History Creator / EddieMurphy

* OlderThanTheyLook: At 61, he still looks the way he was thirty years ago.

* DudeNotFunny: In a "Hollywood Minute" on SNL in 1995, Creator/DavidSpade showed a picture of Eddie Murphy (who had been SNL's biggest cast member in the turbulent early 1980's), and exclaimed "Look, children, it's a falling star! Make a wish!". This triggered a feud between Murphy and Spade, and Murphy refused to have anything to with SNL for almost two decades before reconciling with Spade and the show.

Amongst his Eighties film roles,[[note]]all of them at Creator/{{Paramount}} Pictures, with whom he had an exclusive contract[[/note]] he was best-known for playing Axel Foley in the ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' series; he also helped popularize SaltAndPepper pairings with his work in ''Film/FortyEightHrs'' (his film debut) and ''Film/TradingPlaces''. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for playing soul singer James "Thunder" Early in ''{{Theatre/Dreamgirls}}'', a role which also received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

* SaltAndPepper: In ''48 Hours'' alongside Creator/NickNolte, ''Trading Places'' alongside Creator/DanAykroyd, the ''Beverly Hills Cop'' trilogy alongside Creator/JudgeReinhold, and ''Showtime'' alongside Creator/RobertDeNiro.

* SelfDeprecation: His Buddy Love persona in ''The Nutty Professor'' is a big Take That against what he was known as during his slumping career in the early 1990s, when he was starting to get a reputation for being overly obnoxious and self-absorbed.

Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, voice actor, film director, producer, comedian and singer. He is the second-highest grossing lead actor in motion picture history. He was a regular cast member on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' from 1980 to 1984 -- keeping that show afloat at a time when it was floundering so badly that Creator/{{NBC}} was considering cancellation [[note]]At the time, Eddie Murphy was ''SNL'''s youngest cast member to join at the age of 19. He was beaten by Anthony Michael Hall -- who was 17 years old -- when Hall joined the cast in 1985. Murphy is still considered the youngest black male cast member to join the cast, despite the upset[[/note]] -- and worked as a stand-up comedian throughout TheEighties. He was ranked #10 on Creator/ComedyCentral's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' (2001)

His brother [[Creator/CharlieMurphy Charlie]] was an accomplished stand-up comedian in his own right, and had a steady acting career of his own; having been a regular on ''Series/ChappellesShow'', played Ed Wuncler III in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', and had a regular role as Vic Hargrove in ''Series/BlackJesus''. He even appeared in a cameo as himself in a segment from ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie''. Sadly, he died from leukemia on April 12, 2017.

Unfortunately, as the 1990s and 2000s rolled around, Eddie's career became notorious for alternating significant hits (''The Nutty Professor'' and the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' movies in particular) with embarrassing bombs, hitting rock bottom when ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPlutoNash'' became one of the [[BoxOfficeBomb all-time biggest flops, with a budget of $100 million dollars and a worldwide gross of $7.1 million]]. He had a brief resurgence of quality with ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}'' (earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), but he has yet to have a hit film since then. However, in 2019 he drew raves for his performance in the Rudy Ray Moore biopic ''Dolemite Is My Name'' and his return to ''Saturday Night Live'' as a guest host for the Season 45 ChristmasEpisode, and is planning a return to the stand-up circuit.

Put a tree in your butt\\
Put a bumblebee in your butt!\\
Put a clock in your butt!\\

%%* AssShove: "Boogie In Your Butt".

* ''Imagine That'' (2009) - Evan Danielson

* ''Mr. Church'' (2016) - Mr. Henry David Church

* ''Film/TheHauntedMansion'' (2003) - Jim Evers

In case you can't tell yet, Murphy was ''absolutely huge'' in the '80s. He even scored a chart-topping pop hit with "Party All the Time" in 1985; people bought the (notably bland) song entirely because it was Murphy and Rick James. The song even appears in the soundtrack to (of all things) ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''. Murphy continued his music career to diminishing returns into TheNineties, culminating in a duet with Jackson which is far less awesome than it sounds. Many of his later film roles have also incorporated his singing ability.

