Eddie Murphy is Returning to SNL for the First Time in Over 30 Years
Many of the biggest stars in comedy were launched on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Names like John Belushi, Bill Murray, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler are household now, after noteworthy turns on the show. Perhaps no SNL alum is more well known than Eddie Murphy.
Despite his status in the ranks of SNL folklore, Murphy has never returned to the show since leaving nearly 30 years ago. According to News One, however, that will all change on February 15th when he joins several others for the 40th anniversary of the television institution.
Murphy’s extended absence may have been fueled in part by some perceived slights by SNL. In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, when asked why he had not appeared on the show since his departure, Murphy stated:
“They said some shitty things. There was that David Spade sketch [when Spade showed a picture of Murphy around the time of Vampire in Brooklyn and said, ‘Look, children, a falling star’]. I made a stink about it, it became part of the folklore. What really irritated me about it at the time was that it was a career shot. It was like, ‘Hey, come on, man, it’s one thing for you guys to do a joke about some movie of mine, but my career? I’m one of you guys. How many people have come off this show whose careers really are fucked up, and you guys are shitting on me?’ And you know every joke has to go through all the producers, and ultimately, you know Lorne or whoever says, [Lorne Michaels voice] ‘O.K., it’s O.K. to make this career crack . . .'”
Enough times seems to have passed, however, for Murphy to put those remarks behind him. Here’s a look at one of his vintage SNL skits.
While on SNL, Murphy embodied several iconic characters including Mr. Robinson, Gumby, Buckwheat and a recurring impersonation of James Brown. What was your favorite Eddie Murphy SNL character?
Props on the spot: OKP