A TRIBUTE TO THE GENIUS COMEDIAN, & MY IDOL EDDIE MURPHY. Eddie, come back to movies and stand-up comedy, please!! We love you EDDIE MURPHY!
I thank God that I had the unique life experience of being present at Eddie Murphy’s award ceremony by the AFI, American Film Institute on April 18, 2026. The legendary actor and stand-up comedian Murphy received the AFI Award, the highest honor in the film industry. It is an award he truly deserves and one that befits his brilliant career. The award was introduced by the equally legendary Spike Lee, while the audience, full of excitement, applauded enthusiastically. Looking out at an audience filled with comedy stars, as well as his own family and collaborators, Eddie Murphy said with great gratitude: “Seeing all my family, my children, my beautiful wife, and seeing all the different people I’ve worked with, I am truly full. This is a special moment. I wish all of you could feel what I feel, see what I see. I almost cried. I’m going backstage and cry.” Shortly before leaving, he added, “Thank you for giving me this evening that I will remember forever. I love you.”
Also, with his well-known sense of humor, he said: “Was it always this size? It seems small to me. Is it? I feel like blessings are raining down on me this month. There are so many things happening, and getting this award while still looking like myself, because sometimes they make you wait until you’re very old to get this award,” referring to previous recipients such as Mel Brooks, who received it at age 86, and Francis Ford Coppola, who also received it at age 86.
The genius director Spike Lee, when presenting the award, said: “Eddie made us laugh and made our country feel better. At every step of this journey, he remained true to himself.”
Participating in the tribute event honoring Eddie Murphy were Spike Lee, Stevie Wonder, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kenan Thompson, Arsenio Hall, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Jennifer Hudson, Martin Lawrence, Mike Epps, Mike Myers, Bill Burr, Eva Longoria, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Belle Aykroyd, who delivered a speech on behalf of her father, Dan Aykroyd, who starred with Murphy in *Trading Places*.
The legendary musician Stevie Wonder opened the event by saying, “Laughter makes life sustainable. Eddie is more than just a comedian,” expressing his great admiration for the comic actor.
The top comedian Chris Rock stated, “We wouldn’t exist without you.”
The tremendous comedian Tracy Morgan said, “You are an icon and a source of inspiration.” Morgan also referred to how Murphy portrayed him in the special tribute for the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, particularly in the “Black Jeopardy” sketch.
The charismatic Kenan Tompson delivered a heartfelt speech honoring comedy icon “You’re Not Just a Legend, You’re the Blueprint”!
The unique Arsenio Hall emphasized, “I played four characters, and a journalist once told me, ‘You have incredible range.’ I told him, ‘Hold on—save the word range for Eddie, because when Eddie makes a family movie, he plays an entire family. Black characters, white characters, elderly people, princes, a member of Congress, a human spaceship, a donkey. That’s what range means.’ So I’m here today for you as a friend, but I’m also here as a fan.”
The amazing actor Martin Lawrence said, “Eddie once completely refused to take a photo. Today, though, things are different. Our children have gotten married, and now I can take as many photos as I want. We’re family.”
The talented Dave Chappelle said, “Eddie encouraged me to return to Chappelle’s Show. You remain the hero I want to become.”
The talented Mike Myers said, “Eddie, as Donkey in Shrek, delivered a masterpiece of a performance. Like every character Eddie has created over the years: beloved, hilarious, joyful, vulnerable, and loyal. Eddie combines all of these in one remarkable feat. To put it simply, Eddie is one of the greatest. I never had the opportunity to work with Charlie Chaplin, Alec Guinness, or Peter Sellers, but it is an absolute honor for me to be able to tell my children that I had the chance to work with Eddie Murphy.”
