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Eddie Murphy (born Easter Monday April 3, 1961, Brooklyn, New York) is an African-American comedian and actor.
Murphy began his comedy career at the young age of 19, as a performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live television show. His characters include a parody of Buckwheat from the Little Rascals and of Fred Rogers. Murphy later starred in many comedies including the Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places and Coming to America.
He is a versatile voice actor and voiced the donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon in Disney's Mulan.
In many of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character. A perfect example of this is The Nutty Professor, a remake of the Jerry Lewis classic in which Murphy plays several members of the Klump family as well as Sherman Klump's arrogant alter ego, Buddy Love.
His early comedy was racy, akin to Richard Pryor, whom Murphy says was the one "that wanted [him] to get into comedy." Characterized by excessive swearing and making fun of gays, singers, and others, Murphy became, in a sense, the Pryor of the 1980s. He made vicious comments about gays and AIDS during his 80's standup routines, so vicious that some years later he apologized for the remarks. However, in the late 80's and early 90's, Murphy's fame was fading via a series of poor sequels, drab comedies, and ego-driven vehicles that the public avoided in droves. Harlem Nights was savaged not only by the critics, but also by several of the actors in the film. Richard Pryor had nothing good to say about the film or the star, which stunned Murphy, who had considered Pryor an idol.
Murphy's career continued to slide until 1996, when he would make his comeback in comedies, starting with The Nutty Professor. His record since then has been hit and miss, with several big flops (Holy Man, Pluto Nash) and some hits (Dr. Doolitle, Shrek, Bowfinger).
Murphy was also a one-hit wonder in the 1980s with the single "Party All the Time".
In 1997 a police officer stopped Murphy and found a transvestite prostitute in the passenger's seat. Murphy claimed that he had just been driving through and she asked him for a ride home.
Eddie Murphy's older brother, Charlie Murphy, is also an actor, best known recently for his appearances on Chappelle's Show.
Eddie Murphy Filmography
Actor
• Shrek 2 (2004)
• Shrek: The Story So Far (2004)
• Daddy Day Care (2003)
• The Haunted Mansion (2003)
• The Haunted Mansion (2003)
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
• I Spy (2002)
• Showtime (2002)
• Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
• Shrek (2001)
• Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
• Bowfinger (1999)
• Life (1999)
• Dr. Dolittle (1998)
• Holy Man (1998)
• Mulan (1998)
• Metro (1996)
• The Nutty Professor (1996)
• Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
• Beverly Hills Cop 3 (1994)
• Boomerang (1992)
• The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
• Another 48 Hrs. (1990)
• Harlem Nights (1989)
• Coming to America (1988)
• Beverly Hills Cop 2 (1987)
• Eddie Murphy - Raw (1987)
• The Golden Child (1986)
• Best Defense (1984)
• Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
• Eddie Murphy - Delirious (1983)
• Trading Places (1983)
• 48 Hrs. (1982)
Director
• Harlem Nights (1989)
Producer
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
• Life (1999)
Screenwriter
• Boomerang (1992)
• Harlem Nights (1989)
• Coming to America (1988)
Voice
• Shrek (2001)
• Mulan (1998)
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