The “shitty” thing Eddie Murphy has always hated about Hollywood: “I don’t like it”
Eddie Murphy was everywhere in the 1980s and ‘90s, but it was only a matter of time before his star power would start to wane.
I mean, in between winning an Oscar for Dreamgirls and voicing the beloved Donkey from Shrek, he managed to appear in endless comedic flops, from Daddy Day Care to Norbit. How do you move between such significant acclaim and absolute stinkers with such ease? He truly is an enigma.
Truth be told, Murphy’s style of humour was very of its time, and these days, a movie like Norbit – in which he played various characters, including an obese woman – probably wouldn’t do that well. It wasn’t good then, but it especially wouldn’t be received with any shred of excitement today.
In spite of his failures, Murphy is still appreciated for his early successes, like his appearances in the likes of Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop, although he now seems to keep things pretty low-key. He hasn’t stopped dedicating himself to some rather forgettable films, like Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and The Pickup, but he doesn’t put himself in the spotlight all that much.
You see, Murphy is tired of Hollywood, and he’s done with making appearances at events and award shows. While he’s not necessarily ready to give up acting just yet, he has no interest in the artificial nature of keeping up appearances and having to interact with other celebrities that he otherwise wouldn’t give two shits about.
“That’s one of the reasons why I don’t go to award shows and stuff, the feeling of being in a room full of famous people who all want to win some trophy, that feeling is such a shitty feeling,” he told USA Today. The competitive nature of the industry, where people put on an act when, really, they just want to take home a shiny statuette, has long tired Murphy out.
“Everybody’s dressed and acting and fake … just being in a room full of famous people is just a weird − I don’t like it,” he continued. It’s not hard to see why Murphy feels this way, because even when you watch clips of these prestigious events at home, it’s not hard to see through the illusion that is presented to us.
Everyone has to speak well of one another for the sake of protecting their own back, while bribery and deception are rife. Who can you really trust? So, while Murphy bagged himself an Oscar for Dreamgirls, he has no interest in competing for another, it seems, happily putting his feet up now that he has an Academy Award to his name.
He’s not alone in this opinion. Many actors have spoken out against Hollywood’s plastic nature, like John Cusack, who once told the Guardian, “It’s a whorehouse and people go mad.” The best you can do, then, is be aware of this reality and distance yourself where possible, and it seems like Murphy is doing the right thing.
