What you need to know
Eddie Murphy looks back on his life and career in a new documentary.
On Wednesday, October 22nd, Netflix released the trailer for Being Eddie. The trailer covers the life of the iconic actor and comedian, from his start performing stand-up in high school, to his Saturday Night Live days, to his movie stardom.
“It goes without saying that there is only one Eddie Murphy. No other teen comedian shared the stage with Jerry Seinfeld at the age of 17 and joined the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’ straight out of high school,” reads the official synopsis for the doc, directed by two-time Academy Award winner Angus Wall. (Wall’s Oscar wins were for editing the films The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.)
“No actor has ever played a cop, a doctor, a donkey and dominated every facet of Hollywood. There are still fewer actors who have remained an A-list celebrity for more than 40 years and never succumbed to their dark side,” the synopsis adds. “Murphy’s rare combination of explosive charisma, focused ambition, raw talent, and deep prudence puts him in a unique realm, and is on full display in Being Eddie.”
Provided by Eddie Murphy/Netflix
The prestigious group of comedians, producers and actors appearing in the documentary include Arsenio Hall, Brian Grazer, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jerry Seinfeld, John Landis, Kenan Thompson, Kevin Hart, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Ruth Carter and Tracee Ellis. Ross, Tracy Morgan — The film celebrates Murphy and his “nearly 50-year career of breaking barriers, inventing genres, and inspiring generations of talent,” the synopsis says.
“For the first time ever, Murphy invites the public into his home to rewatch his breathtaking body of work while revealing the dazzling inner life that has driven and grounded this once-in-a-century star over the years.”
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Provided by Netflix
“Eddie has played a variety of characters over the past 40-plus years, but he’s never played himself on screen before,” documentary director Wall told Netflix’s TuDum in an Oct. 14 article about the film. “I think people will really enjoy spending time with him because he opens up his world and his heart.”
Murphy recently appeared in the Prime Video films The Pickup and Candy Cane Lane, as well as Netflix’s 2024 film Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (the fourth film in the Beverly Hills Cop series).
Being Eddie will begin streaming on Netflix starting November 12th.