At this magnificent ceremony honoring Eddie Murphy, we saw footage from his beginnings as a stand-up comedian, his powerful presence on Saturday Night Live, which launched him to great heights, as well as clips from films such as “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Coming to America,” “The Nutty Professor” (a film I analyzed while studying “Comedy Film Directors”), and “Shrek,” which established him as one of the legendary comedians of his era. I had the luck and honor to be present and witness before my eyes these unique moments from a brilliant 50-year career! There was also footage of him talking about his life and career, as well as clips from “Saturday Night Live.”
It should be emphasized that in 2023 the legendary Eddie Murphy was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, another recognition of his immense career.
EDDIE MURPHY CAREER
Let’s begin by analyzing the career of this legendary actor, starting with his early years from 1980 to 1984, when he began as a stand-up comedian, making appearances in clubs, and at only 19 years old was celebrated on the legendary Saturday Night Live. He continued in cinema with major successes (1984–1990) such as “48 Hrs.” and “Trading Places.” He went on to star in monumental films, such as playing Detective Axel Foley in the “Beverly Hills Cop” series and in the classic “Coming to America”!
He further showcased his incredible talent through the multiple characters he portrayed, such as in “The Nutty Professor,” as well as by voicing Donkey in the famous “Shrek” and the character Mushu in “Mulan.”
In 2006, he once again demonstrated the range of his acting abilities with the film “Dreamgirls,” for which he won a Golden Globe and even reached the Oscars. He returned with a powerful performance in 2019 in “Dolemite Is My Name,” proving his unique value in the artistic world.
Let’s take a deeper look of the legend films
Eddie Murphy has made 42 feature films, not counting stand-up specials and documentary appearances.
48 HOURS Eddie Murphy debut which established him! Two hardened criminal masterminds are on the loose in San Francisco, and Nick Nolte, as a detective, is the grumpiest detective cop pursuing them. He calls on Murphy, their former associate, to help capture them more easily. But this creates more problems than solutions. This is Eddie Murphy’s first major film, where his comedic performance contrasts with Nolte’s grumpy portrayal. It has thrilling action, lots of laughs, and a great buddy cop film about mismatched friends.
TRADING PLACES A social comedy film with Dan Aykroyd. Two millionaire brothers make a small bet regarding nature versus nurture debate, while the arrogant kid Dan Aykroyd acts like Audun and a very clever con man is played by Murphy. When they discover the truth, they work together, and take revenge. The film was a huge success.
EDDIE MURPHY STAND UP TOUR DELIRIOUS
SATURDAY LIVE NIGHT 1980 TO 1984 Let’s take a look of his iconic Saturday Night Live characters
James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Mr. Robinson, Buckwheat, Gumby,
After leaving SNL in 1984, Murphy continued to rise as a box office star, appearing in hit films
BEVERLY HILLS COP 1984,1987,1994,2002,2013 The film who explored him as No1 globally comedia.He Play the unforgettable character of Alex Foley. A detective from Detroit who clashes with his chief,but when a close friend of his is murdered,he pretends to be on vacation, and goes to Los Angeles to find the killers.Nevertheless,his boss is not pleased. In this film,from the beginning to end, he dominates the screen, and it is a movie that established him as a star.It remains the 2nd biggest box office success among action movies,While the sequels also feature humor and action.
COMING TO AMERICA A hysterical comedy where he plays an African prince,but also many characters. Akeem, portrayed by Murphy, is a prince in Africa, but in Queens, N.Y. he is simply a man searching for love. So he pretends not to be somebody important in the hope of finding a woman who will love him, not for his kingdom, but for who he is. This was one of Murphy’s biggest financial successes! It is like a fairy tale, but with truths about hard working immigrants and even the misuse of hair products, which provide plenty of laughs in the film. It is also the first time Murphy plays multiple roles in a movie using special makeup effects, and it is worth emphasizing that AI did not exist back then.
