Edward Regan "
Eddie"
Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, voice actor, film director, producer, comedian and singer. He is the second-highest grossing actor in motion picture history.
[www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?id=eddiemurphy.htm][www.boxofficemojo.com/people/?view=Actor&sort=sumgross&p=.htm] He was a regular cast member on
Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He was ranked #10 on
Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
[www.listology.com/content_show.cfm/content_id.18481]
He has received
Golden Globe Award nominations for
best actor in a comedy or musical for his performances in
Beverly Hills Cop,
Beverly Hills Cop II,
Beverly Hills Cop III,
Trading Places, and
The Nutty Professor. In 2007, he won the
Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of
soul singer James "Thunder" Early in
Dreamgirls,
and received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same role.
Murphy's work as a
voice actor includes Thurgood Stubbs in
The PJs,
Donkey in the
Shrek series and the
dragon Mushu in
Disney's
Mulan. In some of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, intended as a tribute to one of his idols
Peter Sellers, who played multiple roles in
Dr. Strangelove and elsewhere. Murphy has played multiple roles in
Coming to America,
Wes Craven's
Vampire In Brooklyn, the
Nutty Professor films (where he played the title role in two incarnations, plus his father, brother, mother and grandmother),
Bowfinger and 2007's
Norbit.
