Mike Epps says he was using cocaine when filming movies. Now he prefers weed and Coors Light

Comedian and actor Mike Epps revealed in a recent podcast that he shot movies while using drugs.

”I've been through hell,” said Epps, who has scores of movie acting credits, including "Next Friday," "The Hangover" and "The Honeymooners."

“I did most of the movies on cocaine. In 'All About the Benjamins,' I used to sit in Ice Cube’s trailer in the morning crying tears. He’s like ‘Mike, wipe your face man, You’re a king, Stop doing this s--- to yourself.”

The Indianapolis-born Epps made the comments during an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast that was recorded with retired NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend and dropped on YouTube Thursday.

During the hour-long interview, he talked about squashing beef with retired NFL player and podcaster Shannon Sharpe, how his refusal of sex got in the way of his portrayal of Richard Pryor in a biopic, the state of comedy and his desire to learn to treat women correctly.

Friends’ reactions to his success helped spur Mike Epps' drug abuse, he said.

He said buddies from Indianapolis resented his success.

“I really had survivor's remorse. I was so sad that I left all the n----- here in this city. And I was famous. And when I would come home, I wanted them to be happy for me and they was mad at me. So I say, ‘Damn, I’ve got to destroy myself for you to like me?’” Epps said. “It seemed like he liked me more when I'm coming down off coke and I'm crying and I hate myself … But when I wasn’t high and I was working out and I looked good, he’s like, ’N----, you think you better than me?’”

Epps said he also attended the funeral of Richard Pryor while high.

“I’m on the stage. I’m coming down because I’ve been on coke for two or three nights,” he said.

“Now, I’m 53 and I don’t do nothing but smoke weed and drink Coors Light and hang out with potential billionaires,” he said.

Mike Epps and Stephen Jackson smoked weed together when they first met.

“As soon as I met Jack, we started smoking weed together. We went from there, right across the street to the (Indiana Pacers) coach, Rick Carlisle,” he said. “I pulled a blunt out on Rick Carlisle.“

It was the day Jackson signed with the Pacers, Jackson said.

Epps said he got Jackson out into the Indianapolis neighborhoods upon his arrival as a player.

Mike Epps said a casting couch scenario stopped him from portraying Richard Pryor in a biopic.

Epps has long expressed an interest in playing one of his comedic idols, Richard Pryor, in a biopic. (He did play him during the first season of HBO’s “Winning Time.”)

He said Pryor’s widow objected to his starring as Pryor in a movie because he wouldn’t have sex with her.

“I was gonna play Richard Pryor. I didn’t screw his ex-wife and she got mad,” he joked.

He said his star power would attract a younger generation more than the legendary comedian’s own name would.

“I told her, I love Richard Pryor,” Epps said. “As good as Richard Pryor was, these kids, they don't know him. They know who the hell Mike Epps is. If you're gonna see a Richard Pryor movie with me in, you're going to see Mike Epps play Richard Pryor.”

Epps was a Bobby Knight fan, but said the Indiana University coach’s controversial behaviors wouldn't have been tolerated by some players.

“I'm a Bobby Knight fan when it comes to the discipline; how he was so disciplined in how he had those guys brainwashed into winning,” Epps said.

Knight, who once brought a bullwhip to practice and took a gentle swipe in the direction of Calbert Cheaney, a Black player.

“At that time that they were doing that, the Black guys weren’t like that,” he said. “That wouldn’t have worked with Derrick Coleman. That's why Derrick Coleman didn't play for Indiana. Certain dudes got brought to those teams that would put up with certain stuff.``

Mike Epps says he met with Shannon Sharpe during NBA All-Star Weekend so Sharpe wouldn't get hurt

The podcast episode was recorded Feb. 16, the day after Epps and Sharpe squashed a viral beef sparked by Epps making fun of Sharpe during his standup act.

Mike Epps and Shannon Sharpe meet: After contentious week, 'I showed him love,' Epps says

“At the end of the day, this is all entertainment. We're not selling drugs. We're not in the underworld. So there's some guidelines and rules to the business that we're in. And at the end of the day, we’ve got families, we got kids and stuff like that. So sometimes we can get out of line.“ Epps said. “When I went back and looked at it after, ‘Yeah, I kind of crossed the line a little bit.”

Epps said he’d seen others also make fun of Sharpe, and felt singled out by the NFL Hall of Famer’s ire. Then Sharpe told him how influential he was, said Epps, who has a sitcom and new standup special on Netflix, a recent movie starring alongside Snoop Dogg and 30 years in the business.

“I didn't look at it that way at first. It just brought some light to me and you know, I feel bad about it. And I wanted to meet up with him and personally, look him in the face and tell him that I was sorry,” he said.

