Eddie Murphy biography
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild Award-winning United States actor, film director, Film producer, comedian and singer. Murphy ranks as the highest grossing film star in history, having a total of 33 films to date, his films grossing over $3.4 billion in the US alone, averaging $104 million per film. He was a regular cast member on
Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He has also enjoyed a minor singing career.
Murphy has received Golden Globe Award nominations for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performances in
Beverly Hills Cop,
Trading Places, and
The Nutty Professor (1996 film). In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul music singer James "Thunder" Early in
Dreamgirls (film), 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 (Shrek) in the
Shrek series and the Chinese dragon Mushu in Walt Disney Pictures's
Mulan. In some of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, which he calls a tribute to one of his idols Peter Sellers (who is famous for playing multiple roles in one film), films which Murphy has played multiple roles include
Coming to America, Wes Craven's
Vampire In Brooklyn, the
The Nutty Professor (1996 film) films, where he played much of the Klumps clan,
Bowfinger and 2007's
Norbit. Another trademark of Murphy is his deep, infectious, and considerably goofy laugh. His other trademark is a recurring line he says in movies "How you doin'?", which he states is his catchphrase in real life.
Biography
Early life
Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York. His mother, Lillian, was a telephone operator, and his father, Charles Edward Murphy, was a transit police officer and amateur comedian. Murphy's father left the family when Murphy was three and was stabbed to death when Murphy was eight. Murphy and his brother Charlie Murphy were raised in Roosevelt, New York by his mother and stepfather Vernon Lynch, a foreman at an ice cream plant.
Also in 1984, Murphy appeared in
Best Defense, co-starring Dudley Moore. Murphy, who was credited as a "Strategic Guest Star", was added to the film after an original version was completed but tested poorly with audiences.
Best Defense was a major financial and critical disappointment. When he hosted
SNL, Murphy joined the chorus of those bashing
Best Defense, calling it "the worst movie in the history of everything". Murphy has also been rumored to be initially a part of hits such as
Ghostbusters (featuring his
Trading Places co-star Dan Aykroyd and fellow
SNL alumnus Bill Murray). The part that was originally written with Murphy in mind ultimately went to Ernie Hudson. Murphy was also offered a part in 1986's
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a role that, after being heavily re-written from comic relief to love interest, ultimately went to future
7th Heaven star Catherine Hicks. By this point Murphy's near-exclusive contract with Paramount Pictures rivaled
Star Trek as Paramount's most lucrative franchise.
Also in 1986, Murphy starred in the supernatural comedy,
The Golden Child.
According to Murphy's childhood friend Harris Haith in his book,
Growing Up Laughing With Eddie, However, Buchwald and his partner Alain Bernheim did win the suit against Paramount Pictures, were awarded damages, and then accepted a legal settlement from Paramount. The case was the subject of a 1992 book,
Fatal Subtraction: The Inside Story of Buchwald v. Paramount by Pierce O'Donnell and Dennis McDougal.
Career slump
From 1989 until the mid-1990s and again in the mid '00s, box office results for Murphy's films dropped, hitting a low point with the critically- panned
Beverly Hills Cop III (a movie Murphy would ultimately denounce during an appearance on
Inside the Actors Studio), Murphy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on January 23, 2007, but lost to Alan Arkin for his performance in
Little Miss Sunshine.
Dreamgirls was the first film distributed by Paramount Pictures to star Murphy (who once was on an exclusive contract with the studio) since
Vampire in Brooklyn in 1995. As a result of Viacom's acquisition of Dreamworks SKG, Paramount distributed his other 2007 releases:
Norbit and
Shrek the Third. He is currently filming
NowhereLand for Paramount Pictures.
Murphy is expected to begin work on
Beverly Hills Cop IV sometime in the near future, and it is expected that producer Jerry Bruckheimer will not participate in the fourth installment of the series. Murphy recently told
The Sun (newspaper) that “the new script is looking good.”
In July 2008, Murphy announced that he was considering retiring from movies and returning to his stand up career after completing the long-awaited
Beverly Hills Cop IV.
