Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor, film director, producer, comedian and singer. Murphy ranks as the highest grossing film star in history, having a total of 33 films to date, his films grossing over $3.4 billion in the US alone, averaging $104 million per film. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He has also enjoyed a minor singing career.

Murphy has received Golden Globe Award nominations for best actor in a comedy or musical for his performances in Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, and The Nutty Professor. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul singer James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls, and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same role.

Murphy's work as a voice actor includes Thurgood Stubbs in The PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu in Disney's Mulan. In some of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, which he calls a tribute to one of his idols Peter Sellers (who is famous for playing multiple roles in one film), films which Murphy has played multiple roles include Coming to America, Wes Craven's Vampire In Brooklyn, the Nutty Professor films, where he played much of the Klumps clan, Bowfinger and 2007's Norbit. Another trademark of Murphy is his deep, infectious, and considerably goofy laugh. His other trademark is a recurring line he says in movies "How you doin'?", which he states is his catchphrase in real life.

Early life

Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York. His mother, Lillian, was a telephone operator, and his father, Charles Edward Murphy, was a transit police officer and amateur comedian.Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio

Stand-up comedy routines

Murphy performed stand-up comedy at the same Bay Area Comedy Club as Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. His early comedy was racy, akin to Richard Pryor, whom Murphy has credited as his inspiration to enter comedy. Characterized by frequent swearing and sketches lampooning a diverse group of people (including African Americans, Italian Americans, over weight people, and gays). Pryor wrote in his autobiography, Pryor Convictions, that he thought Murphy's comedy could be excessively insensitive. Murphy later apologized for insensitive jokes about gays and HIV.

Saturday Night Live

Murphy made his debut in the second episode of the 1980-1981 season, hosted by Malcolm McDowell, as an extra in a skit called "In Search of the Negro Republican". Two weeks later, Murphy had his first speaking role as Raheem Abdul Muhummad on Weekend Update. He was then called on for more work in later episodes, and was soon raised to the status of full cast member.