Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy Bio

Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a stand-up comic before gaining stardom for his film roles, and he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He has received several accolades including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.

Murphy shot to fame on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. He broke out as a movie star in the 1980s through the action comedy 48 Hrs. (1982), the comedy Trading Places (1983), and the blockbuster Beverly Hills Cop (1984). His films have grossed over $3.8 billion in the United States and Canada, and over $6.7 billion worldwide, placing him among the highest-grossing stars in film history.

Early Life and Background

Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and raised in the borough’s Bushwick neighborhood. His mother, Lillian Murphy, was a telephone operator, and his father, Charles Edward Murphy, was a transit police officer and an amateur actor and comedian. His father was murdered in 1969, leaving the family to navigate a difficult period. When Murphy’s single mother became ill, eight-year-old Eddie and his elder brother Charlie lived in foster care for one year, an experience he has credited with shaping his sense of humor. Later, he and his brother were raised in Roosevelt, New York, by his mother and stepfather Vernon Lynch, a foreman at an ice cream plant.

Murphy has cited Richard Pryor, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, and Bruce Lee among his early influences. He was drawn to Pryor’s taboo approach to comedy and to Presley’s model of stardom, and he also absorbed the storytelling style of Bill Cosby. He developed a habit of playing multiple characters in imitation of his acting hero, Peter Sellers, an approach that would later become a signature element of his film work.

Path to Acting

When Murphy was fifteen, he listened to Richard Pryor’s comedy album That Nigger’s Crazy, which inspired his decision to become a comedian. On July 9, 1976, the date Murphy marks as the beginning of his career, he performed at a talent show at the Roosevelt Youth Center, doing an impersonation of singer Al Green. The success led to work at nearby clubs and eventually to late-night performances at venues that required commuting by train. To pursue these gigs, he secretly skipped school until his mother discovered the absences at the end of his senior year, which required him to attend summer school.

Murphy’s early stand-up reputation brought him to the attention of Saturday Night Live, where he became a cast member in 1980. His sharp characters and energy were credited with helping to revitalize the program during a difficult period. The exposure from SNL opened the door to film, and in 1982 he made his big-screen debut opposite Nick Nolte in 48 Hrs., launching one of the most successful comedy-to-film careers in Hollywood history.

Eddie Murphy Career

Early Career (1976-1980)

Murphy began performing stand-up comedy as a teenager at local talent shows and small clubs on Long Island. He built a strong following through his impressions and energetic delivery, drawing heavily from the work of Richard Pryor and other influences. His early work on the comedy club circuit refined the storytelling style and character work that would later define his film performances.

He released two early comedy albums and built a reputation as one of the most exciting young talents in stand-up. In 1982, he won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording for the album Eddie Murphy: Comedian, marking one of the first major industry honors of his career.

Breakthrough (1980-1989)

Murphy earned national attention as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, where he created characters such as Mr. Robinson, Gumby, and a grown-up version of Buckwheat. His tenure on the show is widely considered one of the most influential in the program’s history, and he helped rescue SNL from a creative slump. In 1983, his concert film Delirious cemented his reputation as a stand-up star, and it was followed by Eddie Murphy Raw in 1987, which grossed $50 million at the box office.

In 1982, Murphy made his film debut in 48 Hrs. opposite Nick Nolte, a critical and commercial hit. He followed this with Trading Places (1983) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984), the latter becoming the highest-grossing film of 1984 and one of the most successful R-rated comedies ever released. He reprised his role as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), which grossed nearly $300 million worldwide. By the end of the decade, Murphy was Hollywood’s biggest box-office star, having also starred in The Golden Child (1986) and Coming to America (1988).

Notable Works and Milestones

Murphy’s signature films of the 1980s include 48 Hrs., Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop II, and Coming to America. His work on Saturday Night Live remains a defining moment in his career, and he was ranked second among all cast members in a 2015 Rolling Stone appraisal. His commercial dominance during the decade made him one of the most sought-after leading men in the industry.

Career Resurgence (2019-Present)

Following a string of poorly received films, Murphy returned to critical acclaim in 2019 with Dolemite Is My Name, a Netflix film in which he portrayed comedian Rudy Ray Moore. The film earned widespread praise and a Golden Globe nomination for Murphy. That same year, he returned to host Saturday Night Live for the first time since 1984, an episode that received overwhelming acclaim and became the highest-watched SNL episode since 2008. For hosting, he won his first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2020.

He went on to star in Coming 2 America (2021), the long-awaited sequel to his 1988 hit, as well as the Netflix comedy You People (2023), the holiday film Candy Cane Lane (2023), and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024). In 2024, it was confirmed that Murphy will reprise his role as Donkey in Shrek 5, scheduled for release on June 30, 2027.

Eddie Murphy Award Nominations

Murphy has earned numerous nominations across film, television, and music. In 2007, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Dreamgirls, losing to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine. He has also received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his voice work as Donkey in Shrek (2001), making it the only voice-over performance ever nominated in BAFTA’s history. In 2019, he received a Golden Globe nomination for Dolemite Is My Name.

Eddie Murphy Awards Won

Murphy has won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for Dreamgirls (2006), a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording, and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for hosting Saturday Night Live. He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Dreamgirls, as well as an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production for Shrek. He has been honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015, the Critics’ Choice Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2019, and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.

Eddie Murphy Family

Murphy’s father, Charles Edward Murphy, was a transit police officer and amateur performer who was murdered in 1969. His mother, Lillian Murphy, raised Eddie and his elder brother Charlie, who died of leukemia in 2017. Murphy has often spoken about the influence of his family on his comedy, including the difficult early years in foster care following his father’s death. In May 2025, his eldest son, Eric Murphy, married Jasmine Lawrence, daughter of fellow entertainer Martin Lawrence.

Personal Life

Murphy began a longtime relationship with Nicole Mitchell after meeting her at an NAACP Image Awards show in 1988, and the couple married in 1993. They had five children together before divorcing in 2006. He has additional children from earlier relationships, including sons Eric and Christian, as well as a daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, born in 2007 following a relationship with singer Melanie Brown. Murphy began dating Australian model Paige Butcher in 2012, and the couple became engaged in 2018. They married in a private ceremony in Anguilla in July 2024 and have two children together: daughter Izzy Oona and son Max Charles.