Eddie Murphy reveals secret to how he got into character for his most popular roles
Comedy hero Eddie Murphy has shared a sneak peak into his psyche by providing insights into his unique methods for getting into character, each approach varying based on the emotional depth and sentimentality attached to the role.
Reflecting on iconic characters from The Nutty Professor to Beverly Hills Cop, the Hollywood actor explained how he leaned into various aspects of comedy and poignancy depending on how the characters were intended to be perceived.
While playing Professor Sherman Klump in The Nutty Professor, Murphy enjoyed how the various aspects of production and technicality enabled the character to become someone the audience sympathised with.
“It’s funny, and it’s got a nice, sweet little heart thing,” the actor explained to Netflix. “You feel for this character. The scene where Sherman’s in the club, and the camera goes in close on Sherman’s face, and they’re all laughing, you really feel for him. I love that all of this technical stuff is going on, makeup, and all this little shit. The audience connects with this character as a real person.”
Regarding the more comedic characterisations in his ouvre, the actor recalled “all of us sitting around bugging out and laughing” while watching Rudy Ray Moore movies in preparation for playing the comedian for 2019’s Dolemite Is My Name.
For his most recent movie, in which he returned to the popular role of Detective Axel Foley, Murphy encountered a more difficult challenge while attempting to inject a contemporary sequel with all of the elements that made the first movie resonate. “There’s nothing I could look at at Axel as 22 and think, ‘how can I take some of that and put that in Axel at 63,” he said. “It’s a whole different person.”
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F sees Foley back on the streets of Beverly Hills trying to solve the next case. Although this marks the third time he has returned to the character, the actor once admitted to not being entirely impressed with the finished products.
Over the years, Murphy has been brutal in his analysis of the franchise. During one interview with Rolling Stone, he said, “Beverly Hills Cop 2 was probably the most successful mediocre picture in history. Cop 2 was basically a rehash of Cop 1, but it wasn’t as spontaneous and funny.“ Meanwhile, in another conversation with Playboy, around the time the reboot fourth film was announced, the actor said: “The third Beverly Hills Cop was garbage. Those movies, when I travel overseas, people say, ‘Hey, Beverly Hills Cop! Axel Foley!’”
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