His friend, director Brett Ratner, had tailored the role of a professional thief in the film Tower Heist for Murphy.

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But after the poor performance of Tower Heist and some insensitive remarks by Ratner, the producer dropped out of the gig and so did Murphy.

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He also made select film appearances, with roles in The Cider House Rules and, most recently, alongside Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy in the comedy Tower Heist.

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"Quite often people do this work when they're starting out, " said Grant Wilfley, whose New York casting agency has supplied extras to movies like "Tower Heist, " "New Year's Eve" and "The Bourne Legacy, " due out this year.

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Edgar, Happy Feet 2, Tower Heist and Hop, along with theatrical catalog and TV titles, including The Town, The Smurfs and One Tree Hill Season 9, Chuck Season 5 and The Big Bang Theory, Seasons 1 and 2.

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Tower Heist would be a hit.

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Brett Ratner showed off a Picasso painting owned by Steve Wynn and a Steve McQueen style 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso from the set of his new film Tower Heist on his website, where he posted these photos.

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The film, expected in theaters in July and starring Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder, Green Lantern), Paul Giamatti (Sideways, John Adams) and Michael Pena (Gangster Squad, Tower Heist), depicts a snail that, through some strange turn of events, manages to become capable of great speeds in the aftermath of a freak accident.

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