Eddie Murphy is an American actor, comedian, and singer born on April 3, 1961. He gained fame on the TV show “Saturday Night Live” where he was a regular from 1980 to 1984. Murphy is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians ever. He has received prestigious awards like the Golden Globe Grammy and Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. In 2015, he was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor followed by the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.
Murphy became a movie star in the 1980s with films like “48 Hrs. Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” He solidified his leading man status with roles in movies such as “The Golden Child,” “Coming to America,” and “Harlem Nights” which he also directed. His versatility showed in comedies like “The Nutty Professor,” “Dr. Dolittle,” and “Daddy Day Care.” Murphy’s ability to play multiple roles in films like “Coming to America” and “The Nutty Professor” series pays homage to his inspiration Peter Sellers.
As a voice actor, Eddie Murphy lent his voice to characters such as Mushu in Disney’s “Mulan,” Thurgood Stubbs in “The PJs,” and Donkey in the “Shrek” series earning him accolades including a BAFTA Award nomination. After a series of less successful films Murphy made a comeback with critically acclaimed roles in movies like “Dolemite Is My Name” and “Coming 2 America.”
In 2020, Murphy won his first Primetime Emmy Award for hosting “Saturday Night Live.” His films have collectively grossed over $3.8 billion in the United States and Canada and over $6.7 billion worldwide. Murphy is also known as a singer having released three studio albums and achieving success with the song “Party All the Time” in 1985.
| Full Name | Eddie Murphy |
| Date of Birth | April 3, 1961 |
| Place of Birth | Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, Comedian, Singer, Producer |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches (175 cm) |
| Spouse | Nicole Mitchell Murphy (m. 1993–2006) |
| Children | Bria, Myles, Shayne, Zola, Bella, Miles, Angel, Eric, Christian, Max |
| Net Worth | $200 million |
Eddie Murphy’s Early Life
Eddie Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and grew up in Bushwick. His mom Lillian Murphy worked as a telephone operator while his dad Charles Edward Murphy was both a transit police officer and a part-time actor/comedian. Tragically his father was murdered when Eddie was just eight years old.
After his parents split when he was three Eddie and his older brother Charlie Murphy went to live in foster care for a year when their mom fell ill. This experience along with growing up in Roosevelt New York shaped Eddie’s sense of humor something he often credits in interviews. Later on, their mom remarried Vernon Lynch who worked as a foreman at an ice cream plant.
Career
Eddie Murphy’s journey into comedy began at a young age. At 15 he was inspired by Richard Pryor’s comedy album “That Nigger’s Crazy” to pursue comedy himself. As a child, he loved imitating his acting hero Peter Sellers, and was influenced by comedians like Bill Cosby, Redd Foxx, and Robin Williams as well as figures like Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee.
Murphy officially started his career on July 9, 1976, performing at a talent show where he impersonated singer Al Green. This led to gigs at local clubs and late-night shows that required him to sneak out of school causing his mom to send him to summer school after finding out.
In the early 1980s, Eddie Murphy gained fame on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) where he created memorable characters like a grown-up Buckwheat from “Little Rascals” a streetwise version of Mr. Rogers named Mr. Robinson, and a gloomy Gumby. His work revitalized SNL during a critical period.
Murphy’s stand-up specials “Delirious” and “Raw” were huge hits especially “Raw” which was filmed at Madison Square Garden and grossed $50 million. His film career took off with hits like “48 Hrs.” “Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop” making him a box office sensation.
Despite his early success, Eddie Murphy faced criticism for some film choices like “Best Defense” which flopped. His fame continued into the late 1980s with successful movies like “Coming to America” and “Beverly Hills Cop II cementing his status as Hollywood’s top star.
In the 1990s, Murphy’s critical acclaim waned with films like “Beverly Hills Cop III” though he still found success with movies like “Boomerang”. He also directed and starred in “Harlem Nights” featuring his comedy idols Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx.
Despite his ups and downs Murphy’s influence on comedy and Hollywood is undeniable. He helped launch the careers of many black actors and left an indelible mark on pop culture even though he distanced himself from SNL for years due to personal conflicts later reconciling with his colleagues.
Eddie Murphy’s career has seen ups and downs. After “The Nutty Professor” he found success in family films like “Mulan,” “Dr. Dolittle,” and “Shrek.” However, his movies aimed at adults such as “Metro,” “I Spy,” and “Showtime” didn’t do well at the box office. “Holy Man” and “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” were major financial disappointments.
One exception was “Bowfinger” a comedy with Steve Martin that got good reviews and made decent money. Murphy shined in “Dreamgirls” winning awards for his role as James “Thunder” Early. Despite this success, his chances at an Academy Award were hurt by negative reviews of his next film “Norbit.”
