Eddie Murphy has been a Hollywood staple for four decades and multiple classic films under his belt. When it comes to the moment that Murphy truly "arrived" in Hollywood as an entertainer, you can point to a number of periods of time. Some viewers would say his tremendous tenure on Saturday Night Live was quite crucial to his career, while other fans would say his breakthrough performance in 1982’s 48 Hrs. While those were monumental, Murphy didn’t feel like he arrived in entertainment until much later. The comedy legend revealed a classic scene helped him realize he had "arrived" in show business.
The Oscar-nominated actor’s rise isn't typical for stars, as viewers watched him go from a starring on a weekly TV series to headlining box-office hits. Though if you ask the actor, Eddie Murphy’s “made-it” moment didn’t happen until he shot the 1996 cult classic The Nutty Professor, which might be coming back with or without Murphy. The SNL alum spoke to CinemaBlend about the classic scene from the comedy that made him feel like a true Hollywood superstar:
Nutty Professor, when I was everybody around the table. I was like, ‘Hey, look, I am everybody at this table. I have arrived, I have arrived. I’m everybody? I have arrived.’
It’s surprising to hear that the Klump family dinner sequence was the moment Eddie Murphy felt like he had arrived. The box office star had done similar work in another classic, Coming to America, but had done multiple characters alongside co-star Arsenio Hall. The Nutty Professor marked the first time he was tackling multiple characters solo in one movie. Viewers loved seeing the family scene, and it was definitely Murphy at his best. The scene is one of his most quoted ones amongst fans, who still recite lines to this day. His performance of the Klumps was so popular that it led to a sequel that had the titular brood as the subtitle.
Eddie Murphy loved doing multiple characters by himself, but he's also found success with ensemble productions in recent years. Murphy’s latest comedy, You People (available through a Netflix subscription starting on January 27), falls right in line with that. Starring alongside other comedic actors like Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and Jonah Hill was a dream for the Hollywood A-lister, and he spoke highly of his castmates:
This cast was an amazing group of people and actors and actresses to work with. It was a bunch of super talented people around the table.
Besides comedy titans like Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, the Netflix comedy’s cast is rounded out with David Duchovny, Nia Long, and Lauren London. The movie is yet another production that Murphy can chalk up as a fun experience, and it's further evidence of his dominant presence in the film industry. I think we can all agree that Murphy has indeed made it, and The Nutty Professor will likely always be special to the actor for giving him that feeling.
You People, one of the biggest 2023 new movie releases, is currently in theaters for a limited run until its Netflix debut. Before watching the culturally-charged comedy film, check out why The Nutty Professor is considered one of Eddie Murphy's best movies by streaming it on Netflix. And be on the lookout for updates on Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop 4 (which will also be on the streamer) and the Amazon holiday movie Candy Cane Lane.
