Edward Regan Murphy is popularly known as Eddie Murphy, was born (April 3, 1961). Eddie is an American comedian, actor, writer, singer, and producer. In films, Murphy has received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in 48 Hrs, the Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places, and The Nutty Professor. Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984. He has worked as a stand-up comedian and was ranked #10 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
Early life
Eddie was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and was raised in the borough’s Bushwick neighborhood. His mother, Lillian (Laney), was a telephone operator, and his father, Charles Edward Murphy, was a transit police officer and an amateur actor and comedian.
His parents separated when he was just three yearsand his father died in 1969 when he was eight, He was stabbed by a woman, though he does not know all about it. Thereby making him have very dim memories… He was a victim of the Murphy charm (laughs). When Murphy’s single mother became ill, the eight-year-old Murphy and his older brother Charlie lived in foster care for one year. In interviews, Murphy has said that his time in foster care was influential in developing his sense of humor. Later, he and his brother were raised in Roosevelt, New York, by his mother and stepfather Vernon Lynch, a foreman at an ice cream plant. At the age of 15, Murphy was writing and performing his own routines, which were heavily influenced by Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor.
Career
Stand-up comedy
Murphy’s early comedy was characterized by frequent swearing and sketches lampooning a diverse group of people (including White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs), African Americans, Italian Americans, overweight people, and gay people). Murphy released two stand-up specials. Eddie Murphy was his first album, which got him his popularity and was released in 1982. Delirious was filmed in 1983 in Washington, D.C. Due to the popularity of Delirious, his concert film Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) received a wide theatrical release, grossing $50 million; the movie was filmed in the Felt Forum section of Madison Square Garden in New York City. Murphy’s comedic influences include Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, and Robin Williams. Comedians who in turn cite Murphy has having influenced them to include Russell Brand, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock.
1980s Acting Career
Murphy first earned national attention as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and was credited with helping to revitalize the show during the early 1980s. His notable characters included a grown-up version of the Little Rascals character Buckwheat; a street-wise children’s show host named Mr. Robinson (a spoof of Fred Rogers, who found it amusing; and a morose, cynical Gumby, whose trademark slogan became an SNL catchphrase: “I’m Gumby, dammit!”
The Buckwheat character was retired in spectacular fashion—assassinated, on camera, in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza—at Murphy’s request, after he grew tired of constant demands from fans to “Do Buckwheat! Do Buckwheat!” In Rolling Stone’s February 2015 appraisal of all 141 SNL cast members to date, Murphy was ranked second (behind John Belushi). “It is customary (and accurate) to say that Eddie Murphy is the only reason SNL survived the five-year wilderness without Lorne Michaels,” they noted. In 1982, Murphy made his big screen debut in the film 48 Hrs. with Nick Nolte. 48 Hrs. proved to be a hit when it was released in the Christmas season of1982. Nolte was scheduled to host December 11, 1982, Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live, but became too ill to host, so Murphy took over. He became the only cast member to host while still a regular. Murphy opened the show with the phrase, “Life from New York, It’s the Eddie Murphy Show!”
The following year, Murphy starred in Trading Places with fellow SNL alumnus Dan Aykroyd. The movie marked the first of Murphy’s collaborations with director John Landis (who also directed Murphy in Coming to America and Beverly Hills Cop III which proved to be an even greater box office success than 48 Hrs. In 1984, Murphy appeared in Best Defense, co-starring Dudley Moore. Murphy, who was credited as a “Strategic Guest Star”, was added to the film after an original version was completed but tested poorly with audiences. Best Defense was a major financial and critical disappointment. When he hosted SNL, Murphy joined the chorus of those bashing Best Defense, calling it “the worst movie in the history of everything”. Aykroyd originally wrote the Winston Zeddemore character in Ghostbusters specifically for Murphy, but he was unable to commit at the time due to the Beverly Hills Cop shooting schedule. The part ultimately went to Ernie Hudson.
Later in 1984, Murphy starred in the successful action comedy film Beverly Hills Cop. The film was Murphy’s first solo leading role. Beverly Hills Cop grossed over $230 million at the U.S. box office becoming the highest grossing film released in 1984, the highest grossing comedy of all-time and the highest grossing “R” rated film of all-time and as of May 2018 it was 46th in the list of all-time U.S. box office grosses after adjusting for inflation (3rd-highest amongst “R” rated films). Murphy was also offered a part in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a role that, after being heavily re-written from comic relief to love interest, ultimately went to future 7th Heaven star Catherine Hicks. At this point, Murphy’s near-exclusive contract with Paramount Pictures rivaled Star Trek as Paramount’s most lucrative franchise.