LIFE A prison dramedy alongside Martin Lawrence. Murphy and Martin Lawrence, although they do not know each other, suddenly become friends in the mid 1930s in Mississippi. Suddenly, however, they are accused of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Over the following decades, their friendship is tested by the harsh conditions, as well as attempts to escape from prison. When the film was released, audiences were confused and did not know whether it was a comedy, or a drama. The film is a dramedy, as we see the lives of these two people within a system of their own. Effects were used to age the two actors. However, there is also a comedic element between them and plenty of laughter.
BUMERANG Here Murphy plays Marcus, a womanizer who likes to play games with women, but suddenly he meets a woman who plays the same way he does! Things become more complicated as he falls in love with her. It is a romantic comedy, funny,sexy, with truly wonderful kissing scenes. And we have two strong leading actresses, Hale Berry and Robins Givens, Martin Lawrence also gives a wonderful performance.
THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN In the state of Florida there is a con man,Eddie plays this character,who takes on the role, and the same name, of a congressman. When that congressman dies, he claims his seat, hoping to make money from taxpayers. However, when he discovers the power he has, he changes his plan because he sees the real needs of the people. It is a prophetic film and it truly concerns the truth about corruption, even among well intentional politicians.
HARLEM NIGHTS This is Murphy’s only directing attempt, in dramatic material, and the screenplay is also his own. Here, Richrd Pryor owns a casino in Harlem,we go back to the beginning of the 20th century. And his partner, Eddie Murphy, faces daily challenges from pimps and gangsters, and they disagree on how to handle these conflicts, which eventually reach their climax. The two legendary actors have excellent chemistry.
VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN Here Angela Bassett plays Detective Veder, who is trying to solve a homicide case, and a young man enters her life during her free time. In reality, he is a vampire, Maximilian, portrayed by Murphy, and he may be connected to some murders. It is a film that combines horror with romantic comedy elements. Barrett’s performance is truly stunning.
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR A huge successful film,where Eddie played the hall characters of the Klump family. Here Murphy plays the university professor Sherman Klump, who weighs 180kg, and decides to lose weight when he falls in love with a new female professor. However, he does not follow any special diet because he has a special formula. Which however, has some side effects. In this film Murphy plays seven different characters. It is a remake of Jerry Lewis 1960 film comedy. The fat suits won an Oscar Academy Award, but it should also be noted that Murphydid an exceptionally outstanding job, creating these characters, as he plays all the members of his professor family! Personally as Despina, when I was studying Film Comedy director, we analyzed this film to the end! I can write hours about the film and the tremendous Eddie Murphy talent, and personal I believe that this actor deserves an Oscar in his huge career.
& THE NUTTY PROFESSOR II A sequel made again on 2000
NORBIT One more film where Murphy transformed and plays multiple extreme characters.
DOCTOR DOLITTLE A lovely family comedy,very popular,where he plays a doctor who can speak to animals.
MULAN He gave his voice to perform as the delightful dragon Mushu,by Disnay.
SHREK 2001,2010 He plays the unstoppable talkative Donkey,a voice performance who is considered one of the best in the. animation history.
DREAMGIRLS A musical drama film, which earned him a Golden Globe, and an Oscar Academy nomination! Three ambitious women want to succeed as famous singers in the soul music genre, but they ultimately find success in pop music. However, that success creates problems, as their ambitions, talent and love end up breaking up the group. It is an adaptation of a stage musical, and the producer caught between them is played by Jamie Foxx. Here Murphy portrays a singer who resembles James Brown, showing the heights and the lows of his career, and although it is a supporting role, it is one of his most powerful performances. We see both his singing abilities and his dramatic acting here, which led to an Oscar Academy nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME A biographical comedy drama. Here Murphy portrays Rudy Moore, who believes in himself immensely and has great confidence. An artist, who sings, does stand up comedy, practices martial arts, and even excels in love,he creates a film that nobody believes, yet it becomes a huge success. Moore truly was an extraordinary talent, and this film is a tribute to him. Murphy delivers an incredible performance as its central figure, showing his journey from nothing to everything.
