Comedy legend Eddie Murphy offers a rare look into his personal life in the Netflix documentary Being Eddie, discussing his children and his four-decade career.
Murphy has been a Hollywood star for over 40 years, beloved for roles such as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop, Sherman Klump in The Nutty Professor, and Donkey in Shrek. Despite his fame, the 64-year-old actor has seldom shown his true self on camera, making this documentary especially intriguing.
“There’s a great clip of Eddie on a talk show early on in his career, talking about how he’s always been able to do impersonations and different voices. He talks about how his mom used to ask him, ‘Who’s Eddie? What voice is Eddie’s voice?’ This movie answers that question,” says Being Eddie director Angus Wall.
Wall adds, “Eddie has played many characters over the last 40-plus years, but he has never portrayed himself on screen before. He opens up his world and heart, and I think people will really enjoy spending time with him.”
The documentary traces Murphy's inspiration to become a stand-up comedian back to hearing a Richard Pryor comedy album at age 15. Setting a goal to succeed by 18, he recalls:
“I remember when I turned 18, comics saying, ‘Hey, man, I thought you were going to get famous when you’re 18.’”
Author’s summary: The documentary reveals Eddie Murphy's rarely seen personal side, blending candid reflections on his large family and storied career.