Eddie Murphy also starred in “Tower Heist” and was slated to host the Oscars in 2012 but withdrew. He’s been involved in various film projects since including “Dolemite Is My Name” which earned praise on Netflix. His return to “Saturday Night Live” in 2019 was a big hit and he won an Emmy for it. He’s reprised his famous SNL characters and appeared in the sequel “Coming 2 America.”
Murphy announced a new “Beverly Hills Cop” film and signed a deal with Amazon Studios. He’s also set to play George Clinton in an upcoming biopic and revealed plans for a fifth “Beverly Hills Cop” movie.
Eddie Murphy isn’t just a comedian and actor—he’s also made his mark in music. He started out doing background vocals for the “Bus Boys” and his singing career took off with hits like “Party All the Time” and “Put Your Mouth on Me” in the 1980s. Even earlier he had some humorous songs like “Boogie in Your Butt” and “Enough Is Enough” on his comedy album from 1982.
“Party All the Time” produced by Rick James was a standout from his debut music album “How Could It Be” in 1985. Despite its success, the song later earned a spot on VH-1 and Blender’s list of “50 Worst Songs of All-Time” in 2004. Another track from that album a duet called “How Could It Be” also found some success in R&B circles.
Eddie Murphy continued his music career into the 1990s with albums like “So Happy” and “Love’s Alright.” He collaborated with Michael Jackson on the single “Whatzupwitu” and with Shabba Ranks on “I Was a King.” His musical talents also graced the Shrek movies where he performed songs like “I’m a Believer” and “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”
Murphy returned to music with the reggae track “Red Light” featuring Snoop Dogg in 2013. He’s currently working on a new album titled “9” marking his ongoing journey in both comedy and music.
Net Worth
Eddie Murphy has an estimated net worth of $200 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Eddie Murphy’s main source of net worth comes from his successful career in acting and comedy. He’s starred in many popular movies like “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Coming to America,” and “Shrek,” which have earned him significant salaries and box office success.
Additionally, Murphy is known for his stand-up comedy specials and work on “Saturday Night Live,” where he first gained fame. His diverse talents in entertainment, spanning decades, have contributed to his substantial wealth through acting fees, royalties, and other entertainment ventures.
Personal life
Eddie Murphy had two sons very close together at the end of the 1980s: Eric born around 1989 to Paulette McNeely and Christian born around 1990 to Tamara Hood.
In 1988, Murphy met Nicole Mitchell at an NAACP Image Awards show and they started dating. They lived together for nearly two years before marrying at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on March 18, 1993. They have five children together: Bria, Myles, Shayne, Zola, and Bella. Mitchell filed for divorce in August 2005 citing irreconcilable differences and their divorce was finalized on April 17, 2006.
After divorcing Mitchell, Eddie Murphy dated Mel B a former Spice Girl. She became pregnant and claimed the child was Murphy’s. In December 2006, Murphy said in an interview that he would wait for a paternity test to confirm the child’s parentage. Brown gave birth to a girl named Angel Iris, Murphy Brown on April 3, 2007, Murphy’s 46th birthday. DNA tests later confirmed Murphy as the father although he did not initially seek a relationship with Angel.
In January 2008, Murphy had a symbolic wedding ceremony with film producer Tracey Edmonds on an island off Bora Bora. They decided not to have a legal ceremony and remained friends instead. Later that year Murphy bought property on Long Island, New York.
In May 2016, Eddie Murphy had a daughter with Australian model Paige Butcher whom he had been dating since 2012. They also have a son born in November 2018. They got engaged in September 2018 and their son’s middle name honors Murphy’s late brother Charlie who passed away from leukemia in 2017.
Philanthropy is important to Murphy who has donated to various causes including AIDS Healthcare Foundation cancer research education arts family support health and homelessness charities. He has also supported the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and contributed $100000 to the Screen Actors’ Guild’s strike relief fund.
Murphy was baptized Catholic but has expressed in a 2011 Rolling Stone interview that he prefers not to align with any particular religion although he values Christian-based beliefs.
In a nod to his influence, Section 746 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act which prohibits trading securities using non-public information from the government is nicknamed the “Eddie Murphy Rule” inspired by the film “Trading Places.”
In a controversial incident in May 1997, Murphy was stopped by police in West Hollywood with a transgender prostitute in his car at 4:45 a.m. His spokesperson clarified that Murphy was giving her a ride home and was not charged with any crime though the incident affected his public image.
Awards
Eddie Murphy has won many awards throughout his career such as an Emmy a Grammy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Dreamgirls” although he didn’t win. Murphy’s voice role as Donkey in “Shrek” earned him the Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production. This role also made history as the first voice-over performance nominated for a BAFTA Award.
In addition to these achievements, Eddie Murphy has received several honorary awards including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.
