What you need to know
Eddie Murphy believes the Academy blacklisted him because of a controversial speech he once gave at the Oscars.
In Netflix’s new documentary Being Eddie, which follows the life and decades-long career of the legendary comedian, Murphy, 64, recalls presenting him with the Best Picture Oscar at the 60th Academy Awards in 1988.
“Sometimes someone will look at it and think, ‘Wow. Did Eddie say this at the Oscars back in the day?'” Murphy says. “Right before that, I said, “I’m not going to win an Oscar for saying this.” And off I went… I went and tried it. ”
During his speech, Murphy told the audience that he had originally wanted to turn down the role of presenting the night’s biggest award.
“My first reaction was, ‘No, I’m not going,'” Murphy said in a clip from the 1988 awards ceremony. “‘I won’t go because I don’t recognize the black people in the movie as black.'”
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Murphy points to the disparity between the number of black actors and white actors recognized by the Academy for their talent. “I probably won’t win an Oscar for saying this, but hey, whatever, I had to say it…”
“I want you to know that I’m going to give you this award because black people don’t sit in the caboose of society and we’re not going to fall behind. I want us to be recognized,” Murphy said.
Murphy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2007 for his early role as James “Thunder” in Dreamgirls, but lost to Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine.
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“I haven’t gotten an Oscar. And I’ve done it all. I’ve played everything, I’ve done everything. And I haven’t won an Oscar,” Murphy says in the documentary.
“But I don’t think it’s because of that,” he added jokingly.
Murphy recalled the day after the 1988 Oscars, saying, “The next day it was like I didn’t say anything. There were no pictures of me at the Oscars. There was no press about me. There was no mention of me saying anything like that. It was like I wasn’t even at the Oscars.”
Murphy revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that fellow comedian Robin Williams tried to talk him out of bringing up racial issues at the Oscars.
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“I remember being backstage with Robin Williams and thinking, ‘I’m going to say this,’ and he went up to me and said, ‘But why are you going there?’ ” Murphy recalled.
“I tried to be funny and say some little things, but be funny at the same time. Give what I said a little bit of an edge.”
Being Eddie is directed by two-time Academy Award winner Angus Wall and features an A-list group of comedians, producers and actors. Stars include Aresenio Hall, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, Kenan Thompson, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Tracy Morgan.
The documentary celebrates Murphy and his nearly 50-year career in which he has broken barriers, invented genres and inspired generations of talent, the synopsis says.
“Being Eddie” is available on Netflix.
