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BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Eddie Murphy Owns a Significant Place in Black History
The iconic comedian blazed a trail as an actor
Introduction
It was nearly impossible to not laugh each time Eddie Murphy showed up on my television. As a young child in the early 1980s, I was smitten with his every appearance in a Saturday Night Live sketch.
But even though SNL launched Murphy’s career, it was his overwhelming success as a film star during the decade that stamped him as an iconic trailblazer in black cinema.
Sure, African American movie legends such as Sidney Poitier and Cicely Tyson fought extreme racism and segregation — and they portrayed more important characters. But Eddie managed to steal the comedy spotlight from Richard Pryor and build it into massive commercial success as an actor.
He Was a Natural Movie Star From the Start
This earned him unprecedented clout in the film industry for a person of color, thanks to a string of box office hits. First, there was Murphy’s stunning movie debut in 1982’s 48 Hrs.
He portrayed Reggie Hammond, an ex-con who partners with a cop (Nick Nolte) to catch two cop killers. A scene in that film featured the 21-year old rising star as Hammond, masterfully taking control of a redneck bar and calling himself “a new sheriff in town.”
That performance was heavily praised by critics, and because it was the seventh highest-grossing film of 1982, Eddie’s potential as a longtime movie star seemed possible.
For me, his funniest character was Billy Ray Valentine, the fast-talking panhandler from Trading Places. That film, Murphy’s second, was the fourth highest-grossing movie of 1983. The classic “fish out of water” tale showcased his comedic skills more than did 48 Hrs. as he paired with Dan Aykroyd to create a masterpiece.
By this point, Murphy was in high demand and his fame began to skyrocket. Though still an SNL cast member at the time, he suddenly seemed “too big” for television. But my six-year-old self was eating up his brilliant characters, such as Buckwheat and Gumby.
