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Eddie Murphy’s Comedy Evolution, From ‘Delirious’ to ‘Dolemite’
A look at the actor and comic’s career arc shows just how much less mean-spirited our humor has become
Ever since he was cast, at 19, on Saturday Night Live, Eddie Murphy’s star power has been undeniable.
Whether donning a bright red leather suit to perform stand-up, tackling race in a biting SNL sketch, or voicing an animated donkey in a children’s movie, Murphy’s always been the comedic center of whatever production he’s involved with. His SNL performances even inspired the name of my childhood neighbor’s dog, Buckwheat. If you’ve been living on Earth in the past 30 years (or if you’re my neighbor from the ’90s), you know Eddie Murphy. And now he’s got a new Netflix movie, Dolemite Is My Name, an upcoming stand-up special in the works, an SNL hosting spot in December, and a planned sequel to Coming To America (Coming 2 America — seriously).
Dolemite Is My Name is a smart next step for the comedian: a fun, uplifting movie celebrating an overlooked comedic voice. Murphy, in his first R-rated movie in years, has found a role worthy of his talents in playing blaxploitation legend and “Godfather of Rap” Rudy Ray Moore.
