‘Worst actor in history’: This ’80s star recalls his trip to the desert

Eddie Murphy has come a long way! Crossing the desert for fifteen years, five of which were a complete absence from the screens. If we have seen him again since then in several feature films, including next year’s Beverly Hills Cop 4, he returned in 2021 to this difficult period of his career at the microphone of the podcast. WTF with Marc Maron :

I had to stop making films in 2011. Because I was making stupid movies and I thought, “This isn’t funny.” They give me secrets; I think these bastards gave me the nod for worst actor in history. I thought maybe it was time to rest.

Eddie Murphy’s downfall began in the early 2000s when he switched to family comedies. Known for his honesty and very “cash” stand-up, here the actor is reduced to slick, mass-scripted films. The trend really took off after La Famille Foldingue (2000) and Dr Dolittle 2 (2001), which started this difficult period consisting of films that did very little in France and the US. This is evidenced by their Allociné ratings: School of Fathers (2.2 out of 5), Haunted Mansion and the 999 Ghosts (2), Norbit (1.7), Call Me Dave (1.7), In His Dreams (2, 6).

Even in other genres there is no quality anymore. He co-starred with De Niro in the disastrous Showtime cop comedy (1.9 out of 5), the spy film Spy and a Half (1.8) and the SF adventure Pluto Nash (1.6). A decade characterized by failure and public apathy.

So Murphy is bowing out after Thousands of Words , which was released in France in 2012 after more than a decade at the box office and won Razzies for worst actor, worst supporting actor and worst actress. Norbit’s supporting role, as well as the Worst Actor of the Decade award in 2010.

“I was only supposed to take a year off and it’s been six years and I’m sitting on the couch thinking, ‘I could sit on this couch and never get out.’ I wanted to stop him from the latest antics he saw me doing, so I got off the couch to do something that would at least remind him that I’m funny.”

Murphy returned in 2016 with the drama Mr. Church, then found a second wind thanks to platforms, with the biopic Dolemite Is My Name and You People for Netflix, then Prince in New York 2 and Christmas in Candy Cane Lane for Prime Video.

Just as streaming saved Adam Sandler, another American comedy star, from repeated failures, Eddie Murphy is now enjoying a new career, reaching large audiences thanks to the platform’s impact on homes around the world. He also finished filming Beverly Hills Cop 4 for Netflix.