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BIO: Eddie Murphy



Edward Regan Murphy may be huge on the silver screen but in real life he is quite short man, by South African standards that is. Measuring 1,77 metres this comedy giant has never let his height interfere with his big presence on stage or on screen.

His story didn’t start out in a Hollywood mansion but rather a low-income housing project in Brooklyn. He was born to Lillian Murphy, a telephone-company employee and Charles Edward Murphy, a policeman and amateur comedian. When Murphy was only three years old his father left the family, and was stabbed to death when Eddy was eight.

Murphy was an exceptionally gifted child, but instead of paying attention to his academics he busied himself with impressions and comedy stand-up routines.

At 15 he was writing and performing his own comedy routines at youth centres and local clubs. These routines were heavily influenced by the comedy style of Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor. Ujima, Murphy’s manager said at the time, “Eddie would tell anyone who would listen that he would be a household name by the time he was 19, and that's exactly what happened."

After leaving Ujima’s management, Murphy hooked up with King Broder who got him his first exposure on cable TV. But it was only when Robert Wachs and Richard Tienken took over his management when things really started to happen. Soon Murphy did stand-up comedy at the same Bay Area Comedy Club where Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg performed.

In 1980 Murphy turned 19 and holding true to his promise that was the year he became a recognized brand - Murphy was cast in Saturday Night Live. A year later, he was one of two lead characters on the show, playing only lead roles in the skits.

Murphy first took to the big screen in 1982, when he starred in 48 Hrs alongside Nick Nolte. Many people considered the movie to be the originator of the police action-adventure formula, which was followed by Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, Rush Hour, and others.

Even though Murphy’s screen career was burgeoning, stand-up comedy was still a passion. Murphy’s early comedy was racy, characterized by frequent swearing and homophobia. Even Richard Pryor, his biggest inspiration said his routines were too ‘mean’. Some of Murphy’s comments about gays and AIDS were so vicious that Murphy apologised for his remarks years later.

Mean though it was, it did make him popular. By 1983 Murphy recorded his first concert film Delirious. In the same year Murphy won a Grammy for his comedy album Comedian.

During the 80s Eddie Murphy became unstoppable, he starred in mega-hit films such as Beverly Hills Cop; released another hugely popular concert film, Raw; and even managed a singing career. As a solo artist, Murphy released two hit singles, "Party All the Time" and "Put Your Mouth on Me", but his music career never really took off.

As the 80s came to an end, Murphy’s career went through a serious slump. His movies weren’t doing well at the box office, he no longer worked on Saturday Night Live and he did less comedy stand-up routines.

What did flourish in those years however, was his love life. Murphy met his wife-to-be, Nicole Mitchell, at an awards show in 1988. Rumours has it he was dating Whitney Houston before then. Murphy and Mitchell were married in 1993 and now have five children together.

Murphy was content with his family life but he wasn’t going to give up on his movie career. In 1996 he made a comeback with the The Nutty Professor. He had a new-fangled image and his focus was now more family orientated. A series of successful family-friendly movies Mulan, Dr. Dolittle and its sequel, the Shrek series and Daddy Day Care followed.

However, his more adult-orientated films performed poorly. Metro, I Spy, Showtime and Holy Man all failed at the box office.

In 2005 Murphy’s 12-year marriage came to an end when his wife, Nicole, filed for divorce. Soon after Murphy started dating Melanie Brown, ex-Scary Spice, from The Spice Girls. Within months Mel announced she was pregnant with Murphy’s child. Murphy refused to accept that the child was his until paternity tests proved it. "I don't know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, sir,” Murphy told a reporter.

His luck with more sober movies finally changed when he was cast as soul singer James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls in 2006. Murphy won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award in that category. Murphy was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Alan Arkin. He didn’t take the defeat well and apparantly stormed out of the Oscars ceremony after the winner was announced.

He’s currently appearing on our screens in Norbit and will soon be reprising his role as the much loved Donkey in the upcoming Shrek 3.

Trivia

He dated actress Halle Berry.

Was voted Most Popular while attending Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School in Roosevelt, New York, due to the stand-up comedy routines he would perform in the school's auditorium and jokes he would tell classmates during lunch.

Older brother Charles Q. Murphy is also an actor. Younger brother Vernon Jr. was half of the hip-hop group K-9 Posse, which released two albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Paid for the funeral of comedic inspiration Redd Foxx.

Was criticized tremendously by Spike Lee for not using his show business stature to help black actors break into film.

His favorite TV show is "Star Trek" (1966).

Quotes

"I started out as an impressionist and that's all about observing - how people move, their voice quality, their attitudes and quirks."

"Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects and you don't turn down money there. You take it, because you never know when it's all going to end. I made [Beverly Hills] Cop III because they offered me $15 million. That $15 million was worth having Roger Ebert's thumb up my ass."

"That's my idol, Elvis Presley. If you went to my house, you'd see pictures all over of Elvis. He's just the greatest entertainer that ever lived. And I think it's because he had such presence. When Elvis walked into a room, Elvis Presley was in the f---ing room. I don't give a f--- who was in the room with him, Bogart, Marilyn Monroe."

“The advice I would give to someone is to not take anyone's advice.”

Selected filmography

Shrek the Third (2007)
Norbit (2007)
Dreamgirls (2006)
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Daddy Day Care (2003)
I Spy (2002)
The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
Showtime (2002)
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
Shrek (2001)
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
Bowfinger (1999)
Holy Man (1998)
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
Mulan (1998)
Metro (1997)
The Nutty Professor (1996)
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)
The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
Boomerang (1992)
Another 48 Hrs. (1990)
Harlem Nights (1989)

- Annel Malan

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