In the summer of 1996, Eddie Murphy resurrected his career playing multiple characters in the remake of The Nutty Professor. Two summers later, he scored another blockbuster remake with Dr. Dolittle. The next thirteen years came hit sequels, the voice of Donkey in the popular Shrek franchise, The Haunted Mansion, and Daddy Day Care — making the Oscar-nominated actor-comedian one of the go-to guys for family-friendly films.
However, in the latest Rolling Stone issue, Eddie is thinking of returning to his first love: stand-up, which led him to his big break on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the early 1980s. Still, he hasn’t given up on making movies, but only if they have “some edgy stuff”.
In 1982, Eddie became a star in the classic buddy-cop film 48 Hrs., and followed it up the next year with Trading Places. But it was the role of the wise-cracking Detroit cop Axel Foley in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop that Eddie Murphy became a box-office draw and movie favorite; two sequels followed (1987 and 1994). Now, even though there won’t be a fourth installment, a weekly Beverly Hills Cop series is currently in the works that will focus on the son of Axel Foley, who’s now the chief of police in Detroit. If picked up, Murphy will produce and reprise his breakout role on a (potential) recurring basis.
For now, he is preparing his hosting duties for the 84th Academy Awards next year. But first, Eddie teams up with Ben Stiller in the crime caper comedy Tower Heist, robbing movie theaters starting November 4.
