1961-present
Eddie Murphy News: Actor Featured in Being Eddie Documentary
Funnyman Eddie Murphy had some surprisingly existential reflections after the making of Being Eddie, the Netflix documentary debuting Wednesday, November 12, and profiling his rise as a comedian and movie star.
In an interview with USA Today, Murphy candidly discussed his aversion to funerals and revealed plans for handling his own death. “When I kick out, I’m not having no funeral and be laying up there and people coming and looking at me, lowering me in the ground,” the 64-year-old star said. “I am to be cremated immediately. And there’s no funeral, and there’s no memorial or none of that s—t. Just keep it rolling.”
Murphy, known for his high-energy humor in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop and The Nutty Professor, discusses some of the most impactful tragedies in his life during the new Netflix documentary—including his older brother Charlie Murphy's death from leukemia in 2017. He compared the experience to “going through an old photo album.”
Being Eddie features interviews with notable comedic contemporaries including Jamie Foxx, Tracy Morgan, and Chris Rock.
Who Is Eddie Murphy?
Eddie Murphy began doing standup comedy as a teenager and later joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. At age 21, Murphy co-starred with Nick Nolte in 48 Hours, and he went on to further box-office success with Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor and Shrek. He has continued to star in many movies, including comedies, dramas, and family films.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Edward Regan Murphy
BORN: April 3, 1961
BIRTHPLACE: Brooklyn, New York
SPOUSES: Nicole Mitchell (1993-2006) and Paige Butcher (2024-present)
CHILDREN: Eric, Bria, Christian, Myles, Shayne, Zola, Bella, Angel, Izzy, and Max
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries
Early Life and Family
Eddie Regan Murphy was born on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his early years in the projects of Bushwick with his father, Charles, a New York City police officer and amateur comedian, his mother, Lillian, a telephone operator, and his brother Charles. His parents divorced when he was 3. Five years later, his father died and his mother went into the hospital for an extended period.
When Murphy was 9 years old, his mother married Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a Breyer’s ice cream factory, and the family moved to the primarily African American suburb of Roosevelt, Long Island. Murphy watched a lot of television growing up and developed a great skill for impressions, doing such characters as Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle the moose, and Sylvester the cat. “My mother says I never talked in my own voice,” Murphy later said.
Although he was never a dedicated student, Murphy found a great forum for his verbal agility in grade school, excelling in the popular game of “ranking”—trading witty insults with classmates.
Murphy wasn’t the only family member to develop an interest in comedy. Older brother Charlie later became a writer and actor for Chappelle’s Show, the popular sketch program starring Dave Chappelle.
Charlie died of leukemia in April 2017. Upon Charlie’s death, Murphy released a statement: “Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle and friend Charlie. Charlie filled our family with love and laughter and there won’t be a day that goes by that his presence will not be missed.”
Standup Comedy Beginnings
Hosting a talent show at the Roosevelt Youth Center at age 15, Murphy delighted his young audience with an impersonation of Al Green. This early success ignited a passion for showbiz, and young Eddie began working on his comedy routines after school and performing standup at local bars, clubs and “gong shows.” His schoolwork suffered, however, and Murphy had to repeat the 10th grade.
By doubling up on classes, and attending summer and night school, he graduated only a couple of months late. Murphy was voted the “most popular” boy in his graduating class.
Responding to the pleas of his mother, Murphy enrolled at Nassau Community College after high school and worked part-time as a shoe store clerk. He continued to perform in local clubs and eventually worked his way into such New York City venues as the Comic Strip, billing himself as a disciple of the great comedian Richard Pryor.
Although his raunchy, profanity-ridden routines resembled his idol’s, Murphy stayed away from drinking, smoking and drugs, and would later declare to Barbara Walters, “I don’t have to sniff cocaine to make me funny.”
Saturday Night Live Cast Member
When Murphy learned that the producers of the popular late-night comedy show, Saturday Night Live, were seeking a Black cast member for the 1980-81 season, he jumped on the opportunity. He auditioned for the part six times, and finally earned a place as an extra on the show.
Murphy appeared sporadically throughout the season, until one fateful night when producers realized they had four minutes of airtime remaining and no material. They pushed Murphy before the camera and told him to do his standup routine. His improvised performance was called “masterful” by Rolling Stone, and Murphy became one of only two cast members (along with Joe Piscopo) asked to return for the next season.
Murphy became Saturday Night Live’s strongest comedic presence, creating such memorable characters as Mister Robinson, an urban version of TV’s Mister Rogers; an older version of the Little Rascals character, Buckwheat; and an illiterate convict and poet named Tyrone Green. He also continued his skillful impersonations, adding Bill Cosby, Muhammad Ali, James Brown, Jerry Lewis and Stevie Wonder to his repertoire. Murphy received criticism for his satirical characterizations based on Black stereotypes. He defended his performances, claiming that his characters were far too absurd and abstract to be taken seriously.
Despite his important role in the show’s history, Murphy distanced himself from SNL for decades after leaving the cast and never appeared as a guest host—partly because of a 1995 joke by then-cast member David Spade at the actor’s expense. During a “Hollywood Minute” sketch, Spade showed a photo of Murphy and quipped, “Look, children, it’s a falling star. Make a wish.” The comment was reportedly referencing the poor box office performance of Murphy’s film Vampire in Brooklyn.
“I’m the biggest thing that ever came off that show. The show would’ve been off the air if I didn’t go back on the show, and now you have somebody from the cast making a crack about my career?” Murphy later said. He and Spade eventually reconciled, and Murphy returned to the show for 40th and 50th anniversary specials in 2015 and 2025, respectively.
By then, he had cemented a legacy as a bona fide movie star.
