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Best Known For
Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy began doing stand-up as a teenager. He became a popular Saturday Night Live cast member and starred in several box-office hits.
Videos see all videos
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Eddie Murphy - Child Comic (1:02)
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Eddie Murphy - Admiration for Bruce Lee
Eddie Murphy describes his admiration for Bruce Lee's ability to reach an audience.
Eddie Murphy - Child Comic
Eddie Murphy describes sneaking out of the house to head to comedy clubs in hopes of getting a spot.
Eddie Murphy - Helping Fellow Comics
Chris Rock talks about being encouraged and helped by Eddie Murphy.
Richard Pryor - Comedy Pioneer
Actress-Director Rain Pryor talks about how her father Richard Pryor was a comedy pioneer with his raw stand-up performances and honest critiques of race.
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Play NowEddie Murphy. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 02:09, May 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676.
Eddie Murphy. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676 [Accessed 19 May 2013].
"Eddie Murphy." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 19 2013, 02:09 http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676.
"Eddie Murphy," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676 [accessed May 19, 2013].
"Eddie Murphy," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676 (accessed May 19, 2013).
Eddie Murphy [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676.
Eddie Murphy, http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676 (last visited May 19, 2013).
Eddie Murphy. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-murphy-9418676. Accessed May 19, 2013.
The second film did not perform to the same standards as the first, and Murphy decided to take a break from the Hollywood scene.
He returned in 1992 as a smooth, impeccably dressed bachelor in the film Boomerang, co-starring Halle Berry. The film met mixed reviews,
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but many critics found Murphy's performance as a romantic lead a step in the right direction. He followed the success of the film with Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) and Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), both low performers at the box office.
In 1996, Murphy rediscovered his love for over-the-top comedic invention in a hit remake of the Jerry Lewis film The Nutty Professor. Murphy earned a Golden Globe nomination and an Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Award for his role in the film.
In May of 1997, Murphy earned some unfortunate publicity when he was discovered by L.A. police with a transsexual prostitute. He claimed he was merely trying to give the prostitute a ride. The incident made him the target of jokes nonetheless.
Continued Success
Despite the scandal in his personal life, Murphy went on to feature in a variety of family films. He played the voice of Mushu the Lizard in Disney's animated picture Mulan (1998) to enormous critical praise, and starred in the family film, Doctor Doolittle (1998).
In 1999, Murphy starred in the comedy Bowfinger, costarring Steve Martin, who also wrote the screenplay. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps was released in the summer of 2000, with Murphy featured as all six lead characters. He also voiced the lead character, superintendent Thurgood Stubbs, on The PJs, an animated TV show for which he also serves as executive producer. In the summer of 2001, Murphy had two more big box-office successes, starring in Dr. Doolittle 2 and lending his voice to the character of Donkey in the animated feature Shrek, also featuring the voices of Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz.
In 2003, Murphy starred in yet another family comedy, this time as an overwhelmed babysitter in Daddy Day Care. The following year, he revived Donkey for the hit sequel Shrek 2. In 2006, Murphy signed on for what was arguably his most demanding film to date, a screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, featuring Jennifer Hudson. His performance as soul singer James "Thunder" Early earned him a Golden Globe award and an Academy Award nomination. In 2007, Murphy appeared in Norbit and Shrek the Third.
Personal Life
In January of 2008, Murphy announced his split with film producer Tracey Edmonds. The couple married in French Polynesia on New Year's Day of that year in front of 25 family members and friends. When it turned out that the celebration was not legally binding, Murphy and his new wife planned to renew their vows on American soil. The second ceremony never took place, however, and the couple officially separated.
Murphy continues to work as an actor and comedian. His film Tower Heist is slated to be released later this year.
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Cast of Saturday Night Live
View groupLearn more about the cast of Saturday Night Live, including old-timers such as John Belushi, Billy Crystal, Jane Curtin, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy and David Spade, as well as newer stars of the series, including Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg and Seth Meyers.
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View groupFrom the early comedy of Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby to the contemporary routines of Steve Harvey, Mo'Nique, Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes and Dave Chappelle, black comedians have often used their wit to become the voice and face of the African-American experience. These legendary comedians have also set a very high bar—not only for African Americans, but for all comics trying to make it in show business. Learn more about these famous jokesters, from their early days to their comic beginnings, to their side-splitting performances and more.
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