In 1986, Murphy starred in the supernatural comedy, The Golden Child. Although The Golden Child performed well at the box office, the movie was not as critically acclaimed as 48 Hrs., Trading Places, and Beverly Hills Cop. The Golden Child was considered a change of pace for Murphy because of the supernatural setting as opposed to the more “street smart” settings of Murphy’s previous efforts. A year later, Murphy reprised his role of Axel Foley in the Tony Scott-directed Beverly Hills Cop II. It was a box-office success, grossing almost $300 million worldwide.
Singing Career
Eddie Murphy is also a singer, having frequently provided background vocals to songs released by The Bus Boys; the song “(The Boys Are) Back in Town” which was featured in 48 Hrs. and Murphy’s comedy special Eddie Murphy Delirious. As a solo artist, Murphy had two hit singles, “Party All the Time” (which was produced by Rick James) and “Put Your Mouth On Me” during the latter half of the 1980s. He had started singing earlier in his career, with the songs “Boogie in Your Butt” and “Enough Is Enough”, the latter being a parody of Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer’s 1979 song, “No More Tears” (They both appear on his 1982 self-titled comedy album.)
“Party All the Time” was featured on Murphy’s 1985 debut album How Could It Be, which included a minor follow-up R&B hit in the title track, a duet with vocalist Crystal Blake. This track was written by Rusty Hamilton and was produced by Stevie Wonder’s cousin Aquil Fudge after a brief falling out with Rick James. Murphy recorded the album Love’s Alright in the early 1990s. He performed in a music video of the single “Whatzupwitu”, featuring Michael Jackson. He recorded a duet with Shabba Ranks called “I Was a King”. In 1992, Murphy appeared in Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” alongside Magic Johnson and Iman. Though uncredited, Murphy provided vocal work on SNL castmate Joe Piscopo’s comedy single, “The Honeymooners Rap.” Piscopo impersonated Jackie Gleason on the single, while Murphy provided an imitation of Art Carney.
In “Coming to America”, he imitated Jackie Wilson when he sang “To Be Loved”, but because the character he was playing had a thick accent, he had to sing it in character. In later years, Murphy performed several songs in the Shrek film franchise. In the first film, he performed a version of “I’m a Believer” in the film’s final scene; in Shrek 2 he performed Ricky Martin’s hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca” along with co-star Antonio Banderas; Murphy performed Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again) for Shrek the Third, once again with Banderas. In 2013 he released his first single in years titled “Red Light”, a reggae song featuring Snoop Lion, afterward He released an album titled 9.
1990s career
Harlem Nights featured Murphy, who had previously been known only as a performer, as director, producer, star, and co-writer, with his brother, Charlie Murphy, as well as supporting roles for Murphy’s comic idols Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor. During this period, Murphy was criticized by filmmaker Spike Lee for not using his show business stature to help black actors break into film, but as Murphy’s prominence grew, his films (especially those he produced) were often populated with predominantly black casts (Coming to America, Harlem Nights, Boomerang, Vampire in Brooklyn, Life). Many black actors who would later gain wider recognition make early appearances in Murphy films, such as Damon Wayans in Beverly Hills Cop, Halle Berry and Martin Lawrence in Boomerang, Samuel L. Jackson and Cuba Gooding Jr. in Coming to America, Dave Chappelle in The Nutty Professor, and Chris Rock in Beverly Hills Cop II.
Although Murphy has enjoyed commercial success since Saturday Night Live, he did not participate in the making of the Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live retrospective book by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller (2002), nor did he ever attend cast reunions or anniversary specials until his appearance on the SNL 40th anniversary special. Murphy’s box office results began to recover in 1996, starting with The Nutty Professor.
1998 to present
Eddie followed with a series of very successful family-friendly movies like Mulan, Dr. Dolittle, and its sequel, the Shrek series, Daddy Day Care, and The Haunted Mansion, along with Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. In 2006, he starred in the motion picture version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls as soul singer James “Thunder” Early. Murphy won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award in that category. Dreamgirls was the first film distributed by Paramount Pictures to star Murphy (who once was on an exclusive contract with the studio) since Vampire in Brooklyn in 1995.
