Eddie Murphy is remembering the pitfalls of being famous at such a young age.
In an interview with The New York Times, the 63-year-old actor opened up about being just 19 when he was already hanging out with giants like John Belushi and Robin Williams (Belushi died of an overdose in 1982, while Williams died by suicide in 2014). And it was during this period that cocaine also prevailed, especially in show business.
“I don’t drink. I first smoked a joint when I was 30 – the extent of drugs is a little bit of marijuana,” he explained. “I remember I was 19, I went to the Blues Bar. It was me, Belushi and Robin Williams. I wasn’t taking a moral stance, I just wasn’t interested in it. To not have the desire or curiosity, I would say it was the providence of God looking out for me at that time.”
Murphy was just 19 when he joined Saturday night live in 1980, a move that gave the iconic cartoon a lifeline (it was about to be canceled) and turned him into a huge superstar. But with fame and fortune also came pitfalls, and he was well aware of that.
“When you get famous at a young age, especially a black artist, it’s like living in a minefield,” he said. “At any moment something could happen that could undo everything. It was like all of this was happening, and I was totally oblivious. Now, at this age, I can look back and think, ‘Wow, I overcame a minefield for 35 years.’ How do you walk through a minefield for 35, 40 years?
Murphy’s resume is unmatched. From his countless stand-up specials to his iconic films, the actor-comedian is exactly why he was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2023 Golden Globes last December, an award given to “an accomplished individual for their outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” Previous winners 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. He’s not just promoting his latest project, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (released July 3 on Netflix), he is also working on a new Shrek film. Murphy exclusively told ET that a Donkey spinoff has been in the works for some time.
“We started doing Shrek six months ago,” Murphy told ET. “Then Shrek is coming back. So we’re doing another one Shrek and we are making a donkey film. There’s a Donkey, we have a Donkey movie.”
Murphy voiced the swamp ogre’s faithful dumb companion in all four Shrek movies. The beloved franchise began in 2001 with Shrek. Generated three sequels – 2004 Shrek 22007 Shrek the Third and 2010 Shrek Forever After.
And now, the fifth Shrek the film is in production. There is no information on when it will be released.
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