My Favorite Eddie Murphy Performances

His amazing career began at the age of 19 when he was hired as the youngest actor ever to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. His impact on that show was such that he actually made three movies while he was still on the show and signed a five picture deal with Paramount Studios. His 40 year career has garnered him an Oscar nomination, two Golden Globes (including the 2023 Cecil B DeMille award), and after four previous nominations, finally won his first Emmy when he returned to host SNL in 2019. It goes without saying that I'd love to hear some input on what performances you would like to see here. And now my favorite performances of the one and only Eddie Murphy:

25. Mushu, Mulan



Murphy lent his voice to this thankless comic relief character in the Disney film playing a pint-sized dragon who is the best friend of a woman posing as a man so that she can serve in her country's army instead of her ailing grandfather.

24. "G", Holy Man



Murphy's presence in the title role almost saves this silly comedy about a phoney TV evangelist who finds a new and profitable con via a home shopping network.

23. Quick, Harlem Nights



Murphy produced, directed, co-wrote and starred in this expensively mounted gangster spoof that was one of his biggest box office bombs, but he manages to exude some charm as a young black gangster involved in a turf war with a white gangster (Danny Aiello), while coming to the realization that his mentor Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor) might be his father.

I thought he was very good in 48 Hours (1982), especially so up against Nick Nolte who is very powerful.

That film couldn't be made today because it would seem way too trite. At least I think it would...

22.

Charlie Hinton, Daddy Day Care



Murphy was the best thing about this juvenile comedy about a trio of advertising executives who lose their jobs and decide to open up a daycare center in Charlie's home.

21. Rayford Gibson, Life



Murphy and Martin Lawrence play strangers who are convicted to life in prison for a crime they didn't commit and form a lifelong friendship.

20. Various Characters, Saturday Night Live



After almost 30 years after leaving the show as a regular cast member, Murphy returned to the show in 2019 as host and everything he did was so golden that the appearance won Murphy his first and only Emmy award.

19. Kelly Robinson, I Spy



The character was a little more obnoxious than most of Eddie's movie characters, but he garners laughs as a boxing champion who is recruited by the government to help a secret agent (Owen Wilson) take down an arms dealer (Malcolm McDowell).

18. John Dolittle, Dr. Dolittle



In this re-imagining of the 1967 Rex Harrison musical, Murphy plays a doctor who discovers he can talk to animals. All of the animals in this film are provided with celebrity voices.

I only think of a few film performances by Murphy that I care about. That you're naming 25 seems to imply you're a real fan of his work. By my lights, he was golden right up to the moment he did The Golden Child.

1) 48 Hours
2) Beverly Hills Cop
3) Trading Places


After these I can tap out in the Eddie Murphy game.

17. Trey Sellars, Showtime



Actually, Murphy was really funny in this silly movie where he played a cop who really wants to be an actor. He finally gets a chance to combine his job with his passion when he is selected to co-star on a reality show with a crusty veteran cop (Robert De Niro).

I wanted to like Showtime a lot more than I did. It's okay and William Shatner is really funny, but Murphy constantly seems restrained by the rather basic dialogue and doesn't get to demonstrate his full strength as a comedic actor. His chemistry with De Niro is still pretty solid, it was just a minor disappointment overall.

I love Life and was hoping it would be higher up, but still glad it made the list.

16. Various Characters, Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps



Murphy works very hard in this film playing multiple characters like he did in the first film, though a good part of this film is focused on Sherman's parents (also played by Murphy) whose marriage is challenged when Mr. Klump takes a youth potion.

15.
Slide, Tower Heist



Murphy made the most of what is pretty much a thankless role in this all-star heist comedy playing a childhood acquaintance of a hotel employee (Ben Stiller) who agrees to help Stiller steal $20,000,000 from a hotel guest (Alan Alda) who is under house arrest for insider trading.

14.

Himself, Raw



It wasn't as good as his first concert film, but Eddie still brought the funny in this one. I especially loved the story that allowed him to do flawless impressions of Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor.

13.

Maximillian, A Vampire in Brooklyn



One of Eddie's most underrated performances was as a vampire who travels to Brooklyn to make a beautiful police officer (Angela Bassett) his soul mate.

12.

Prince Akeem, Clarence, Saul, Coming to America



I've always found the film slightly overrated, but it was one of Eddie's biggest hits. Eddie plays the obscenely wealthy crown prince of a fictional African country who balks when his father (James Earl Jones) has picked out a bride for him and decides to travel to America to find a bride of his own by pretending to be poor.

11.

Thomas Jefferson Johnson, The Distinguished Gentleman



A nearly forgotten gem from Eddie's resume. Eddie plays a conman who decides the real money is in politics and decides to run for Congress using the name of a deceased congressman but after winning the election, he finds manipulating congress isn't as easy as he thought.