Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy
On April 3rd, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York, an actor was born. Little did anybody know Edward Regan Murphy certainly had a lengthy path to cover. His career is claimed to represent ‘a typical Hollywood rags-to-riches story as he was catapulted from humble and tough origins in Brooklyn to movie superstardom by the time he was just nineteen!’

Edward’s parents divorced when he was three and his mother remarried after his father died when Eddie was just nine. After moving to the African-American suburb of Roosevelt with his step father, his mother and brother, Ed grew up finding himself. The fact that Eddie, along with his brother, was left to foster care in the early days of his childhood and that he was found in front of the television very often led him to developing a skill of impersonations and developing a remarkable sense of humor.

In the early 1980s, Eddie enrolled at a community college during which he continued his practice at skilled impersonations. Although his academic life endured a heavy loss, Eddie was too keen to give up yet. His early comedic practices comprised usually of inspirations through an exceptional comedian, Richard Pryor leading him to a comic strip club in Manhattan. Opportunity knocked when he learned that the producers of a popular comedy show, Saturday Night Live were on a quest to find a black cast member for one of their seasons. Upon selection, he occasionally appeared on the show until one momentous moment, he improvised while the show had no preferred material to view on air against about four minutes of the remaining time. And THAT’S when it all started! His performance came to be known as ‘masterful’ and Eddie Murphy was called back for the succeeding season.

Saturday Night Live provided a premium platform for Eddie while working on which, he successfully nurtured his amusing skills and created unforgettable African-American characters some of which included Mister Rogers, Buckwheat and Tyron Green. Murphy’s intensified passion led to a commendable devotion in showbiz.

In 1982, Eddie’s life witnessed a turning point when he was nominated for Grammy for a newfangled album named: Eddie Murphy: Comedian. The album proved to be a massive success and in the same year for the very first time Eddie was offered a role alongside Nick Nolte in an action comedy film, 48 HRS. Eddie’s response was overwhelmingly shown by his eminent performance and 48 HRS marked his debut as a role of a convict. The movie was a box office hit and managed to reach $5 million in its very first week. It is said to have raised curtains for Eddie and exposed him on the BIG SCREEN.

Edward’s success chased him to its peak at the age of just twenty-three when Paramount Pictures signed a contract of $25 million for six pictures. Murphy earned a Golden Globe Nomination for his remarkable achievement via playing the role of Alex Foley-a role initially scripted for Sylvester Stallone-in Beverly Hills Cop (1984). The movie was an immediate box-office-hit and made it to number 9th on the list of all-time hits! Eddie could not have got a better chance and while the iron was hot, Eddie struck and released his very own and very first album, How Could It Be?

Apparently, his success was too over flooded to handle a debut direction of his own; Harlem Nights (1989) was adjudged a mild failure by his critics. Far from Eddie to back off and he was simultaneously in spotlight after the release of Coming to America (1998)-a romantic comedy co-starring Arsenio Hall. The movie triumphed to a $128 million in the United Sates alone due to Eddie’s versatility of comedic imitations and multiple roles.

A prevailing success in Eddie’s career comprised of Doctor Dolittle, The Nutty Professor, and Daddy Day Care in the 21st Century. His experience nurtured his witty skills such that it promised Murphy a striking accomplishment in his career as a voice actor for instance in Shrek and Mulan.

Through persistent adherence to his passion, we expect Eddie Murphy to continue winning the hearts of his fans and create many more in the days to come!


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