Movies: Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, and More
In 1982, Murphy received a Grammy nomination for a live album of fresh stand-up material called Eddie Murphy: Comedian. The album eventually went gold. With his star power brighter than ever, Murphy decided it was time to give the big screen a try.
That same year, at the age of 21, Murphy landed his first major motion picture role alongside Nick Nolte in 48 Hours. He approached the role with confidence and ingenuity, convincing director Walter Hill to adjust some of the dialogue to more genuinely depict a Black speaker. His charming and inspired performance as the fast-talking convict stole the film, and 48 Hours grossed over $5 million in its first week.
Murphy followed this success with the 1930s style farce Trading Places (1983). Playing alongside fellow SNL alumnus Dan Aykroyd, Murphy’s street-wise Billy Ray Valentine becomes the victim, then the victor, of two Wall Street moguls’ short-sighted bet. Paramount Pictures proceeded to sign the 23-year-old to a $25 million contract for six pictures.
Murphy’s next film, Beverly Hills Cop (1984), hit No. 9 on the list of all-time box-office hits. He played bad boy/good cop Axel Foley, a role originally slated for Sylvester Stallone. His performance was a hit with fans and earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination.
Murphy went on to make Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987, which received mixed reviews from critics, but major rewards from the box office. Another sequel, Beverly Hills Cop III, appeared in 1994 and—proof of the franchise’s enduring legacy—the series was revived in 2024 with the direct sequel Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. The latter featured legacy actors such as Murphy and Judge Reinhold alongside new faces including Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kevin Bacon.
Another highlight of Murphy’s early acting career was the romantic comedy Coming to America (1988), co-starring Arsenio Hall. In the film, both Murphy and Hall were able to demonstrate their comedic versatility by playing multiple characters. Audiences loved Murphy’s performances and the movie became a box-office smash, grossing more than $128 million in the United States alone.
But some of Murphy’s other efforts of this period—including The Golden Child (1986) and his directorial debut, Harlem Nights (1989)—were deemed failures by critics and audiences alike. In 1990, Murphy starred in a sequel to 48 Hours, titled Another 48 Hours. The second film did not perform as well as the first, and Murphy decided to take a break from the Hollywood scene.
Comedy Resurgence with The Nutty Professor and Shrek
Murphy returned in 1992 as a smooth, impeccably dressed bachelor in Boomerang, co-starring Halle Berry. The film met mixed reviews, 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.
Murphy went on to feature in a variety of family movies. He provided the voice of Mushu the Lizard in Disney’s animated picture Mulan (1998) to enormous critical praise, and also starred alongside several animals in Doctor Doolittle (1998). In 1999, he headlined the comedy Bowfinger with Steve Martin, who also wrote the screenplay, and the following year, Murphy played all six lead characters in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. During this time, he also voiced superintendent Thurgood Stubbs on the animated show The PJs, for which he served 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.
Dreamgirls and Later Projects
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. The actor then quickly pivoted back to comedic roles for 2007’s Norbit and Shrek the Third. In 2011, Murphy appeared in the comedy Tower Heist with Ben Stiller and Casey Affleck, and two years later, he starred in the poorly received A Thousand Words.
In 2015, Murphy received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor which “recognizes people who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist best known as Mark Twain,” according to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which presents the award.
Seemingly choosing his roles more carefully, Murphy returned to the big screen in 2016 as the mysterious titular character of Mr. Church. This drama also drew mostly negative reviews, though Murphy was praised for his performance. Three years later, he resurfaced for Dolemite Is My Name, based on the life of comedian Rudy Ray Moore.
More recently, Murphy returned to the screen for the 2023 romantic comedy You People and holiday film Candy Cane Lane. In 2025, he starred in the heist comedy The Pickup with Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer.
Music
Taking advantage of his status as a hot commodity, Murphy in 1985 released his first musical album, How Could it Be? which was produced by industry legend Rick James. The first single off the album, “Party All the Time,” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Murphy followed with the albums So Happy (1989) and Love’s Alright (1993), the latter featuring a collaboration with Michael Jackson on the single “Whatzupwitu,” though neither album fared as well as his debut.
Wife, Children, and Personal Life
Murphy is currently married to Australian model and actor Paige Butcher. The couple began dating in 2012 and were engaged in 2018. People confirmed their marriage in July 2024. Murphy and Butcher have two children together: daughter Izzy (born in May 2016) and son Max (November 2018).
In total, Murphy has 10 children—including five from his marriage to ex-wife Nicole Mitchell. The former couple wed on March 18, 1993 and had son Myles (November 1992) as well as daughters Bria (November 1989), Shayne (October 1994), Zola (December 1999), and Bella (January 2002) prior to their 2006 divorce.
That same year, Murphy began dating singer Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls. On April 3, 2007, Brown gave birth to a daughter, Angel, whom she said was Murphy’s child. Murphy questioned paternity, but a DNA test confirmed he was Angel’s father.
Murphy also has two children—sons Eric (July 1989) and Christian (November 1990)—from previous relationships with Paulette McNeely and Tamara Hood, respectively.
In May 1997, Murphy earned some unwanted publicity when he was discovered by L.A. police with a transsexual prostitute. The actor claimed he was merely trying to give the prostitute a ride. “I did nothing wrong. I was trying to be a good Samaritan and this is what happens,” he said through a spokesperson.
Police determined no illegal activity occurred, and Murphy wasn’t arrested or charged. Still, the incident made him the target of jokes from other comedians.
Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Murphy’s net worth around $200 million as of September 2025.
Quotes
- I’d like to produce, direct, write, score, and star in a film in exactly the way Chaplin did. I’ll do that before I’m 30.
- I’m relaxed about my career. I’ve been making movies for over 20 years, so I’ve earned at least the right to relax.
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