Eddie Murphy’s contributions to Saturday Night Live during the early 1980s were pivotal in keeping the show afloat amidst uncertain times. Rising quickly as a standout comedy star, Murphy gained acclaim for his impressions of cultural icons like Muhammad Ali, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder. Among his many roles, his portrayal of Buckwheat—the grown child actor from the Our Gang comedies—debuted in October 1981 and rapidly became one of his most popular and frequently requested characters, capturing the audience’s affection.
Behind the Scenes: The Creation and Popularity of Buckwheat
In the 2002 publication Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, production assistant Robin Shlien described her experience typing the initial Buckwheat sketch, unable to stop laughing.
“They nailed it. This is going to be huge,”
she said.
“It was ‘Buckwheat Sings,’ and they had bothered to put the mispronunciations in the script. So it was ‘Untz, tice, fee times a nady.’”
This attention to detail helped establish the character’s charm and authenticity, contributing to his swift rise in popularity on late-night television.
The Decision to End the Buckwheat Role
Dick Ebersol, the executive producer at the time, noted that Buckwheat had become one of the most popular characters on SNL. Despite this success, by early 1983, Eddie Murphy grew tired of playing the role. One night, he went directly to Ebersol’s office and firmly stated he wanted to end the character’s run. Murphy explained his frustration with constantly being asked to perform as Buckwheat, asserting,
“Everywhere I go people say, ‘Do Buckwheat, do this, do that,’”
and added, “I want to kill him.”
How Buckwheat’s Story Came to an End on the Show
Trusting his star’s instincts, Ebersol arranged for Murphy to meet with writers Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield to develop a finale for Buckwheat. After hours of collaboration, they devised a two-part storyline titled The Assassination of Buckwheat. The initial installment depicted Buckwheat being shot outside the 30 Rockefeller Plaza, filmed in two versions—with and without blood. The following week, Murphy returned playing Buckwheat’s assassin, John David Stutts, who was then himself assassinated, bringing a dramatic conclusion to the character’s arc.
Eddie Murphy’s Respect for the Original Buckwheat Actor
Although Murphy grew weary of the Buckwheat role, his regard for Billie Thomas, the original actor who portrayed Buckwheat in the Our Gang series, remained deep and sincere. In his 2025 documentary Being Eddie, Murphy shared that after Thomas’s death in 1980, he personally arranged and paid for a tombstone to be placed at the actor’s gravesite, honoring his legacy and impact on entertainment history.
