Eddie Murphy is thinking back on a few of the “cheap shots” he believes he has taken over the years.
In an interview with the New York Times, the Oscar-nominated actor and comedian—whose latest movie, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” comes out on Netflix next week—was asked if he felt that throughout the years, the media and his peers have treated him unfairly.
“Back in the old days, they used to be relentless on me, and a lot of it was racist stuff,” Murphy recalled.
Murphy mentioned how growing up in the 1980s “was a whole different world” and then mentioned a time “when David Spade said that s-–t about my career on ‘SNL.'”
The relevant clip, which aired during a December 1995 “Hollywood Minute” year-in-review, featured a photo of Murphy on which Spade said, “Look children, it’s a falling star.” Send forth a prayer. The joke originated, Murphy told the Times, following the box office failure of his movie “Vampire in Brooklyn.”
It was like, ‘Hey, this is internal! You’re f-–king with me like that and I’m one of the family? That wounded my sentiments, Murphy added.
As a member of the core cast on “SNL,” he became well-known between 1980 and 1984 and is sometimes credited with saving the program from cancellation at one point.
The producers felt that was acceptable to the state. You have never heard somebody on that show joke about someone else’s profession. The vast majority of those who leave that program never go on to have these incredible careers. It was personal, Murphy said afterward. Yo, how could you do that? was the reaction. My business? Really? An inside joke regarding my work? I so considered that to be a cheap shot. It was also, I felt, somewhat prejudiced.
After the bit, Spade said that he felt terrible about his “stupid joke” and that he had received a call from an irate Murphy.
I’ve come to see Eddie’s point on this one. Everybody in show business wants to be liked. You get fans that way. That stinks, too, when you get reamed in a sketch or online or any other way. And it can soon mount up.
Murphy has generally avoided the venerable NBC sketch show over the years, although he made a brief appearance in the 2015 “SNL” 40th anniversary special and made a triumphant return as a host in 2019.
In the long run, it’s all good, worked out great. I’m cool with David Spade, I’m cool with Lorne Michaels. I went back to SNL, Murphy said this week. All is love. although a few of my shots were cheap!”