Eddie Murphy
April 3, 1961 — Brooklyn, New York
Eddie Murphy is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer who rose from the housing projects of Brooklyn to become one of the most successful entertainers in history — a Saturday Night Live legend, a box office titan who dominated the 1980s, the voice of Donkey in Shrek, and a performer whose return to stand-up earned him his first Academy Award nomination at age 58.
Brooklyn to the Big Time
Edward Regan Murphy was born on April 3, 1961, in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. His father was a transit police officer and amateur comedian; his parents divorced when Eddie was three, and after his father's death he was raised partly in foster care before his mother and stepfather reunited the family. He showed an early gift for impressions and comedy, performing at school talent shows and local clubs. At 15 he was doing stand-up at a Roosevelt Island youth center. At 19, he was cast on Saturday Night Live as a featured player in what was widely regarded as a low point for the show — a period he single-handedly transformed.
The 1980s: An Unrivaled Reign
Murphy's energy, timing, and versatility made him one of the most electric performers SNL had ever seen. He left the show in 1984 and immediately became Hollywood's biggest star: Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Coming to America (1988), and The Nutty Professor (1996) were all massive hits. From 1982 to 1992 he was among the top box office draws in the world. His stand-up specials — Delirious (1983) and Raw (1987) — are among the highest-grossing concert films ever made and remain touchstones of the form, albeit with language and attitudes that were deeply of their time.
Did You Know?
In Coming to America (1988), Eddie Murphy played not just Prince Akeem, but also a grumpy old barber, a Jewish customer, and an elderly soul singer named Randy Watson — all unrecognizable under makeup. When the film was remade in 2021 as Coming 2 America, Murphy reprised the same multiple roles. His ability to disappear into character work was a hallmark — in The Nutty Professor he played seven different characters in a single dinner scene.
Career Revival and Critical Recognition
After a box office slump in the late 1990s and 2000s, Murphy's voice performance as Donkey in the Shrek franchise introduced him to a new generation of fans. His dramatic performance in Dolemite Is My Name (2019) — and especially his raw, soulful turn as a doomed jazz musician in Dreamgirls (2006), which earned him a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor — demonstrated that his gifts had always extended far beyond the outrageous comedy that first made him famous. His 2019 Netflix stand-up special Comedians of Comedy: Delirious marked a triumphant return to the form that made him a star.