My Favorite Eddie Murphy Performances

10.

Professor Sherman Klump, The Nutty Professor



Eddie received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in this re-thinking of the Jerry Lewis classic playing a sweet, lonely, and brilliant college professor who creates a potion that turns him into a skinny and obnoxious womanizer named Buddy Love. In addition to playing Sherman, Eddie also plays Sherman's mother, father, uncle, and grandmother.

9.

Himself, Delirious



While he was still a regular on SNL, Eddie knocked it out of the park with this roll on the floor funny, if not necessarily politically correct comedy concert that finds Eddie doing lots of impressions, telling funny stories about his relative, and a set of jokes that revealed his latent homophobia that definitely wouldn't play as well in 2023. But it still makes me laugh out loud no matter how many times I watch it.

8.

Reggie Hammond, 48 HRS



Eddie knocked his film debut out of the park as a con who helps a veteran cop (Nick Nolte) find the guy who committed a murder with the cop's gun.

7.

Mr. Church, Mr. Church



Eddie nailed a real change of pace for himself here that nobody really noticed. Eddie plays a former jazz musician and gourmet cook who is sent by his former employer to work for his dying mistress and her teenage daughter.

6.

Donkey, Shrek



Murphy stole every scene he had providing the voice for a very gregarious donkey who bulldozes his way into the life of a lonely ogre (voiced by Mike Meyers).

5.

Kitt Ramsey, Jiff Ramsey, Bowfinger




Eddie was again robbed of an Oscar nomination for this brilliant dual role as a famous action star who is being used as the star of a movie without his knowledge and his look a like cousin, who is being used for stunts and closeups. As expected, it's Eddie's work as the nerdy Jiff that stands out.

4.

Rudy Ray Moore, Dolemite is my Name



Murphy was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his ferocious performance as the former nightclub comedienne who creates a screen alter ego named Dolemite who becomes a box office sensation.

3.

Billy Ray Valentine, Trading Places



Murphy showed up an impressive supporting cast in this classy comedy playing a poor hustler and ex-con who is plucked off the streets by a pair of wealthy stockbrokers (Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche) to switch lives with their trust fund nephew, Louis (Dan Aykroyd) as part of a "social experiment."

2.

James "Thunder" Early, Dreamgirls



In an absolutely dazzling performance that earned Murphy his only Oscar nomination to date, Murphy plays a womanizing, heroine-sniffing lounge singer, allegedly based on James Brown, who uses and abuses the Dreams until they get famous without him and his career and life self-destruct. This is the only feature length film that actually allows Murphy to utilize his quietly concealed musical talent and he makes the most of it.


OK, that's number two...before I reveal number one, which shouldn't nbe much of a surprise, here are a couple of honorable mentions:

Marcus, Boomerang



Eddie really brought the sexy in this performance playing a womanizing ad executive who finds his match in his new boss (Robin Givens), who treats men the same way he treats woman.

Inspector Scott Roper, Metro



The movie died at the box office, but Eddie offers another change of pace performance as a hostage negotiator who goes after a diamond thief.

The King, Remember the Time



Eddie is hysterically funny in this Michael Jackson music video where he steals the show without saying a word.


And now, anyone with half a brain probably already knows what my # 1 is, but here it goes anyway...my # 1 favorite Eddie Murphy performance"

1.

Detective Axel Foley, Beverly Hills Cop



I've lost track of how many times I've watched this movie, but I never get tired of doing so. Murphy became the biggest movie star on the planet with this performance. Axel is a Detroit police detective who is visited by a childhood buddy (James Russo) who shortly after his arrival, is murdered right in front of Axel. This takes Axel to Beverly Hills to find out who was behind his friend's murder. Whether he's driving a pair of Beverly Hills cops (Judge Reinhold, John Ashton) crazy, pretending to be a customs official, or pretending to be the bad guy's gay lover, Murphy gives a one man comedy acting class here that should be studied. An instant classic that is still as funny as it was 40 years ago.





Hope someone enjoyed the list.

I love Eddie Murphy the most, when he is just standing there keeping his mouth shut while not making grimaces.

On a more serious note, i was laughing so hard at the end-credits bloopers in "THE NUTTY PROFESSOR", that i actually rewind/repeat that part for multiple times. I also think "THE NUTTY PROFESSOR" was one of his better movies.