Personal life
In 1988, Murphy had a brief relationship with singer Lorraine Pearson of the pop group Five Star. He was also romantically linked to singer Whitney Houston, whom he dated.
Murphy began a longtime romantic relationship with Nicole Mitchell after meeting her in 1988 at an NAACP Image Awards show. They lived together for a year and a half before getting married at the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel in New York City on March 18, 1993. In August 2005, Mitchell filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences." The divorce was finalized on April 17, 2006.
Arrest
In May of 1997, Murphy was stopped by police with a transvestite prostitute in his car shortly before the release of
Holy Man, a situation which subsequently caused public relations problems for the star. He was arrested and spent a day in jail.
Relationships
Following his divorce from Mitchell, he dated Spice Girl Melanie B or Melanie Brown, who became pregnant and stated that the child was Murphy's. When questioned about the pregnancy in December 2006, Murphy told a reporter, "I don't know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, sir". Brown gave birth to a baby girl, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, on Murphy's 46th birthday, April 3, 2007. On June 22, 2007, representatives for Brown announced in
People magazine that a DNA test had confirmed that Murphy was the father.. Brown has revealed in an interview that Murphy will have nothing to do with Angel
Murphy exchanged marriage vows with film producer Tracey Edmonds, former wife of Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, on January 1 2008 in a private ceremony on an island off Bora Bora. It was announced on January 16, 2008 that they never legally wed, had decided to forgo legalizing their union and had instead chosen to remain friends. He has recently been romantically linked to the sister of
CSI: Miami star Eva LaRue ?start=41
Charitable work
Murphy has donated money to the AIDS Foundation, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, various cancer charities and $100,000 to the Screen Actors' Guild's strike relief fund.
Awards/nominations
- Kids Choice Awards
- - 2008: Winner - Best Voice in an Animated Movie -
Shrek the Third- - 2008: Nominee - Best Movie Actor - Norbit
- Academy Award
- - 2007: Nominee - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Dreamgirls (film)- Screen Actors Guild
- - 2007: Winner - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Dreamgirls (film)- Golden Raspberry Awards
- - 2007: Winner - Worst Actor -
Norbit- - 2007: Winner - Worst Supporting Actor -
Norbit- - 2007: Winner - Worst Supporting Actress -
Norbit- - 2007: Nominee - Worst Screenplay-
Norbit- - 2007: Nominee - Worst Screen Couple -
Norbit- NAACP Image Awards
- - 2007: Nominee - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Dreamgirls (film)- Golden Globes
- - 2007: Winner - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Dreamgirls (film)- - 1997: Nominee - Actor in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy) -
The Nutty Professor (1996 film)- - 1985: Nominee - Actor in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy) -
Beverly Hills Cop- - 1984: Nominee - Actor in a Leading Role (Musical or Comedy) -
Trading Places- - 1983: Nominee - New Star of the Year (Male) -
48 Hrs- BAFTA Award
- - 2002: Nominee - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Shrek- Black Reel Awards
- - 2007: Nominee - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Dreamgirls (film)- - 2002: Nominee - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Shrek- - 2000: Nominee - Actor in a Leading Role -
Bowfinger- Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
- - 2007: Winner - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Dreamgirls (film)- Chicago Film Critics Awards
- - 2007: Nominee - Actor in a Supporting Role -
Dreamgirls (film)- Emmy Awards
- - 1999: Nominees - Outstanding Animated Programming (One Hour or Less)-
The PJ's- - 1984: Nominee - Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program -
Saturday Night Live- - 1984: Nominee - Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program -
Saturday Night Live- - 1983: Nominee - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy, Variety or Music Series -
Saturday Night Live
Eddie Murphy in the news
Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That ... - W...
Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That ...Washington PostIn 1983, a rising young comic superstar named Eddie Murphy appeared before a capacity crowd at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, ...and more »
read moreEddie Murphy faces a weekend 'Hangover' - Los Angel...