* DudeNotFunny: Once on "Hollywood Minute" on SNL in the early-mid 1990's, Creator/DavidSpade showed a picture of Eddie Murphy (who had been SNL's biggest cast member in the turbulent early 1980's), and exclaimed "Look, children, it's a falling star! Make a wish!". This triggered a feud between Murphy and Spade, and Murphy refused to have anything to with SNL for almost three decades.

* ''Holy Man'' (1998) - G

After voicing Mushu the dragon in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', Murphy's work as a voice actor went on to include Thurgood Stubbs in ''WesternAnimation/ThePJs'' and Donkey in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' series.

Unfortunately, as the 1990s and 2000s rolled around, Eddie's career became notorious for alternating significant hits (''The Nutty Professor'' and the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' movies in particular) with embarrassing bombs, hitting rock bottom when ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPlutoNash'' became one of the [[BoxOfficeBomb all-time biggest flops, with a budget of $100 million dollars and a worldwide gross of $7.1 million]]. He had a brief resurgence of quality with ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}'' (earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), but he has yet to have a hit film since then. However, in 2019 he drew raves for his performance in the Rudy Ray Moore biopic ''Dolemite Is My Name'' and his return to ''Saturday Night Live'' as a guest host for the Season 45 ChristmasEpisode, and is planning a return to the stand-up circuit.

Amongst his Eighties film roles,[[note]]all of them at Creator/{{Paramount}} Pictures, with whom he had an exclusive contract[[/note]] he was best-known for playing Axel Foley in the ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' series; he also helped popularize SaltAndPepper pairings with his work in ''[[Film/FortyEightHours 48 Hrs.]]'' (his film debut) and ''Film/TradingPlaces''. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for playing soul singer James "Thunder" Early in ''{{Theatre/Dreamgirls}}'', a role which also received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

* ''Film/FortyEightHours'' (1982) - Reggie Hammond
** ''Another 48 Hrs.'' (1990)

* ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' (1984) - Axel Foley

* ''Film/TheHauntedMansion'' (2004) - Jim Evers

On ''Saturday Night Live'', he's known for appearing with Joe Piscopo in a lot of sketches (to the point that the cast members and fans thought they were stealing the spotlight during their time on the show), his recurring characters Mr. Robinson (a poor, black, urban take on ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' [[note]]Notably one of the only parodies of his show which Creator/FredRogers was said to have personally enjoyed, as he not only knew that it was sincere but didn't worry about children mistaking Murphy's parody for the real thing.[[/note]], who first appeared on the Jean Doumanian episode that gave NBC a reason to kick her off the show[[note]]you know, the one where Charles Rocket casually says, "I'd like to know who the fuck did it," after being shot during a sketch[[/note]], but didn't become popular until Dick Ebersol took over), Buckwheat from ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' (whose character was assassinated, then brought back from the dead), Dion (a CampGay hairstylist), AngryBlackMan Raheem Abdul Mohammed, poetic prisoner Tyrone Green, sleazy salesman Velvet Jones (the "I Wanna Be a Ho" Guide), and Gumby as an old, Jewish man. His celebrity impressions, though small, included Creator/BillCosby[[note]]with whom he had a rivalry, until Cosby's history of sexual assault and misconduct ruined his reputation, as mentioned when Eddie Murphy came back to host in season 45 and gloated in Cosby's voice, "Who is America's Dad now!"[[/note]], Music/JamesBrown (the singer, not the football commentator), the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Creator/MrT, Creator/JerryLewis (in a ''Two Faces of Eve'' film parody with Joe Piscopo as the older, embittered Vegas hanger-on take on Lewis while Murphy played the loud, bucktoothed, childish moron version of him), and Music/StevieWonder.

