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Eddie Murphy

Acting

Born April 3, 1961 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Biography

Edward "Eddie" Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, voice actor, film director, producer, comedian, and singer. He is the second-highest grossing actor in motion picture history. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He was ranked #10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. He has received Golden Globe Award nominations for Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor for his performance in 48 Hrs and best actor in a comedy or musical for his performances in Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, and The Nutty Professor. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul singer James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls, and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same role. Murphy's work as a voice actor includes Thurgood Stubbs in The PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu in Disney's Mulan. In some of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, intended as a tribute to one of his idols Peter Sellers, who played multiple roles in Dr. Strangelove and elsewhere. Murphy has played multiple roles in Coming to America, Wes Craven's Vampire In Brooklyn, the Nutty Professor films (where he played the title role in two incarnations, plus his father, brother, mother, and grandmother), Bowfinger, and 2007's Norbit.

Awards & recognition

  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series · 2020
  • Mark Twain PrizeAmerican Humor · 2015
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture · 2007
  • Grammy Awards · 2007
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Screenplay · 1990
Show all 12 awards →
  • Actor Awards
  • Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
  • Saturn Awards
  • star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 2007 · nominated
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Director · 1990 · nominated
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Screenplay · 1990 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Hollywood Black

2024as Self (archive footage)

The Oprah Conversation

as Self

Eddie Murphy: Laugh 'Til it Hurts

2021as Self

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2018as Self - Mr. Robinson (archive footage)

Saturday Night Live in the '80s: Lost and Found

2005as Self

Mulan

1998as Mushu (voice)

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

2025as Self - SNL Cast Member 1980-1984

John Candy: I Like Me

2025as Self - Actor, Saturday Night Live (archive footage)

Shrek

2001as Donkey (voice)

MTV Video Music Awards

as Self - Host

Eat Drink Laugh: The Story of The Comic Strip

2014as Self

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962as Self

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields

2023as Self (archive footage)

Mr. Church

2016as Henry Church

The Movies That Made Us

2019as Self (archive footage)

Shrek 2

2004as Donkey (voice)

Eddie Murphy: Raw

1987as Self

Beverly Hills Cop

1984as Axel Foley

Trading Places

1983as Billy Ray Valentine

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

2012as Self

Dolemite Is My Name

2019as Rudy Ray Moore

The PJs

1999as Thurgood Stubbs (voice)

Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt

1989as Self (archive footage)

Coming to America

1988as Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul

Saturday Night Live

1975as Raheem Abdul Muhammed (uncredited)

Being Eddie

2025as Self

Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

2013as Self

Dreamgirls

2006as James 'Thunder' Early

Life

1999as Rayford Gibson

48 Hrs.

1982as Reggie Hammond

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

2024as Axel Foley

Tongues Untied

1989as Self (archive footage)

Beverly Hills Cop II

1987as Axel Foley

The Pickup

2025as Russell

The Kelly Clarkson Show

2019as Self

Shrek Forever After

2010as Donkey (voice)

The Daily Show

1996as Self - Guest

Coming 2 America

2021as Prince Akeem / Clarence / Saul / Randy Watson

Shrek the Third

2007as Donkey (voice)

Far Far Away Idol

2004as Donkey (voice)

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution

2024as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Bowfinger

1999as Kit Ramsey / Jeffernson 'Jiff' Ramsey

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015as Self - Guest

A Thousand Words

2012as Jack McCall

Tower Heist

2011as Slide

Harlem Nights

1989as Quick

The 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy

2026as Self

Imagine That

2009as Evan Danielson

Shrek 3-D

2004as Donkey (voice)

The Distinguished Gentleman

1992as Thomas Jefferson Johnson