Despite His $200 Million Fortune, Eddie Murphy Still Hasn’t Ticked off One Bucket List Role That’ll Put Him in an Elite Club of Actors
Actor-singer-comedian Eddie Murphy, real name Edward Regan Murphy, rose to fame with his appearance on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984. He is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time who ventured into acting, starring in movies including 48 Hrs., The Golden Child, Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor, and more. The actor has also voiced the characters Mushu in Disney’s Mulan, Donkey in Shrek, and more.
Murphy, who lived in foster care for a year after his parents passed away, mentioned that the foster care influenced him to develop a sense of humor. The actor, who is known for taking on multiple roles in a single film, shared that he wished he could be a part of a classic movie franchise he had to turn down initially.
Eddie Murphy was offered a part in the original Ghostbusters
Actor Eddie Murphy, who is gearing up for the release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which serves as the fourth installment in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, recently shared information about a role that he had to turn down to play Axel Foley. In an interview with Jake’s Takes, the actor was asked about how far he went into the process of Ghostbusters. To which he said,
It was really simple. I was to do Ghostbusters, but Beverly Hills Cop had a leading role, Ghostbusters was like an ensemble thing, and I was one of the guys. So we went with Beverly Hills Cop, and I had never done the lead guy, so…
Further in the conversation, Murphy said that he would have loved to be in both movies, as Ghostbusters is a classic, but Beverley Hills Cop got him a chance to play a lead role.
Back in 2019, the actor appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where he addressed being offered Ghostbusters and explained that he did Beverly Hills Cop. He added that it’s not like he turned it down, but that he wasn’t available because he was shooting the other movie.
Fans and critics pointed out that despite a net worth of $200 million and working over the years, Murphy has not been able to enter the Elite Club of Actors, which is when actors have been a part of three franchises. He could have entered the club if he had accepted the role in Ghostbusters. For now, he is part of two major successful franchises, including Beverley Hills Cop and Shrek.
But actors including Harrison Ford, Andy Serkis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sigourney Weaver, Vin Diesel, and more, are the lucky ones who not only landed up playing iconic characters on-screen, but have also reprised their characters from their respective movie franchises. This recurring role in three film franchises makes them a part of the Elite Club of Actors.
Eddie Murphy gives an exciting update on Shrek 5
The comedian, who voices the character of Donkey in Shrek movies, shared in an interview with Collider that he has already started recording for Shrek 5. He said,
We started doing Shrek five months ago. I did this. I recorded the first act, and we’ll be doing it this year; we’ll finish it up. Shrek is coming out, and Donkey’s going to have his movie. We’re going to do Donkey as well. So we’re going to do a Shrek, and we’re going to do a Donkey movie.
The actor has always been enthusiastic about reprising his voice role as Donkey in Shrek movies, as he explained to ET.
I love Donkey. You know they did the Puss in Boots movies. I was like, They should have done a Donkey movie. Donkey is funnier than Puss in the Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t as funny as the donkey.
Shrek’s Puss in the Boots: The Last Wish was released in 2022 and was hailed as a modern classic, receiving acclaim from the audience and critics. Puss in the Boots: The Last Wish can be streamed on Peacock. Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F will stream on Netflix on July 3, 2024.
