Here’s Why Eddie Murphy’s Brother Charlie Didn’t Think The Comedian Would Return to Stand-Up
Comedy fans around the world were excited when Eddie Murphy was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015. Murphy told a few jokes during his acceptance speech, garnering laughs from the audience and fans watching. Many assumed that Murphy would return to standup after a long break from touring.
There have been plenty of rumors about Murphy getting back to his original art form but nothing has been confirmed. When asked, he’s remained coy or evasive.
Fans may be ready for another Eddie Murphy comedy special but those closest to him say the actor is in no rush to get back to the stage.
Eddie Murphy hasn’t done stand up in over 30 years
The last time Eddie Murphy performed in front of a crowd for a stand up special was during his 1987 taping of Eddie Murphy Raw. The special is considered a classic. According to IndieWire, Raw was produced on an $8 million budget and grossed just over $50 million, making it the most financially successful stand-up film of all time to date.
Prior to Raw, Eddie filmed the equally funny special, Delirious, in 1983. Eddie was 22-years-old at the time. He won a Grammy for the retitled audio version of the special in 1984. Despite the success of his specials, he experienced criticism from fans and other comedians, like Bill Cosby, for his use of vulgarities. Decider claims that Wikipedia counted 230 “f*cks” and 171 “sh*ts” in Delirious.
Murphy put standup on hold for a career in film. His transition to movies paid off as Celebrity Net Worth estimates he is worth over $160 million.
Blogger says Charlie Murphy didn’t see standup in Eddie’s future
Eddie isn’t the only funnyman in his family. His brother, Charlie Murphy, was a successful standup comedian and actor in his own right and went on to leave a lasting impression on fans and entertainers before his passing in 2017.
In an interview with YouTube vlogger, DJ Vlad, Vlad and comedian Godfrey spoke on a conversation with Charlie Murphy that was never released to the public. According to Vlad, Charlie said that his brother would probably never do another standup special because of the amount of time Eddie spent away from the stage and the fear that if he returned, it would be a bust.
Godfrey agreed with Charlie’s alleged explanation. “Standup is a strange thing, you have to be on it a lot,” he explained. “It’s so difficult. You have to do it a couple of times a week to stay current…Eddie hasn’t done anything in 30 years so he has a lot to catch up on.”
What’s next for Eddie Murphy?
In a 2015 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Eddie denied that his acceptance speech at the Mark Twain Awards was his return to standup. Like Godfrey explained in his Vlad TV interview, Eddie said that standup is a sport that has to be continuously practiced.
“You have to go back to the clubs and work out and do all of that stuff,” he explained to Kimmel. When Kimmel asked if he would work at a standup special, Eddie said it was a possibility. “I might,” he said. “I haven’t done it in so long so I’m curious now of what would even come out if I did it.”
Eddie has not confirmed a standup special but he has been keeping busy. He is currently filming the sequel to Coming to America and his Netflix film, Dolemite Is My Name, was released in September 2019 as part of a Netflix deal reportedly worth $70 million.
