Editing Eddie Murphy (section)

===1980s: Superstar status and career peak===
[[File:Lionel Richie, Apollonia Kotero, and Eddie Murphy.jpg|thumb|left|220px|[[Lionel Richie]], [[Apollonia Kotero]] and Murphy at the ''[[Purple Rain (film)|Purple Rain]]'' premiere in 1984]]
In the early 1980s, Murphy first earned national attention as a cast member on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (''SNL'') and was credited with helping to revitalize the show.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shales |first=Tom |title=Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ySMXLky50NkC |publisher=Back Bay |year=2003 |isbn=0-316-73565-5}}</ref> His characters included a grown-up version of the ''[[Little Rascals]]'' character [[Billie Thomas|Buckwheat]];<ref name=buckwheat>{{cite book |last=Shales |first=Tom |title=Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ySMXLky50NkC |publisher=Back Bay |year=2003 |page=549 |isbn=0-316-73565-5}}</ref> a streetwise children's show host named Mr. Robinson (parodying [[Fred Rogers]], who found it amusing);<ref>{{cite book |last=Shales |first=Tom |title=Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live |publisher=Back Bay |year=2003 |page=238 |isbn=0-316-73565-5}}</ref> and a morose, cynical [[Gumby]], whose trademark slogan became an ''SNL'' catchphrase: "I'm Gumby, dammit!"<ref name=buckwheat/> According to Joseph Clokey, whose father [[Art Clokey]] created Gumby, both of them "thought Eddie was a genius in the way he played that character".<ref>{{Cite web|last=gumbycentral|date=July 31, 2017|title=In the book we're wr…|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6qpq2u/we_are_joe_and_joan_clokey_and_we_manage_all/dkz3pne/|access-date=December 26, 2021|website=r/IAmA}}</ref> The Buckwheat character was retired in spectacular fashion—assassinated, on camera, in front of [[30 Rockefeller Plaza]]—at Murphy's request, after he grew tired of constant demands from fans to "Do Buckwheat! Do Buckwheat!"<ref name=SNL-Backstage>{{cite web |title=Saturday Night Live Backstage  |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1899280/ |publisher=[[IMDb]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title="Saturday Night Live" March 12, 1983, NBC  |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0694998/ |publisher=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> In ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s February 2015 appraisal of all 141 ''SNL'' cast members to date, Murphy was ranked second (behind [[John Belushi]]). "It is customary (and accurate) to say that Eddie Murphy is the only reason ''SNL'' survived the five-year wilderness without [[Lorne Michaels]]", the magazine noted.<ref>''Rolling Stone'', issue 1229, February 26, 2015, p. 32.</ref> Murphy's early comedy was characterized by copious profanity and sketches lampooning a diverse group of people (including [[White Anglo-Saxon Protestant|WASPs]], African Americans, Italian Americans, overweight people, and gay people). He released two stand-up specials. ''[[Eddie Murphy Delirious|Delirious]]'' was filmed in 1983 in Washington, D.C.

[[File:EddieMurphy1988.jpg|thumb|upright|Murphy in 1988]]
Due to the popularity of ''Delirious'', his concert film, ''[[Eddie Murphy Raw]]'' (1987), received a wide theatrical release, grossing $50&nbsp;million; the movie was filmed in the [[The Theater at Madison Square Garden|Felt Forum]] at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eddie Murphy Delirious |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085474/ |publisher=[[IMDb]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Eddie Murphy Raw |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092948/ |publisher=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> In 1982, Murphy made his big-screen debut in the film ''[[48 Hrs.]]'' with [[Nick Nolte]].<ref name="actors"/> ''48 Hrs.'' proved to be a hit when it was released during the Christmas season of 1982. Nolte was scheduled to host the December 11, 1982, Christmas episode of ''Saturday Night Live'', but became too ill to host, so Murphy took over. He became the only cast member to host while still a regular. Murphy opened the show with the phrase, "Live from New York, it's the Eddie Murphy Show!" The following year, Murphy starred in ''[[Trading Places]]'' with fellow ''SNL'' alumnus [[Dan Aykroyd]].<ref name="actors"/> The movie marked the first of Murphy's collaborations with director [[John Landis]], who also directed Murphy in ''[[Coming to America]]'' (1988) and ''[[Beverly Hills Cop III]]'' (1994). ''Trading Places'' was an even greater box office success than ''48 Hrs.''

