjamins” years earlier may have played a part in why he missed the opportunity.
Released on March 8, 2002, the film stars Cube as bounty hunter Bucum Jackson. Epps plays Reggie Wright, a small-time con artist who gets caught up in a diamond heist.
The two initially find themselves on opposite sides of the law before teaming up to track down the stolen diamonds.
Cube recalled a scene in which the pair search for a gun inside a fish tank filled with dangerous sea creatures. He also explained how Epps came up with the Oprah reference.
“You know when we was looking for the gun through the motherf—g thing with the sharks in there, the fish tank? I said, ‘Stick your hand in there,’ and he was like, ‘Man, it’s better, I might as well stick my, you know, in Oprah’s a—.’”
The official line from the scene was, “You trying to be funny. That’s like asking me to stick my tongue in Oprah Winfrey’s a—! I’m not f—g sticking my hand in there!”
Apparently, the West Coast native wasn’t expecting Epps to take the joke there. He clarified that Epps came up with the line himself.
“That was not in the script, homie. I got the script, bro. That was straight ad-lib. I wouldn’t even have thought of that line,” Ice Cube explained.
Epps immediately turned his attention to Oprah, jokingly asking why she was watching a movie with that kind of dialogue.
“Oprah, why are you watching movies like this?” he said.
Epps’ explanation also prompted a conversation about how much room actors typically have to improvise. He explained that he usually receives scripts with much of the dialogue already written.
Previously in the conversation, Ice Cube shared the 70/30 breakdown, explaining that about 70 percent of what audiences see is written, while the remaining 30 percent leaves room for improvisation.
That allowed Epps to add his own personality to the role, including the unexpected Oprah punchline.
“Yeah, man. I was like, that’s probably what did it,” he admitted.
The comedian eventually shifted into damage-control mode, making sure Oprah knew that he had nothing but love for her.
“Oprah, you know I love you. My mother always loved the Oprah show,” Epps said to the camera.
Cube wasn’t buying the sudden show of affection and accused his co-star of kissing up to the talk show legend. Epps laughed it off, adding, “No, I got to start reading these scripts better.”
Meanwhile, Cube and Epps have another project bringing them together. The longtime collaborators recently launched their podcast, “Listen and Laugh,” with its first episode premiering Nov. 6.
The inaugural episode featured fellow hip-hop legend Dr. Dre as their first guest, allowing fans to hear the trio share stories and conversations about music and entertainment.
