Chris Rock, Would-Be Star of Mamet's RACE? Wife to Blame?

According to the New York Daily News, David Mamet originally tapped comedian Chris Rock to star in his production of RACE, premiering on Broadway this fall. David Alan Grier is cast in Rock's alleged "would-be" role.

According to the Daily News, Rock turned down the opportunity becuase his wife, Malaak, did not want him starring alongside Kerry Washington, who is cast in RACE.  Two years ago, Rock and Washington co-starred in the film "I Think I Love My Wife," inspiring the routine Hollywood rumors that Rock and Washington were taking the romance beyond the set.  

According to a friend, however, the story is entirely fabricated, claiming that Washington was not even attached to RACE when Mamet appealed to Rock and that scheduling conflicts prevented Rock's participation.  Quotes the Daily News of the friend, "It had nothing to do with Kerry...Chris just had too many conflicts in his schedule."

The good-old "scheduling conflicts" seems a plausible story, considering Rock's recent focus on his his documentary about the history of African-American's hair obsession, "Good Hair." He recently completed filming his newest comedy, "Grown Ups," about a high school reunion and "Death at a Funeral" which he co-wrote, produced and starred in.

Mamet, has been tight-lipped when it comes to revealing plot details of RACE, saying only that it deals with "a firm made up of three lawyers, two black and one white, that is offered the chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black young woman. It is a play about lies."

Mamet is also directing the play, which begins previews at the Barrymore Theater on November 17th and opens December 6th.  

Whether Rock's non-participation in RACE was the symptom of jealous wife syndrome or plain and simply scheduling conflicts we'll never know.  One thing is for sure, however, we are likely not to be disappointed by David Alan Grier.  

To read the full article in the Daily News, click here.