In 2007, Murphy was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As a result of Viacom’s acquisition of DreamWorks, Paramount distributed his other 2007 releases: “Norbit and Shrek the Third”. He starred in the 2008 film “Meet Dave”, and the 2009 film “Imagine That” for Paramount Pictures. Murphy co-starred in Tower Heist, directed by Brett Ratner. Murphy played a thief who joins a group of hardworking men who find out they have fallen victim to a wealthy businessman’s Ponzi scheme, and conspire to rob his high-rise residence. Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, and Casey Affleck also starred in the film, released on November 4, 2011. On March 15, 20, Murphy played comedian Richard Pryor’s father, LeRoy Pryor, in the biopic directed by Lee Daniels with Mike Epps playing Pryor. Murphy co-starred with actress Britt Robertson in the drama Mr. Church.
Personal & Relationship Life
As of 2008, Murphy resides in Long Island, New York. Eddie Murphy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Murphy has a son, Eric (born circa 1989), with then-girlfriend Paulette McNeely, and a son, Christian (born circa 1990) with then-girlfriend Tamara Hood. Murphy began a longtime romantic relationship with Nicole Mitchell after meeting her in 1988 at an NAACP Image Awards show. They lived together for almost two years before getting married at the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel in New York City on March 18, 1993. Murphy and Mitchell had five children together: Bria, Myles, Shayne, Zola, and Bella. In August 2005, Mitchell filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences”. The divorce was finalized on April 17, 2006.
Following his divorce from Mitchell, in 2006, Murphy began dating former Spice Girl Melanie Brown, who became pregnant and stated that the child was Murphy’s. Brown gave birth to a baby girl, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, on Murphy’s 46th birthday, April 3, 2007. On June 22, 2007, representatives for Brown announced in People that a DNA test had confirmed that Murphy was the father. Murphy exchanged marriage vows with film producer Tracey Edmonds, former wife of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, on January 1, 2008, in a private ceremony on an island off Bora Bora. On January 16, 2008, the couple released a statement saying, “After much consideration and discussion, we have jointly decided that we will forgo having a legal ceremony as it is not necessary to define our relationship further,” and called the Bora Bora wedding a “symbolic union”. The two had planned on having a legal ceremony upon their return to the U.S. but did not, and their wedding was never official. Murphy began dating model Paige Butcher in 2012. Their daughter Izzy was born May 3, 2016.
Philanthropy
Murphy has donated money to the AIDS Foundation, and cancer, education, creative arts, family/parent support, health and homeless charities. He has donated to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, various cancer charities and $100,000 to the Screen Actors’ Guild’s strike relief fund.[66]
Discography
How Could It Be (1985)
So Happy (1989)
Love’s Alright (1993)
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Title | Accolade | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 48 Hrs. | Golden Globe award, News Star of the Year in a Motion Picture – Male | Nominated |
| Trading Places | Image award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture | Won | |
| Saturday Night LIVE! | Primetime Emmy award, Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program | Nominated | |
| 1984 | Trading Places | Golden Globe award, Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical | Nominated |
| Saturday Night LIVE! | Primetime Emmy award, Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy award, Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program | Nominated | ||
| 1985 | Beverly Hills Cops | Golden Globe award, Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical | Nominated |
| All- Around Male Entertainer People’s Choice award, Favourite | Won | ||
| ShoWest Convention award, Star of the Year | Won | ||
| 1987 | American Cinematheque award, Gala Tribute | Won | |
| Beverly Hills Cop II | Bravo Otto award, Best Lead Actor | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Nominated | |
| Beverly Hills Cop II | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Movie Actor | Won | |
| 1989 | Coming to America | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Movie Actor | Nominated |
| People’s Choice award, Favourite Comedy Motion Picture Actor | Won | ||
| 1990 | Image award, Entertainer of the Year | Won | |
| Harlem Nights | Golden Raspberry award, Worst Director | Nominated | |
| Golden Raspberry award, Worst Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1992 | ShoWest Convention award, Star of the Decade | Won | |
| 1993 | Boomerang | MTV Movie + TV award, Best Comedic Performance | Nominated |
| Soul Train award, Heritage award | Won | ||
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | Los Angeles Film Critics Association award, Best Lead Actor | Nominated |
| Walk of Fame, Star on the Walk of Fame- Motion Picture 7000 Hollywood, Blvd. | Won | ||
| 1997 | The Nutty Professor | American Comedy award, Funniest Lead Actor in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
| Blockbuster Entertainment award, Favourite Lead Actor- Comedy | Won | ||
| Golden Globe award, Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| Image Award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| MTV Movie + TV award, Best Male Performance | Nominated | ||
| MTV Movie + TV award, Best Comedic Performance | Nominated | ||
| National Society of Film Critics award, Best Lead Actor | Won | ||
| Online Film & Television Association award, Best Lead Actor – Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Award, Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| Saturn Award, Best Lead Actor | Won | ||
| 1999 | The PJs | Annie award, Best Individual Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production | Nominated |
