If you were wondering why Mike Epps is starring in a TV remake of John Candy’s beloved 1989 comedy Uncle Buck, the famous funnyman has an answer for that.
“I’m trying to bring back that old Sanford and Son, George Jefferson, Happy Days, Good Times feeling,” Epps told fans Friday at an ESSENCE Fest panel promoting the ABC sitcom. Uncle Buck is slated for a winter 2016 debut.
“They don’t know who they let on TV. They let a real live fool on TV,” Epps said of himself. “I’m trying to bring that kind of old-school action back on TV.”
Speaking of action, Epps is also excited about joining the likes of Empire star Taraji P. Henson, How To Get Away with Murder’s Viola Davis and other notable African American women and men who have found ratings success on the small screen.
“Being black in Hollywood is beautiful,” said Epps, who has co-starred in movies such as The Hangover and Sparkle and most recently HBO’s Bessie. “This is one of the best times in the world to be black. Black people, we are the best, you understand? We support each other. I’m nothing without my fans.”
Uncle Buck will debut in January on ABC.