Unless you recently stumbled into the world of Hollywood, Eddie Murphy is a name that reverberates through the movie industry echoes of time. Eddie Murphy has had an impressive acting career spanning forty years. At his peak, he was the most sought-after black male American actor.
Murphy is a multi-talented entertainer known for his work as an actor, comedian, singer, producer, and writer. So far, he has been cast in 41 feature films and 15 television series.
Eddie Murphy’s Personal Life
Taking a look at his personal life, Murphy was once married to Nicole Mitchell in 2003, but the couple divorced three years later in 2006. Since then, he has dated Melanie Brown, Tracey Edmonds, and his current partner, Paige Butcher.
Between all his love encounters, Murphy has 10 children from five different women. He’s got 6 daughters and 4 sons. His wife, Nicole Mitchell, gave birth to 5 of his 10 kids.
On a professional level, Eddie Murphy has starred in several blockbusters. Some of his notable feature films include:
Coming to America
Credit: Coming 2 America
Undoubtedly, the movie made the actor a globally recognized movie star. Although it wasn’t his first lead role, the movie’s success was the pivotal point of his career. Apart from playing a lead role, Murphy was a writer and the protagonist of 1988 Coming to America, as well as a writer and producer for the 2021 sequel, Coming 2 America.
In both movies, he played multiple roles. Murphy was Prince Akeem Joffer, Randy Watson, Saul, and Clarence. The first movie centered around Prince Akeem going to America to explore the world before coming home to his chosen bride.
The Nutty Professor
Credit: The Nutty Professor
The 1996 Nutty Professor would be the second time after 1988 Coming to America that we saw Eddie Murphy play multiple roles. However, he took it a notch higher by playing a total of seven characters. The movie was an instant success and received positive reviews from critics. Murphy had no doubt proven his versatility and range when it comes to acting.
He played the protagonist, Professor Sherman Klump, and the character’s evil alter ego, Buddy Love. Murphy also went on to play Papa Cletus Klump, Mama Anna Klump, Grandma Ida Mae Jenson, Ernie Klump Sr., And Lance Perkins.
To impress the love of his life, Professor Sherman creates a weight-loss drug and uses himself as a test subject. He mistakenly creates a loquacious alter ego, Buddy Love. With a budget of $54 million, the movie made a revenue of $274 million at the Box Office.
With success like that, a sequel was inevitable. Its sequel, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, was released on July 28, 2000.
Dr. Dolittle
Credit: Dr. Dolittle
Coming from the success of his first-ever voiceover for an animated movie (Mulan) in the same year, Murphy starred in his next box office success, 1998 Dr. Dolittle. Murphy plays the role of Dr. John Dolittle, who has an exceptional ability to hear animals. It’s no rocket science why the movie was a success, as it was about an ability most people have longed to have.
Again, its success spurred its 2001 sequel, Dr. Dolittle 2. This was the last movie in the Dr. Dolittle franchise that Eddie Murphy would be cast in the lead role. The sequel was also successful at the box office.
Eddie Murphy would go on to do his second-ever voiceover for the 2001 Shrek animated movie and its sequels. Murphy was the voiceover for the Donkey character.
Norbit
Credit: Norbit
Like most of his movies, this 2007 American comedy was also a success at the box office. Eddie Murphy gets in this movie as the lead actor, co-writer, and co-producer. The movie also features notable stars like Thandiwe Newton and Cuba Gooding.
Murphy plays multiple roles in the movie and features as Norbit Albert Rice, Rasputia Latimore, and Mr. Wong. The movie centers around a kind-hearted character, Norbit, who’s fed up with his abusive wife and plans to get with his childhood sweetheart.
Tower Heist
Credit: Tower Heist
Eddie Murphy came into this movie as a producer and co-lead. He played the character of Darnell “Slide” Davis. Tower Heist was released in 2011 and was also successful at the Box Office. Eddie Murphy worked with other notable stars like Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, and Alan Alfa.
When disgruntled employees discover they have lost their pensions, they hatch a plan to steal back their money. With its cast and relatable storyline, the movie made twice its budget at the box office.
Eddie Murphy also has two movies in the works, such as You People and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley. Although there has been no release date for any of the movies, the first movie is already in the post-production stage.
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