CELEBRITY
Katt Williams Says He Convinced Filmmakers To Cut Rape Scene From ‘Friday After Next’
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Comedian Katt Williams revealed this week that he successfully lobbied the filmmakers to cut a scripted sexual assault scene from 2002’s Friday After Next, saying rape is never funny.
Williams shared the background during a Wednesday episode of the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, hosted by former NFL player Shannon Sharpe. Williams played a pimp named Money Mike in Friday After Next, the sequel to Friday starring Ice Cube and Mike Epps.
“Money Mike, in the original script, got raped in the bathroom,” he said. “The problem with ‘Friday After Next’ is were trying to make a classic comedy, and this comedy involves a rape, and rape is never funny no matter who it happens to or what the circumstances are.
He told the filmmakers the movie would be funnier without the scene.
If you would allow me, allow us to do this movie without a Black man getting raped in it, I promise you it will be twice as funny,” he recalled telling the filmmakers.
Friday After Next was the comedian’s big-screen debut, and Williams said he didn’t have any influence in Hollywood at the time, but he nevertheless pushed the filmmakers.
“Kat Williams had to take the risk in front of the studios and the cast and the powers that be, in his very first movie, and say, ‘Respectfully, humbly, guys’, Williams said. If were talking about anything else I have no credibility and I have no pull, but were talking about comedy where I have all the credibility and all the pull.
Williams also disputed a recent claim from fellow comedian Rickey Smiley, who portrayed the robber Santa Claus in the movie. Smiley claimed on a 2022 episode of the Pierre’s Panic Room podcast that he was originally supposed to play Money Mike, and Williams was supposed to play robber Santa.
“A lot of things people dont know, I was supposed be the pimp and Kat Williams was supposed to be the Santa Claus. Thats what I auditioned for. I auditioned to be the pimp. And then Kat Williams was going to be Santa Claus and then somebody and Ice Cube decided to switch it up, Smiley said.
But on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Williams made it clear that he also auditioned for the role of Money Mike, along with hundreds of other men.
I can tell you this, we auditioned in Los Angeles. I was audition number 201. Two hundred black comedians auditioned for the role of Money Mike with me, Williams said.
[Smiley] told everybody it should have been my role, everybody on the scene, Williams said. So considering thats the real story, why would you bring up that story? Thirty-five members of the cast have never brought up that Rickey Smiley was going to play ‘Money Mike.’
TMX contributed to this article.
