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Eddie MurphyAmerican film actor
Date of Birth: 03.04.1961
Country:  USA |
Content:
American film actor
If anyone dares to say that comedy actors are just fools and clowns, that person does not deserve to be called a movie lover. After all, portraying a fool on the screen requires extraordinary acting talent; sometimes it is even easier to embody a dramatic character than a comedic one. Eddie Murphy, the renowned actor preparing for the fourth installment of the famous comedy-action film "Beverly Hills Cop," is a perfect example of this transformation into funny characters.
Early Life
Edward Regan Murphy was born on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. He inherited his humorous and acting talent from his father, Charles Edward Murphy, who combined his job in the transportation police with amateur acting and comedic performances. When Eddie was eight years old and his older brother, Charlie, was ten, their father passed away. Shortly after the tragedy, their mother, Lillian, fell seriously ill, and the brothers were sent to a foster family, where they lived for a year. Then Lillian recovered and moved with her sons to Roosevelt, where their stepfather, Vernon Lynch, joined them. It was in Roosevelt that the future Hollywood star spent his childhood and adolescence.
Early Career
At a young age, Eddie showcased himself as a fantastic stand-up performer. His routines were well-liked by the audience, and even though many of them contained jokes about different ethnic and social groups, Murphy's comedic talent was evident. In 1980, Eddie found steady work on the television show "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) - a program consisting of comedy sketches and musical performances. Murphy became a regular cast member of SNL, playing numerous roles, the most popular of which was the child actor Billy Thomas, nicknamed Buckwheat. Eventually, Murphy grew tired of the Buckwheat character because the show's fans constantly asked him to portray that character.
Film Career
In 1982, Eddie made his debut in feature films. Unlike many Hollywood actors, Murphy's first film, the action-comedy "48 Hrs," was a huge success. The film was one of the most thrilling movies of the year, and Eddie's young co-star, Nick Nolte, who was known to the wider audience only for his roles on Saturday Night Live, was nominated for the "Breakthrough of the Year" at the prestigious Golden Globe Awards. Although the award went to Ben Kingsley, Eddie Murphy's debut was more than successful, considering that he was only the fourth choice for the role of the carefree cop Reggie Hammond. Eddie's next film, the comedy "Trading Places" (1983), also achieved great success. In the film, he played a street hustler named Billy Ray Valentine, who gets the chance to switch places with a wealthy businessman, Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd). Murphy once again captivated both audiences and critics, leading to another Golden Globe nomination, this time for Best Actor.
In 1984, Murphy received his first million-dollar paycheck for the film "Best Defense," but it was the comedy-action film "Beverly Hills Cop" released in the same year that elevated him to the status of a young Hollywood star. His role as the wisecracking cop Axel Foley earned Eddie another Golden Globe nomination, although he failed to win the award for the third time. Three years later, Murphy returned to the Axel Foley character, but the sequel "Beverly Hills Cop II" was not as successful as the original, yet Eddie's performance was once again praised by critics and audiences.
Throughout his career, Eddie Murphy appeared in numerous films, including voice-over work, such as voicing the dragon Mushu in the animated film "Mulan" (1998) and the hilarious Donkey in the "Shrek" franchise (2001, 2004, 2007, 2010). In 2007, Murphy finally won a Golden Globe for his role in the musical "Dreamgirls" in the category of Best Supporting Actor. Currently, he is dating model Paige Butcher, who is expecting their first child together. For Eddie, it will be his ninth child, as he has five children from his previous marriage and two from previous relationships. Eddie Murphy's latest film, "Mr. Church" (released on April 22), is a drama in which he plays the role of Henry Joseph Church, a cook who becomes the guardian of a little girl named Charlie Brody due to tragic circumstances. This film marks Murphy's first dramatic role in his long acting career.