Murphy appeared in ''[[Best Defense]]'' (1984), co-starring [[Dudley Moore]]. Credited as a "Strategic Guest Star", the former was added to the film after an original version was completed but tested poorly with audiences. ''Best Defense'' was both a major financial and critical disappointment. When he hosted ''SNL'', Murphy joined the chorus of those bashing ''Best Defense'', calling it "the worst movie in the history of everything". The same year, he won a [[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording]] for his album ''[[Eddie Murphy: Comedian]]'' (he has been nominated for a total of three Grammy Awards).<ref>[https://www.grammy.com/artists/eddie-murphy/13424 "Eddie Murphy"], Grammy Awards, accessed July 9, 2022</ref> Murphy starred in the successful action comedy film ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]'' (1984).<ref name="actors"/> The film was Murphy's first solo leading role.<ref name="actors"/> ''Beverly Hills Cop'' grossed over $230&nbsp;million at the U.S. box office, becoming the highest-grossing film released in 1984, the highest-grossing comedy of all time, and the highest-grossing "R"-rated film of all time; {{As of|2018|May|lc=on}}, it was 46th in the list of all-time U.S. box office grossers after adjusting for inflation (third-highest amongst "R"-rated films).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm |title=Domestic Grosses Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=May 30, 2018}}</ref> Murphy was offered a part in ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'' (1986), a role that, after being heavily re-written from comic relief to love interest, ultimately went to [[Catherine Hicks]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Couch |first=Aaron |title='Star Trek IV' Writer on Eddie Murphy's Lost Role and Film's Rewrite Drama |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-trek-iv-voyage-home-writer-eddie-murphys-lost-role-950551/ |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=November 26, 2016 |access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref>

By this time,<ref>According to the autobiography of the film's director and co-star, [[Leonard Nimoy]].</ref> Murphy's near-exclusive contract with [[Paramount Pictures]] rivaled ''Star Trek'' as Paramount's most lucrative franchise. By 1986, he launched Eddie Murphy Television Enterprises with a deal at Paramount Television.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 26, 1986|title=Murphy and Paramount|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-05-26-OCR-Page-0060.pdf|access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref> In his next subsequent role, he starred in the supernatural comedy ''[[The Golden Child]]'' (1986).<ref name="actors"/> Although ''The Golden Child'' performed well at the box office, the movie was not as well received as ''48 Hrs.'', ''Trading Places'', and ''Beverly Hills Cop''. ''The Golden Child'' was considered a change of pace for Murphy because of the supernatural setting as opposed to the "street smart" settings of his previous efforts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Golden Child – "Please!" |url=http://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/the-golden-child-please/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> Not long afterward, he reprised his role of Axel Foley in the [[Tony Scott]]-directed ''[[Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' (1987). It was a box-office success, grossing almost $300&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3712255489/ |title=Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=February 28, 2022}}</ref> By the end of the decade, Murphy was Hollywood's biggest box office star.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Hollywood's Hottest Hunks |journal=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]] |date=November 1988 |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=33–34 (33) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33  |issn=0012-9011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Eddie Murphy's Testimony Disputes Buchwald's Suit |journal=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]] |date=January 15, 1990 |volume=77 |issue=14 |pages=54–55 (54) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=370DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54  |issn=0021-5996}}</ref> In 1988, Murphy and his Eddie Murphy Television Enterprises company had struck a deal with [[CBS]].<ref>{{cite news|date=June 27, 1988|title=CBS gets Murphy|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/88-OCR/BC-1988-06-27-OCR-Page-0073.pdf|access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref>