As of 2024, Eddie Murphy’s net worth is estimated to be $200 million USD.
Eddie Murphy is a household name in the entertainment industry, known for his comedic genius and versatile acting skills. From his early days on Saturday Night Live to his blockbuster movie roles, Murphy has become one of the most successful and influential comedians of all time.
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Edward Regan Murphy was born on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a single-parent household with his mother and older brother. His interest in comedy began at a young age, and he often performed stand-up routines for his family and friends.
His career kick-started as a young teen in July of 1976, when he took part in a talent show at the Roosevelt Youth Center. During the show, he imitated the renowned singer Al Green while the hit song “Let’s Stay Together” played.
This performance opened doors for him at nearby clubs, and eventually, he landed late-night gigs that demanded travel by train. In order to make it to these shows, he would skip school. His mother eventually caught on to his sneaking off at the end of his final year of high school, and forced him to attend summer school.
At the age of 15, he landed a spot on the popular TV show Saturday Night Live, becoming the youngest cast member in the show’s history! His time on SNL was a major turning point in his career. He quickly became a fan favorite with his hilarious characters and impressions, including an adult version of Buckwheat from The Little Rascals, Mr. Robinson (a parody of Mr. Rogers), and Gumby.
Murphy’s success on the show led to his first major movie role in 48 Hrs, which was a box office hit and solidified his status as a rising star. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he continued to dominate the box office with hit movies such as Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, and Coming to America.
He received major recognition in 2007 by winning the prestigious Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, for his exceptional performance as James “Thunder” Early, a soul singer, in the musical movie Dreamgirls. He also earned a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, and a nomination for the Academy Award in the same category!
He received critical acclaim for his dramatic role in the hit film The Nutty Professor. Murphy also received the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production for his portrayal of Donkey in the popular Shrek franchise.
He was a contender for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. Remarkably, this was the first instance in BAFTA’s history where a voice-over performance had received a nomination!
In total, Murphy has starred in over 40 movies and has been honored with several prestigious awards, such as the 2015 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the 2019 Critics’ Choice Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the 2023 Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.
With all of these impressive achievements, it’s no surprise that several famous comedians claim to have been inspired by him, including Russell Brand, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock, to name a few. Murphy even initiated a friendship and mentorship with Rock after witnessing Rock’s impressive stand-up performance at a nightclub.
His impressive net worth is due to his lucrative movie deals, successful stand-up comedy tours, and various business ventures. Murphy also owns multiple properties, including a mansion in Beverly Hills and a private island in the Bahamas.
In recent years, he has made a comeback to the big screen with the highly anticipated sequel to Coming to America, which was released in 2021. He has also returned to his roots in stand-up comedy, releasing a Netflix special in 2020.
Quotes from the hilarious Eddie Murphy on his inspirations, how he maintains confidence, success, and more:
“After all these years, I’ve done well and I’m cool. I feel comfortable in my skin, I’ve saved some paper, everybody’s healthy, my kids are beautiful and smart, doing different things…it’s all good.”
“All inspiration comes from a higher power. The body is a shell. The creative spot is from God — you hear voices; everybody does. When you get older, you refer to it as intuition.”
“All men are sculptors, constantly chipping away the unwanted parts of their lives, trying to create their idea of a masterpiece.”
“Anything you have to acquire a taste for was not meant to be eaten.”
“Every bad decision I’ve made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects and you don’t turn down money there. You take it, because you never know when it’s all going to end. I made Cop III because they offered me $15 million. That $15 million was worth having Roger Ebert’s thumb up my a**.”
“Flowers are the fastest way to a woman’s heart. Well, actually, the fastest way is through her rib cage, but flowers are a lot less messy.”
“I spent my 30s fixing everything I broke in my 20s.”
“From the very beginning, I always tried to make dialogue flow comfortably; I always did that to make it seem more authentic.”
“How can music without any words make you think? I listen to jazz when I’m doing something else. I use it for background music — I don’t just sit down and concentrate on it. Lyrics, words…that’s what makes me think.”
“I am a man who has never tied his own shoes before!”
“I haven’t read a newspaper in 20 years. I don’t look at the computer or anything. You have to have a filter on what you let in.”
“I’ve always had confidence. It came because I have lots of initiative. I wanted to make something of myself.”
“I leave my house all the time! But I’m not at all the Hollywood parties. I’m grown, and where else am I supposed to be? I’m supposed to be home.”
“I only want to do what I really want to do. Otherwise, I’m content to sit here and play my guitar all day.”
“I started out as an impressionist and that’s all about observing — how people move, their voice quality, their attitudes and quirks.”
“I want a woman who can arouse my intellect as well as my loins.”
“I’m a comedian who got into movies, so I don’t really think of myself as an actor.”
“I’m in a position that allows me to do what I want to do, and I do it.”
“I’m just a man. I think people are reacting to something else when they see me. They’re not reacting to me, Eddie Murphy… they don’t even know me! It’s just luck and the ‘god’ in me they’re reacting to.”
“If you’re an artist like a really, really long time, it stops being a performance. I’m not performing anymore; I reveal myself to the audience. I show you some of me…it’s not a show no more.”
“In a business where success is an exception and not the rule, I’ve mostly been successful.”
“Over the past 50 years, Bob Hope employed 88 joke writers — who supplied him with more than one million gags, and he still couldn’t make me laugh!”
“The advice I would give to someone is to not take anyone’s advice.”
“The best way you hurt rich people, is by turning them into poor people.”
“The welfare of our children is our main concern and their best interests are our first priority.”
“There’s always been a lot of negative stuff written about me. That’s why I don’t pay any attention to the critics; they’ve never liked anything I’ve done. What do critics know? It’s the way the audience reacts that matters!”
“When I go back to the stage, I want to be able to do everything. I want to be able to do music and comedy and all that stuff, and have a show like nobody ever had before.”
“When I’m doing stand-up, it’s just me depending on me. I know how to go out there and make people laugh; I’ve been doing it since I was a teenager! I trust my instincts — I just go out and talk. A lot of the time I let the material come from the top of my head.”
“You can’t let the good things people say make you feel too good, because you’re going to let the bad things make you feel bad.”