Los Angeles TimesEddie Murphy faces a weekend 'Hangover'Los Angeles TimesSo what does Eddie Murphy get you at the multiplex? In the case of his new PG-rated comedy “Imagine That,” some prepubescent girls -- and not too much else. ...Eddie Murphy's 'Imagine That' a happy surprise for the whole familyNew York Daily NewsEddie Murphy and his young co-star make you believe in 'Imagine That'Baltimore SunMovie review "Imagine" Eddie Murphy in a fun, family movieSeattle TimesBoston Herald -Los Angeles Times -Los Angeles Timesall 264 news articles »
read moreDespite Flops, Studios Want Eddie Murphy - New York Times
New York MagazineDespite Flops, Studios Want Eddie MurphyNew York TimesLOS ANGELES — “If Eddie Murphy's career were an injured horse, it would be shot and the carcass buried in the remotest part of the desert ...Murphy needs helpBig Island WeeklyWhy Does Hollywood Continue to Hire Eddie Murphy, Anyway?New York MagazineMovie ReviewsGay and Lesbian TimesTiger Weekly -Reno News & Reviewall 7 news articles »
read moreMurphy, young co-star make fine team in "Imagine"...
ReutersMurphy, young co-star make fine team in "Imagine"ReutersLOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In his latter-day career in family movies, Eddie Murphy has seen decidedly mixed results, but "Imagine ...`Imagine That,' Murphy makes solid family comedyThe Associated PressEddie Murphy And Family Attend “imagine That” PremiereTheInsider.comIntroducing Yara Shahidi To The Persian Community WorldwideایرانیانXinhua -Screendaily.com -The Times-Picayune - NOLA.comall 293 news articles »
read moreMichael Strahan engaged to Nicole Murphy - New York Daily News
EntertainmentwiseMichael Strahan engaged to Nicole MurphyNew York Daily NewsMurphy, ex-wife of actor Eddie Murphy, accepted Strahan’s canary yellow and white diamond ring. "I have a great relationship and she's a great girl," said ...Michael Strahan and Nicole Murphy, Engaged!Seattle Post IntelligencerMurphy ex to wed sports giantSan Francisco ChronicleNicole Murphy and Michael Strahan engagedChicago Sun-TimesTheInsider.com -Eurweb.com -FanHouseall 23 news articles »
read moreBox Office Preview: Will 'The Hangover' hold off &a...
Box Office Preview: Will 'The Hangover' hold off 'Pelham 1 2 3'?Entertainment WeeklyAnd when Eddie Murphy's family flick Imagine That grosses in the single digits will Murphy be forced, yet again, to reinvent himself in order to save a ...A Sluggish Showing at the Box OfficeNew York TimesBox Office Says Up with Zach Galifianakis, Down with Eddie Murphy ...Rolling StoneThere's No Beating This HangoverE! OnlineMTV.com -Seattle Post Intelligencer -Entertainment Weeklyall 759 news articles »
read moreEddie Murphy: Top Five / Bottom Five - Seattle Post Intelligencer
ForbesEddie Murphy: Top Five / Bottom FiveSeattle Post IntelligencerPerhaps Eddie Murphy's on a bit of an upswing, though, because while Imagine That bored even the children at the press screening I attended this past ...'Imagine That': Eddie Murphy's shortcomings are all too real | 1 ½ ...Kansas City StarIs Eddie Murphy Done?ForbesImagine That: Eddie Murphy doing kids moviesExaminer.comAkron Leader Publications -The Daily Voice -Timesall 35 news articles »
read moreMichael Jackson's Video Co-Stars: From Eddie Murphy To Marl...
Michael Jackson's Video Co-Stars: From Eddie Murphy To Marlon BrandoMTV.comAnd not just any people, mind you, but the hugest celebrities in the world. Movie stars, supermodels, fellow recording giants, ...and more »
read moreRecent movie releases - Detroit Free Press
Recent movie releasesDetroit Free PressEddie Murphy plays a divorced workaholic dad who ignores his young daughter. It's only when she interjects at his workplace that he gets curious about her ...and more »
read more(Photo Courtesy of Ivy League Sports) - Town Topics
Town Topics(Photo Courtesy of Ivy League Sports)Town TopicsIn the 1988 Eddie Murphy film Coming to America, the My-T-Sharp barbershop is a hub for jokes, gossip, and good times. When the Princeton Recreation ...and more »
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