Eddie Murphy She’s recalling the pitfalls that come with being famous at such a young age.
In an interview the new York TimesThe 63-year-old actor revealed that when he was just 19, he was hanging out with legends like John Belushi and Robin Williams (Belushi died of an overdose in 1982, while Williams died by suicide in 2014). And this was an era when cocaine was also rampant, especially in show business.
“I don’t drink. I first smoked a joint when I was 30 — the drugs line is weed to a certain extent,” he said. “I remember I was 19, I went to a blues bar. There was me, Belushi and Robin Williams. They started doing coke, and I thought, ‘No, I’m OK.’ I wasn’t taking a moral stand. I just wasn’t interested in it. Not having the desire or the curiosity, I would say it was the grace of God. God was taking care of me at that moment.”
Murphy was just 19 years old when he joined Saturday night Live in 1980, a move that gave the iconic sketch show a new lease of life (it was reportedly on the verge of cancellation) and turned him into a major superstar. But along with fame and money came pitfalls, and he was well aware of that.
“When you become famous at a very young age, especially as a black artist, it’s like living in a minefield,” he said. “At any moment something could happen that could end everything. It felt like there was all this going on and I was completely oblivious. Now, at this age, I can look back and say, ‘Wow, I lived in a minefield for 35 years.’ How can you live in a minefield for 35, 40 years? Something must be watching you.”
Murphy’s resume is incredible. From his countless standup specials to his famous movies, the actor-comedian is one of the reasons he’s considered one of the most gifted comedians of all time. Honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award The award was presented at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards in December last year, “to a talented individual for their outstanding contribution to the world of entertainment.” Previous recipients of the award include Jane Fonda, George Clooney, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro, Audrey Hepburn, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Sophia Loren, Steven Spielberg, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and more.
And he’s not slowing down anytime soon. Not only is he busy promoting his latest project, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (releasing July 3 on Netflix), he is also working on a new Shrek Murphy told ET exclusively that the Donkey spinoff has been in the works for some time.
“We started to do Shrek six months ago,” Murphy told ET.. “so Shrek is coming back. so we’re doing another one Shrek and we’re an asshole movie. There is a donkey, we have a donkey movie.
Murphy voices the Swamp Monster’s faithful donkey companion in all four films Shrek movies. This beloved franchise began in 2001 Shrek. It spawned three sequels – 2004’s shrek 22007 Shrek the Third and 2010 Shrek Forever After,
And now, the fifth Shrek The film is in production. There is no information about when it will be released.
Related Content:
eddie-murphy-on-refusing-to-do-drugs-with-john-belushi-robin-williams