Few more films he was great are these DADDY DAY CARE, MEET DAVE, IMAGINE THAT , MR.CHURCH, COMING 2 AMERICA, BEVERLY HILLS COP ALEX F, THE PICK UP
SNL 50TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY Tracy Morgan also referred to how Murphy portrayed him in the special tribute for the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, particularly in the “Black Jeopardy” sketch.
ONLY ONE AUDITION
The great comedian Eddie Murphy revealed that he only had to go through a single audition in his entire career—for Saturday Night Live. At the age of 63, he said, “I think I’m the only actor who can say that.”
“FROM THE TIME I WAS 16, I KNEW I WOULD BECOME FAMOUS”
In a documentary about his life, he said: “From a very early age I knew I would become famous. I started when I was 16 years old and kept saying, ‘I’m going to be famous.’” It should be noted that there is also a video of Murphy, as part of the documentary about him, in which he himself says to the camera: “I used to say I wanted to be famous by the time I was 21. I’m 19 now. I’m giving myself two years.”!!!
And indeed, he became established with his very first film appearance the following year, as he stole the show on Saturday Night Live. The tremendous actor said: “When I was 19 years old, I joined Saturday Night Live and things just started happening. I didn’t go through the process that many actors go through; I never went to auditions. In my whole life I’ve only done one audition. And that was only for Saturday Night Live.” With his meteoric success, he did not need to audition for the role of the young police officer in the film “42 Hours”!
The actor recalls advice from legendary boxer Larry Holmes, who told him: “Never forget where you came from!” Meanwhile, the legendary James Brown advised him to bury his millions in the woods. Murphy adds: “I was in uncharted waters. For all of them, when I appeared, I was something completely new. They had no comparable reference point for me.”
“MY GREATEST BLESSING IS THAT I LOVE MYSELF”
Speaking about how he survived in Hollywood, Eddie Murphy revealed that his greatest blessing is that “I love myself.” It is the secret that helped him survive in Hollywood. His self-love acted as a protective shield against traps. He never did drugs in his life, nor did he ever drink alcohol, unlike many of his fellow comedians of that era.
In the Netflix documentary “BEING EDDIE,” the legendary actor stated: “My greatest blessing is that I love myself. I’ve always loved myself. I’ve always been my biggest fan. That lies at the core of every decision you make. Some people spend their whole lives and finally say at the end, ‘At last, I love myself.’ I started out that way.”
He added: “In a profession where people come and go, and most actors don’t last 50 years, that’s how I survived in Hollywood.”
EDDIE FAMILY
The great Eddie Murphy, besides being a huge star, he is also the father of 10 children. He is a sweet and successful father, with many children around him, very unique in the industry. But no, Eddie Murphy made it both. A few years ago, he told People magazine: “ I love having my family around me, and I love that I’ve been in this amazing profession for so long.”
A few years ago, Eddie Murphy told “ The New York Times“ that “When you become famous at a very young age, especially as a Black artist, it’s like living in a minefield. At any moment, something can happen that can change everything. It was as if all these things were happening and I was completely unaware. Now, at this age, I can look back and say, ‘Wow, I made it through a minefield for 35 years.’ How do you make it through a minefield for 35 or 40 years? Something must be watching over you. God is watching over me.”
Eddie Murphy and his beloved brother Charlie Murphy
Eddie has a strong relationship with his beloved brother Charlie, who was also a stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and actor. Charlie was the older brother of comedy icon Eddie. “Some of the biggest laughs of my life are Charlie,” Eddie said. Charlie also became well known as a writer and cast member on Dave Chappelle’s iconic sketch series. He co-wrote several screenplays with Eddie, including the 2007 film *Norbit* and 1995’s *Vampire in Brooklyn*. Charlie Murphy died of leukemia at the age of 57 in 2017. Eddie has often spoken about Charlie, calling him his first-ever impression and his lifelong protector. The legendary collaboration between Charlie Murphy and Dave Chappelle on Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show is hystorical.
