NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Somehow, we as a people forgot the importance of Eddie Murphy. Before there was Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, or Kevin Hart, it was all about Murphy. The younger generation will remember him as the Donkey from Shrek. Some may even remember him as the man who could talk to animals as Dr. Dolittle. But Murphy was and is much bigger than that.
At a time when comedians were making their name doing standup and looking for a way to break into the mainstream, Eddie Murphy took a gamble with 3 characters and took the world by surprise. His stint on Saturday Night Live as Mr. Robinson, Gumby, and Buckwheat was iconic, regardless of skin color. But what would he do next with his fame?
What came next was just as shocking as him uttering “Ohh-Tay”. The comedian Murphy secured his first big-screen movie role starring alongside Nick Nolte in what would become a classic in 48 Hours. This was not about jokes although he did have some funny one-liners, this was Murphy acting as if he has done this all his life. He was on point and the movie was a success.
From there, more iconic movies would follow such as Another 48 Hours, Coming To America, Harlem Nights, Trading Places, Life, Boomerang, Dreamgirls, and the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. And still, he went back to his roots with arguably 2 of the best standup shows ever with Delirious and Raw. And we can’t forget about his singing career way before Jamie Foxx made it popular. Eddie Murphy was that guy and had the world in his hands.
Eddie Murphy Is The King Of Comedy
Not all lights shine forever in Hollywood. As many hits as he provided, Murphy had flops as well such as The Distinguished Gentleman, Metro, Holy Man, Bowfinger, Showtime, and Pluto Nash. It happens to the best of them and Eddie Murphy was no different. And for a while, Hollywood forgot about him. Then Murphy decided to change things up. In came Shrek, Dr. Dolittle, The Nutty Professor, and Mulan. And just like that, Murphy was back in the good graces of Hollywood.
He selected fewer roles but roles that held a meaning to him. Netflix pegged him for Dolemite is My Name and You People. He went another family movie route with Candy Cane Lane and then went back to the old stomping grounds with Coming 2 America.
Next up for Murphy is a return to one of his famous characters, Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop 4. Murphy is still going strong in Hollywood at a time when more comedians are getting shows, better stand-up pay, and all kinds of shine. While black comedy success can be traced back to Billy Cosby, Redd Foxx, and Richard Pryor, it was Eddie Murphy who kicked the Hollywood door down.
From 1982 to 2002, Eddie Murphy starred in 20 movies. That’s one hell of a run for any actor.
Looking back, a comedian was at the forefront of sequels and franchises. Beverley Hills Cop, Coming To America, Dr. Dolittle, Shrek, The Nutty Professor, and 48 Hours. Murphy was doing things in Hollywood that most non-black actors weren’t even doing. He was setting the foundation. He had his own production company well before the heavy players in today’s game even thought about doing it.
There is no way anyone should ever forget what he did for black Hollywood. The man has over 35 movie credits to his name and close to 90 percent of those, he’s the lead. He took the risk, succeeded, failed, got back up, changed the game again, and he’s still paving the way.