On ''Saturday Night Live'', he's known for appearing with Joe Piscopo in a lot of sketches (to the point that the cast members and fans thought they were stealing the spotlight during their time on the show), his recurring characters Mr. Robinson (a poor, black, urban take on ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' [[note]]Notably one of the only parodies of his show which Creator/FredRogers was said to have personally enjoyed, as he not only knew that it was sincere but didn't worry about children mistaking Murphy's parody for the real thing.[[/note]], who first appeared on the Jean Doumanian episode that gave NBC a reason to kick her off the show[[note]]you know, the one where Charles Rocket casually says, "I'd like to know who the fuck did it," after being shot during a sketch[[/note]], but didn't become popular until Dick Ebersol took over), Buckwheat from ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' (whose character was assassinated, then brought back from the dead), Dion (a CampGay hairstylist), AngryBlackMan Raheem Abdul Mohammed, poetic prisoner Tyrone Green, sleazy salesman Velvet Jones (the "I Wanna Be a Ho" Guide), and Gumby as an old, Jewish man. His celebrity impressions, though small, included Creator/BillCosby[[note]]with whom he had a rivalry with, until Cosby's history of sexual assault and misconduct ruined his reputation, as mentioned when Eddie Murphy came back to host in season 45 and gloated in Cosby's voice, "Who is America's Dad now!"[[/note]], Music/JamesBrown (the singer, not the football commentator), the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Creator/MrT, Creator/JerryLewis (in a ''Two Faces of Eve'' film parody with Joe Piscopo as the older, embittered Vegas hanger-on take on Lewis while Murphy played the loud, bucktoothed, childish moron version of him), and Music/StevieWonder.

* AssShove: "Boogie In Your Butt".
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: In his Saturday Night Live opening monologue as host, he notes with irony that 30 years ago he never thought that he would be the boring, stay at home family man (with 8 kids) and Creator/BillCosby would be the one in jail. *Cosby voice* "Who's America's dad now?"

* BrokenPedestal: Had this for Creator/BillCosby. Murphy recalled on ''Raw'' that he admired Cosby growing up and was so excited to get a call from Cosby after ''Delirious'' was a hit. Cosby proceeded to dress down the younger comic and browbeat him about his "dirty" act. Joe Piscopo recalled Murphy coming into his office afterwards completely devastated by what happened. He predictably took a ton of satisfaction in Cosby’s exposure as a serial rapist a couple decades later.

%%* {{Jerkass}}: Slide in Film/TowerHeist.

%%* LovableSexManiac: Reggie in ''48 Hours''.

* NonHumanSidekick: Donkey in the animated movie ''Shrek'' is a donkey sidekick to Shrek, an ogre. Mushu in ''Mulan'' is a dragon sidekick to Mulan, a human.
* OlderThanTheyLook: At 60, he still looks the way he was thirty years ago.

%%* SassyBlackWoman: Rasputia in ''Norbit''.

%%* UncleTomfoolery: His characters in ''Trading Places'' and ''I Spy''.

* DudeNotFunny: Once on "Hollywood Minute" on SNL in the early-mid 1990's, David Spade showed a picture of Eddie Murphy (who had been SNL's biggest cast member in the tubulent early 1980's), and exclaimed "Look children! A falling star!". This triggered a feud between Murphy and Spade, and Murphy refused to have anything to with SNL for almost three decades.

* ''Film/Boomerang1992'' (1992) - Marcus Graham

* ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor1996'' (1996) - Professor Sherman Klump/Buddy Love/Lance Perkins/Cletus 'Papa' Klump/Anna Pearl 'Mama' Jensen Klump/Ida Mae 'Granny' Jensen/Ernie Klump, Sr.

** ''Dr. Doolittle 2'' (2001)

* ''Film/ImagineThat'' (2009) - Evan Danielson

In case you can't tell yet, Murphy was ''absolutely huge'' in the '80s. He even scored a chart-topping pop hit with "Party All the Time" in 1985; people bought the (notably bland) song entirely because it was Murphy and Rick James. The song even appears in the soundtrack to (of all things) ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''.

His brother [[Creator/CharlieMurphy Charlie]] was a regular on ''Series/ChappellesShow'', played Ed Wuncler III in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', and had a regular role as Vic Hargrove in ''Series/BlackJesus''. He even appeared in a cameo as himself in a segment from ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie''. Sadly, he died from leukemia on April 12, 2017.

-->-- '''Charlie Murphy''' on his younger brother Eddie.

* ReallyGetsAround: He had ten children, with five women.

* DudeNotFunny: Once on "Hollywood Minute" on SNL in the early-mid 1990's, David Spade showed a picture of Eddie Murphy and exclaimed "Look children! A falling star!". Eddie Murphy's responce was this, and he refused to have anything to with SNL for almost three decades.