Where has Eddie Murphy gone? Watch his most iconic movies
Eddie Murphy will always go down as one of comedy’s most notable figures. From rising to fame through starring in Saturday Night Live to doing stand-up comedy, Eddie Murphy truly solidified his performing career by playing incredibly iconic roles in hilarious movies. Let’s take a look back at his long and prolific career by remembering some of his best movie characters here.
Trading Places (1983)
In Trading Places, Eddie Murphy shines in one of his most memorable movies by playing the character of Billy Ray Valentine, who is a hustler who comes across a rich broker played by Dan Aykroyd who he trades lives with. Right after the debut of this film, Eddie Murphy soon became one of the highest-paid and well-loved comedians in the Hollywood media industry.
Essence also noted that “Immediately after Trading Places’ release, Paramount Pictures signed Murphy to an exclusive contract worth $25 million and also agreed to finance his production studio”. This of course is what makes Trading Places one of the most important movies Eddie Murphy was a part of. After all, it was a movie that completely defined and set the tone for the rest of his career.
Shrek (2001)
Now, who could ever hate on this iconic and laugh-out-loud hilarious animated classic? Eddie Murphy as the Donkey in Shrek truly makes this one of his best movies considering just how memorable some of his lines were. Anyone who imagines the character of Donkey can just hear Eddie Murphy’s energetic voice, and the comedian truly made Donkey’s character ten times more hilarious than it already was.
With the help of Eddie Murphy, Dreamworks Animations ended up releasing three more Shrek movies, making it one of the most successful animated film franchises of all time. If you’re in the mood for an innocent laugh and some fun fairytale-like adventure, go ahead and put on Shrek for a great time.
Coming to America (1988)
In Coming to America along with the much-delayed sequel released earlier this year Coming 2 America, Eddie Murphy plays one of his most iconic movie roles as the character of Prince Akeem of Zamunda. The first Coming to America movie is all about what happens when Prince Akeem leaves his throne in Africa and embarks on a journey to the United States to find a wife.
His journey takes him to the urbanized space of Queens, New York, clearly a much different environment from his home back on the throne in Zamunda. From there, tons of silly events and laugh-out-loud moments ensue, and it’s one of the most beloved comedies to come out of the 1980s. Both Coming to America and Coming 2 America are super enjoyable and entertaining, and would make for a perfect back-to-back binge.
The Nutty Professor (1996)
The Nutty Professor along with its sequel The Nutty Professor II: Meet the Klumps were instant classic comedy movies by Eddie Murphy, and were instant box-office hits when the films came out in 1996 and 2000. In these films, Eddie Murphy played the roles of Sherman Klump, Buddy Love, and some of the Klump family members. The first movie even made over $273 million worldwide, so it’s definitely a fan-favorite.
Mulan (1998)
Last but most certainly not the least important film, we can’t forget about Eddie Murphy’s iconic role as the tiny dragon Mushu in the 1998 original animation of Mulan. Just like the character of Donkey in Shrek, Mushu is a hilarious and perfect best friend and sidekick to the main character. If you’re looking for one of Disney’s best princess movies that offer good laughs and some great action, go stream Mulan!
