Edward “Eddie” Regan Murphy is an actor, director, producer, comedian, and singer. From 1980 to 1984, Murphy was a part of the cast of Saturday Night Live, which was a struggling show, and he is often credited with saving the show.
In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his remarkable depiction of soul singer James ‘Thunder’ Early in Dreamgirls, besides also receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the same role. Considering that this isn’t even all of it, why did Murphy decide to quit Hollywood?
Murphy and his ‘Worst Actor of the Decade’ Razzie
The Golden Raspberry Awards, also referred to as the ‘Razzies’, is a parody award ceremony that is a sarcastic recognition of the most disappointing and unsuccessful films in the industry. It was founded by John Wilson and Mo Murphy, who are both alumni of UCLA’s film program and experienced professionals in the film industry. The Razzies are a lighthearted approach to celebrating critically condemned movies in a satirical manner. The term ‘raspberry’ is used in a playful and irreverent sense, akin to the act of “blowing a raspberry.”
It was these very awards that would become the reason for Murphy’s hiatus from Hollywood. In a 2021 interview with Marc Maron on the WTF podcast, Murphy said,
“I was making shitty movies. I was like, ‘this shit ain’t fun. They’re giving me Razzies.’ Motherf*ckers gave me the ‘worst actor ever’ Razzie. So I thought, ‘maybe it’s time to take a break’.”
“I was only gonna take a break for a year, then all of a sudden, six years go by, and I’m sitting on the couch,” Murphy continued. “And I could sit on the couch and not get off it, but I don’t want the last bunch of shit they see me do to be bullsh*t.”
Eddie Murphy received multiple ‘Worst Actor of the Year’ Razzies for several roles in 2002, 2007, and 2008. It wasn’t until he received the ‘Worst Actor of the Year’ Razzie in 2010 that Murphy made the call to take a break.
Murphy’s time in Hollywood
During his time on SNL, Murphy made his debut on the big screen in 1982 with the film 48 Hrs. He then went on to achieve tremendous success with a string of blockbuster hits, including Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop series, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Another 48 Hrs. While Murphy’s popularity dropped slightly in the 1990s, he experienced a resurgence with a series of family-friendly movies, notably Mulan, the Shrek franchise, Dreamgirls, and the Nutty Professor movies.
Not only has he displayed his acting skills, but Murphy has also ventured into film production, overseeing projects such as Vampire in Brooklyn, Life, and Harlem Nights, the latter of which he also directed. In 2017, it was announced that Murphy would reprise his iconic role in the Beverly Hills Cop series, returning for Beverly Hills Cop 4, which is scheduled for a future release. He even reprised his role in Coming 2 America, the sequel to the first film. Murphy is also slated to portray George Clinton in an untitled biopic, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
Source: The Digital Fix