Many funny sketches,like ,The Prince Sketch, The Rick James Sketch, The Love Contract, The Player Hater’s Ball, Tyree Crying, keep Charlie in a huge era of comedy too.Eddie dedicated his 2019 comeback film *My Name Is Dolemite* to Charlie’s memory. He also provided rare footage of his brother for his Netflix documentary *Being Eddie*. At Eddie’s AFI Award event in April 2026, where Dave Chappelle honored Eddie Murphy, he recalled “ How deeply proud Charlie had always been of Eddie’s enormous success.“
Eddie Murphy and Marlon Brando.
A unique and unforgettable moment in his life was experienced by Eddie Murphy when he met the legendary Marlon Brando. Murphy reminisced about his memories with Brando, emphasizing that he was very direct in the way he spoke.
The first time they met, Marlon Brando took Murphy to a restaurant at the famous L’Ermitage hotel in Hollywood. Murphy recalls: “He came and picked me up from the hotel. But there was some confusion about the time, and I came down half an hour late. He was waiting for me in the car. We went to his house on Mulholland Drive, and he kept talking about his movie *The Godfather* (1972). He never accepted praise for his performance! He used to say: ‘Acting is bullshit. Anybody can play a role.’”
Specifically, on *The Interview* podcast of *The New York Times*, he described in detail how Marlon Brando invited him to his home after his first success with the movie *48 Hrs.* in 1982. Murphy says: “Marlon Brando was saying, ‘I can’t stand that kid with the gun.’ I said, ‘Which kid with the gun?’ Brando continued, ‘He’s on the poster!!’ Eddie said, ‘Clint Eastwood?’ and Brando confirmed, ‘Yes, that guy!!!’”
Murphy goes on to explain that Brando referred to Clint Eastwood as “that kid,” despite the fact that Brando was only six years older than him.
In closing, the legendary Eddie Murphy said: “I had all these famous people whom I grew up watching on television, and they wanted to go to dinner with me. Now I look back and say, ‘Wow, that’s crazy—the greatest of all time wanted to have dinner with you!’ But back then I thought, ‘That’s just how things are. You make a movie and Marlon Brando calls you!’”
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Murphy and Prince
On *The Jimmy Fallon Show*, Eddie Murphy said: “I always tell people, if they ask me about him, that he was actually funny!!!
Talking about the basketball game, Eddie said: “We had on club clothes, and Prince had on that outfit that was in the ‘Kiss’ video, where he had the little short shirt and the leather jacket with the buttons and stuff,” said Murphy. “He had that outfit on, and a little gold chain around his waist. A waistlet, I think. He had on a waistlet, and he was like, ‘Yo, want to play some basketball?’”Eddie remembered,
“We were like, ‘What the f—? You want to play some basketball?’ It was like, ‘Alright, let’s play.’ It was Prince and some dude, a dude named Micki Free that used to hang out. They used to all wear their kind of Prince clothes. So my brother was like, ‘Alright, it’s gonna be shirts against blouses.’ And Eddie continued
“They beat the s— out of us! But you know what I think? We had one dude on our squad that could play named Larry, and he didn’t have no shoes, so Prince gave him some sneakers, right?”
“And Prince wore maybe two, three sizes smaller than Larry, but Larry was so excited to have Prince’s sneakers on,” he said. “He put them tiny sneakers on his feet, so he couldn’t do his game. He couldn’t execute. So we lost. The one dude that could play. Prince’s shoes had him shut down, so he couldn’t execute.”
How Eddie Murphy wants his funeral to be
The great actor Eddie Murphy recently revealed that he wants to leave this world peacefully, and even without a traditional funeral. He jokingly said that he would like the theme music from *Beverly Hills Cop* to be playing so that those attending would smile.
Murphy noted: “That’s just a joke, because I’m never going to have a funeral. I mean, I’m going to die like everybody else. But my loved ones know… there won’t be a funeral. Just let me go quietly.”