| Doctor Dolittle | Blockbuster Entertainment award, Favourite Lead Actor Comedy | Nominated | |
| Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Movie Actor | Nominated | ||
| The PJs | Online Film & Television Association award, Best Voice-Over Performance | Nominated | |
| Mulan | Online Film & Television Association award, Best Family Actor | Nominated | |
| The PJs | Primetime Emmy award, Outstanding Short-Form Animated Program | Nominated | |
| 2000 | Life | Black Reel award, Best Film | Nominated |
| Bowfinger | Black Reel Award, Best Lead Actor- Theatrical | Nominated | |
| Life | Blockbuster Entertainment award, Favourite Comedy Team | Nominated | |
| Bowfinger | Blockbuster Entertainment award, Favourite Comedy Team | Nominated | |
| 2001 | Shrek | Annie award, Best Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature | Won |
| Nutty Professor 2 | Blockbuster Entertainment award, Favourite Lead Actor – Comedy | Nominated | |
| Shrek | Golden Schemes award, Coolest Character of the Year | Nominated | |
| Nutty Professor 2 | MTV Movie + TV award, Best Comedic Performance | Nominated | |
| Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Movie Actor | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Award, Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Showtime Shrek Dr.Dolittle 2 | Best Award, Best Lead Actor | Nominated |
| Shrek | Black Reel award, Best Supporting Actor – Theatrical | Nominated | |
| British Academy Film Award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| MTV Movie + TV award, Best Comedic Performance | Nominated | ||
| MTV Movie + TV award, Best On-Screen Team with | Nominated | ||
| Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie | Won | ||
| Dr. Dolittle 2 | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Movie Actor | Nominated | |
| Shrek | People’s Choice award, Favourite Motion Picture Star in a Comedy | Won | |
| Saturn Award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| The Adventures of Pluto Nash Spy/ Showtime | The Stinkers Bad Movie award, Worst Lead Actor | Nominated | |
| The Stinkers Bad Movie award, Worst On-Screen Couple (and anyone forced to co-star with him) | Nominated | ||
| 2003 | Golden Raspberry award, Worst Lead Actor | Nominated | |
| Golden Raspberry award, Worst Screen Couple (and anyone forced to co-star with him) | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | The Haunted Mansion Daddy Day Care | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Movie Actor | Nominated |
| 2005 | Shrek 2 | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie | Nominated |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | African – American Film Critics Association award, Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| Chicago Film Critics Association award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Dallas – Fort Worth Film Critics Association award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| St. Louis Film Critics Association award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Academy award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| Norbit Dreamgirls | BET award, Best Lead Actor | Nominated | |
| Dreamgirls | Black Reel award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association award, Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Critics Choice award, Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Critics Choice Award, Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | ||
| Gold Derby Award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Gold Derby award, Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe award, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Won | ||
| Image Award, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| Online Film & Television Association award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Online Film & Television Association award, Best Music – Original Song “Patience” | Nominated | ||
| Online Film Critics Society award, Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild award, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Won | ||
| Screen Actors Guild award, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| Norbit | Women Film Critics award, Hall of Shame | Won | |
| 2008 | Shrek the Halls | Annie award, Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production | Nominated |
| Norbit | Golden Raspberry award, Worst Lead Actor | Won | |
| Golden Raspberry award, Worst Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Golden Raspberry award, Worst Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| Shrek the Third | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie | Won | |
| Norbit | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Movie Actor | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Meet Dave | Golden Raspberry award, Worst Lead Actor | Nominated |
| Golden Raspberry award, Worst Screen Couple | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | The Adventures of Pluto Nash I Spy Imagine That Meet Dave Norbit | Golden Raspberry award, Worst Actor of the Decade | Won |
| Imagine That | Golden Raspberry award, Worst Lead Actor | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Shrek Forever After | Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice award, Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie | Won |
| 2012 | Tower Heist | Image award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture | Nomination |
| 2013 | A Thousand Words | Golden Raspberry award, Worst Lead Actor | Nomination |
| 2016 | Hollywood Film Festival award, Career Achievement award | Won | |
| Mr. Church | Satellite Award, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |
| 2018 | CinEuphoria award, Career – Honorary award | Won |
Eddie Murphy’s Net Worth
The American actor, comedian, producer, and director is recorded to have a net worth of $85 million. Eddie Murphy is one of the highest grossing actors in film history. As of this writing, his movies have grossed nearly $6.7 billion at the worldwide box office.
