By Kathia Woods
Eddie Murphy has spent nearly 50 years making the world laugh, from his groundbreaking stand-up and Saturday Night Live skits to his box-office dominance in classics like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America. Yet, for all his public acclaim, the man behind the legendary laugh remains a mystery.
Netflix’s new documentary, Being Eddie, seeks to change that, offering unprecedented access to the world of one of Hollywood’s most private icons.
In this intimate portrait, Murphy himself opens up his home and his heart, reflecting on a career that has captivated multiple generations and revealing the inner life that has long driven his unique ambition and charisma. Featuring a star-studded lineup of fellow comedians and industry peers — including Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld, and Kevin Hart — Being Eddie explores how Murphy navigated fame, stayed grounded, and remained at the top of his game for over four decades.
Fans will learn some surprises in the documentary, as noted by Director Angus Wall. Wall shares that “Murphy has a spiritual side that has guided him throughout his career,” something he shared on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2021. The documentary will further dive into his beliefs and how he maintained his focus amid decades of superstardom.
The film will zero in on his personal life, revealing the “dazzling interior life that has long driven — and grounded — this once-in-a-century star.” For such a secretive figure, this kind of access is likely to disclose a great deal about the man behind the public persona.
The documentary is expected to explore Murphy’s “deep relationship” with his late brother, Charlie Murphy, who passed away in 2017. It describes their emotional and private memories of their tight relationship.
The documentary will also feature archival footage from Murphy’s days on Saturday Night Live, with Wall stating that the documentary will answer the question, “Who is Eddie?” after a clip in which Murphy talks about his mother asking which of his many voices was his own. The film also includes never-before-seen footage of Murphy’s return to SNL in 2019.
Murphy will speak candidly about the choices he made throughout his 50-year career. This could include his shift from edgy stand-up to more family-friendly films and his period of pulling back from Hollywood.
Many of the documentary’s commentators will highlight Murphy’s grace in navigating decades of fame without succumbing to the darker side of Hollywood. The film may reveal how he maintained his integrity and authenticity for so long.
One thing remains: after five decades into his career, every comedian, not just Black ones, have used him as a blueprint. There would be no Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah, Adam Sandler or Chris Rock without Eddie Murphy. He became a global superstar without the aid of social media and curated a comedy pipeline that helped catapult artists such as Robert Townsend and Keenon Ivory Wayans, who worked with him on his comedy special “Raw.” Then there is Chris Rock, whom he mentored and introduced to the world via Beverly Hills Cop in that iconic valet scene.
If that wasn’t enough, he also was one of the first Black comedians to sell out Madison Square Garden and get a groundbreaking deal with HBO for his comedy specials.
Concerning his box office performance, he had two back-to-back number one movies with 48 Hours and Trading Places, all before the age of 23. The movies combined made 169.3 million dollars in the US box office alone (according to Box Office Mojo, 48 Hrs. made $78.9 million, and Trading Places made 90.4 million). Impressive stats in the current climate, but Murphy achieved that pre-internet and social media, when fans had to stand in line to purchase movie tickets.
The film will help a whole new generation of fans that missed his heydays on SNL, and his early movie success understand how he gained his icon status.
“Being Eddie” comes to Netflix worldwide on November the 12th.