Murphy followed this success with the 1930s style farce Trading Places (1983). His charming and inspired performance as the fast-talking convict stole the film, and 48 Hours grossed over $5 million in its first week. 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. That same year, at the age of 21, he also landed his first major motion picture role alongside Nick Nolte in 48 Hours. In 1982, Murphy received a Grammy nomination for a live album of fresh stand-up material called Eddie Murphy: Comedian. He defended his performances, claiming that his characters were far too absurd and abstract to be taken seriously.
Murphy received criticism for his satirical characterizations based on Black stereotypes. He also continued his skillful impersonations, adding Bill Cosby, Muhammad Ali, James Brown, Jerry Lewis and Stevie Wonder to his repertoire. 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. 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. They pushed Murphy before the camera and told him to do his stand-up routine. Murphy appeared sporadically throughout the season, until one fateful night when producers realized they had four minutes of airtime remaining and no material. He auditioned for the part six times, and finally earned a place as an extra on the show. 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 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.Īlthough 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." 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. Murphy was voted the "most popular" boy in his graduating class. This early success ignited a passion for showbiz, and Murphy began working on his comedy routines after school and performing stand-up at local bars, clubs and "gong shows." His schoolwork suffered, however, and Murphy had to repeat the 10th grade as a result.īy doubling up on classes, and attending summer and night school, he graduated only a couple of months late. Hosting a talent show at the Roosevelt Youth Center at age 15, Murphy delighted his young audience with an impersonation of Al Green. "My mother says I never talked in my own voice," Murphy later said.Īlthough 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 watched a lot of television growing up and developed a great skill for impressions, doing such characters as Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle and Sylvester the Cat.
When Murphy was nine 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. His parents divorced when he was three five years later, his father died and his mother went into the hospital for an extended period.
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. He continues to star in many movies, including comedies, dramas and family films.Įddie Regan Murphy was born on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. 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. Eddie Murphy began doing stand-up comedy as a teenager and later joined the cast of Saturday Night Live.
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