The 1986 movie Eddie Murphy turned down to make a “piece of shit” instead: “In retrospect, I might have been better off”
In the mid-1980s, Eddie Murphy had every right to assume he could do no wrong, since he’d spent the last few years watching everything he’d touch turn into solid gold.
Whether it was becoming the biggest breakout star on Saturday Night Live and the most important cast member in the show’s history, according to its co-creator, or headlining box office hit after box office hit, there was no sign that the wheels on his gravy train would be coming off anytime soon.
All good things must come to an end eventually, though, and after 48 Hrs, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, and three Golden Globe nominations for his performances in those movies, Murphy encountered his first obstacle. However, because he was so hot at the time, it was still another hit for the collection.
1986’s The Golden Child earned almost $150 million at the box office to reinforce his bulletproof status as Hollywood’s biggest draw, but it was the worst-reviewed leading role of his still-nascent film career by far. He knew it, too, as he’d eventually and completely accurately dismiss the film as “a piece of shit.”
That said, he wouldn’t lower himself to calling paying customers idiots for spending their hard-earned cash on catching a terrible picture at their local multiplex, and for the studio, his bank balance, and his drawing power, it was quite the opposite. “The movie made more than $100 million,” he noted. “So who am I to say it sucks?”
It did suck, but that was beside the point. With the benefit of hindsight, Murphy realised that maybe he should have said no to The Golden Child and instead gone through with another blockbuster released that year, one that sought to capitalise on his lifelong fandom by writing a role specifically for him.
Having been a Star Trek devotee since his childhood, the prospect of rubbing shoulders with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the rest of the original Enterprise crew in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home should have been a no-brainer. Unfortunately, he wanted Star Trek, but Star Trek wanted Eddie Murphy.
The actor and comedian assumed that he’d be doing sci-fi shit like getting beamed up onto the iconic ship and palling around with its cast of legendary characters. That wasn’t the case, with the script establishing him as a strictly earthbound astrophysicist, which was enough to make him turn it down.
“I’m a Trekkie. I’ve always loved Star Trek, and have wanted to do one of the films,” Murphy offered. “Golden Child came along, and I decided to do that film instead, because I thought it would be better for my career. In retrospect, I think I might have been better off doing Star Trek IV.” Fulfil a childhood fantasy or make a “piece of shit” movie? It was an obvious choice; he just happened to make the wrong one.