“I wanted to show these kids there’s another way to do it. I wanted to show these kids that no matter how I felt about him, and how he felt about me, this don't have to end in violence."

Epps said he also wanted to deter anyone who might intend to harm Sharpe on his behalf.

”That's why I had to go shake Shannon’s hand; because I can't control these dudes out here that will just go and try to do something to him,” Epps said. “You not riding for me. I don’t even know you.”

Mike Epps said today’s culture would lead greats like Redd Foxx and Bernie Mac to walk away from comedy.

Epps says he reels in some of his comedy to avoid being offensive and endanger chances for movie and TV roles.

“As a comedian, you’ve really got to weigh your odds. Every level of it makes sense. But you got a group of guys over here. You think about Dave Chappelle. You think about Katt Williams. You think about guys like Corey Holcomb. These dudes are fearless. These dudes ain't thinking like I'm thinking. They’re over there saying everything I want to say," he said. "But I can't mess my money up. I know how to act in a movie. I know how to do TV. I know how to produce. They got a heart of a lion when it comes to this game.

“I'll say some crazy stuff. But Lord Jesus, they go hard,” he said, “And it works for them.

“When you think about Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx, and Bernie Mac and them kind of guys, they wouldn't have made it in his time. They would have probably just walked away from the game,” he said. “It’s a damn shame that you are allowed to do it in a different area and you're not allowed to do it in the area that is really useful to be doing today. Comedians are supposed to be able to say whatever we want to say, and crack a joke to a respect."

Kyra Epps was a major force in the 'Buying Back the Block' show on HGTV.

Epps said he bought the houses rehabbed in the the two-episode series a long time ago and let them sit, waiting for opportunity.

“I was buying these houses around here when it was five dollars,” he said. “And didn’t nobody understand it. I already know these neighborhoods, they got a 20-year plan out on them. We were blessed to be able to do this show.”

“Once I started seeing a white man and white lady with a dog walking out, I was like, ‘I’m in there.’”

“Without her woman’s touch, I couldn’t have done it. My wife is the one that put the ism on it,” he said. “My wife is from Chicago. I’m from Indianapolis. I’m a little country compared to her; and she put a little city on it so the houses look like maybe somebody from New York might like it.”

Previously: Mike and Kyra Epps renovate the Indy block he grew up on in an HGTV show airing next month

Comedians Tiffany Haddish and Jess Hilarious were among those considered for 'The Upshaws'

In talking about the upcoming fifth season of “The Upshaws” sitcom on Netflix, Epps shared comedians that might have shared the set with him after he developed the idea.

“I said who can I get to be in this with me? And I went down the list I thought about Tiffany Haddish. I thought about Jess Hilarious. And I said if I want to do a ‘Sanford and Son’ or George Jefferson-type show, I need that type of comedian. So I thought of Wanda Sykes.”

Once Sykes was on board, they sold the show to Nexflix and brought actress Kim Fields on to play the wife of his character.

“I was blessed to be able to get it. I've been trying to get a TV show my whole career; so you know how many times I've been told no," he said. "And to be able to get one now; this is a blessing.”

The fifth season of “The Upshaws” will be released April 18.

Epps taught himself to read and write as an adult

Epps said that he is serious about his educational achievements and made it known that learning didn't come easy for him.

“Because that's my insecurity," he said. "That's what really hurts me ... I just didn't pick it up. I didn't collect it.“

Mike Epps said his goal is learning how to treat a woman right

“One thing that I'm gonna get right before I leave this earth, I'm gonna learn how to treat a woman right 100%. Because that's something that I want to do, for my mother, for my children, for my daughters. I've never treated a woman right 100%,” he said. “And now that I'm getting older, I'm realizing man, you gotta treat a woman right. Mike, you can't cheat on her. You gotta be her friend. You’ve got to not be selfish. This is what I want to do. This is one of my dreams.”

Epps was married to Mechelle McCain from 2006 to 2017; and married his current wife, Kyra Epps, in 2019.

Hours after the podcast episode hit, public reaction led him to post two apologies to his wife on social media and say that he was backing away from interviews, The Jasmine Brand reported.

“I wanna apologize to my wife for what I said on this dumb a-- podcast s--- this s--- is a trick bag. [I am] always misunderstood on what i say on the internet smh never again will I interview with anyone never [thumbs down Emoji] iam off this s--- for good f--- off,” he said in an initial Instagram post.

He followed that with, “Again I wanna apologize to my beautiful wife for ignorant and reckless I honor you and my family please forgive me.”

By Friday morning, the comedian was back posting on Instagram, including a promotion of his upcoming appearance on “The Equalizer’ on CBS.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mike Epps says he used to make movies on cocaine.