‘That Was Not In the Script’: Ice Cube Says Mike Epps’ Impromptu Joke May Have Cost Him the Oprah Moment of a Lifetime

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.

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