Some of Hollywood’s most iconic comedies would have been completely different if Eddie Murphy hadn’t said no.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press promoting the new Netflix documentary “Being Eddie,” Murphy revealed “the big three movies I wish I’d made.”
“‘Ghostbusters,’ I was supposed to do ‘Ghostbusters,'” Murphy recalled. “I didn’t do that, and ‘Rush Hour.’ I didn’t do that. Oh, and ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ These are my big three “I wish they’d made” movies. ”
Murphy explained that he wished he had taken part in these projects because they were all “blockbuster hits.” But he doesn’t have many regrets. The “Shrek” star explained that he got the role of Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop” after turning down a role in “Ghostbusters.”
“Instead of doing ‘Ghostbusters,’ we did ‘Beverly Hills Cop,'” he said. “It just worked out that we were going to do this and that. Then I passed on ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ because it seemed stupid to me. Then I thought, ‘Oh, this is amazing.’
“Being Eddie” was released on Netflix on Nov. 12, and with it came several revelations about Murphy’s storied career. In the doc, he reflected on how he felt betrayed when Saturday Night Live called him a “shooting star” during a segment that targeted the unpopularity of the 1995 horror comedy “Vampires in Brooklyn.” Murphy, who appeared on SNL from 1980 to 1984, felt like his “alma mater” was attacking him.
“I felt hurt,” Murphy said in a written statement. “My feelings were hurt. I’m from the same place…It’s like your alma mater is attacking you. It’s not how funny I am, it’s attacking my career and calling me a ‘shooting star.’ If there was a joke like that now, and it was about other SNL performers and how bad their careers are, it would be shot down. ”
