Eddie Murphy is arguably the greatest stand-up comedian of all time. He rivals even the biggest comical titans like Dave Chappelle, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin. I could quote punchlines from iconic specials like Raw and Delirious off the top of my head. But that was another part of Murphy's prime, where stand-up comedy was still important to him amidst his rising stardom.
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However, after a while, he was too big and stand-up became an afterthought. Eddie had films like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America to film. That's not even accounting for the stuff he wants to do outside of his work life. Consequently, it had to take a backseat. However, that craving always comes to a stand-up comedian. The stories and jokes he wants to tell couldn't be told in the filmmaking medium. If it wasn't for one famous contemporary of his, maybe Murphy would've made that big comeback.
Eddie Murphy Gets Swayed Away From Stand-Up Comedy Comeback
Recently, Jamie Foxx joined a bunch of fellow comedians at a roundtable for The Hollywood Reporter. There, he talks about one sobering realization he had when contemplating a comeback in stand-up at one point in his life. Not only did he struggle to have things to say in the medium, but he also couldn't engage with his audience properly. "What was I going to talk about? I was rich. I was behind my gates," Jamie admits.
This line of thinking eventually spreads to Eddie Murphy when Foxx visits his house one day. After filming Coming 2 America, the sequel to his 1988 classic, Murphy wanted to tinker with stand-up again. However, Jamie had to break it to him gently: his life was too nice to be a proper stand-up comedian. Their lives were "too perfect" for their fans to really engage with them.
"This ain't funny. Your house is too nice," Jamie recalls telling Eddie. "[His house] had a scent. You know, the s--- that pumps through the house [like a hotel]. I said, 'What is that smell?' He said, 'It's pomegranate.' I said, 'The fact that you know that s--- lets me know that you ain't funny, bro.'"
