10 Eddie Murphy Roles Ranked By Likability

10 Eddie Murphy Roles, Ranked By Likability

Eddie Murphy is one of the great comedic actors of the modern age, and while not all of his films are successful, he is great in each of his roles.

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A script is written and actors or actresses are chosen to play the parts. But sometimes the situation is flipped and a character is written for a specific actor. For Eddie Murphy, the vast majority of his roles were tailor-made especially for him. His quick-wit and personality could not be matched for over a decade in Hollywood and he was the “it” guy studios wanted for their comedies.

With an extensive list of characters under his belt, Murphy has more than earned his accolades. Was it Sherman Klump who stole viewers’ hearts? What about the cockiness of Marcus Graham in Boomerang or the animated wise-cracks of Donkey in the Shrek films? No matter what he’s starring in, Eddie Murphy rarely lets his fans down.

10 Marcus Graham (Boomerang)

Marcus was every man and it didn’t matter who you were, all men understood the pain that Marcus endured in Boomerang. A ladies man who went through life not caring about what he did to women, he paid the ultimate price. Boomerang was the ultimate payback movie.

Marcus was successful, handsome, and could get what and whoever he wanted, but he met his match and his whole world changed. He deserved what he got and it should have been a wake-up call for all men. Though not always likable, the role was executed brilliantly by Murphy.

9 Sherman Klump (The Nutty Professor)

Eddie Murphy swung for the fences with The Nutty Professor. Remaking a classic by Jerry Lewis was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off huge for Murphy’s career. With a sequel to boot, Murphy was a huge success playing Sherman Klump and it was something different for the actor, as his appearance changed dramatically.

Playing an isolated, overweight professor who lacked confidence changed everything about the actor, from his looks to his persona. Watching both his characters do battle with each other was a stroke of genius at a time when comedy was needed badly in Hollywood.

8 Donkey (Shrek)

After a ton of hits in physical form, Murphy took a stab in an animation film that basically saved his career. After a string of box office bombs, Murphy took on the role of the wise-cracking sidekick to Shrek. Donkey was the old Eddie fans had been missing since his early days in the business.

As huge as nabbing Mike Myers was for Shrek, could there have been a better person to play the role of his sidekick other than Eddie Murphy?

7 Quick (Harlem Knights)

In Harlem Nights, Eddie Murphy was in his element. It wasn’t about him being a part of an all-Black cast, it was that the role was in his comfort zone. In the film, he played the “made-for-him” role as a young kid who grew up looking up to Red Foxx and Richard Pryor. This was Murphy in real life and the influence of Richard Pryor, in particular, on his comedy is more than obvious.

His character Quick was hot-headed and quick-tempered. He didn’t think, he just reacted. Harlem Nights gave Murphy the green light to be himself.

6 Rayford Gibson (Life)

A tough-talking New Yorker framed for a murder he did not commit and then sentenced to life in prison, Ray Gibson was paired with Claude Banks, played by Martin Lawrence. Life was a comedic masterpiece with some of the best Black comedians ever assembled in a single movie.

Gibson wanted his name cleared, but after a while, figured there was nothing left to do. The back and forth between Gibson and Banks is what drove the movie to great success. From the start, Gibson made it know that he was from New York City. He fought for cornbread, as well as his freedom.

5 Mr. Robinson (Saturday Night Live)

Saturday Night Live has always pushed the boundaries of comedy with their actors and Eddie Murphy was at the forefront of it all with his portrayal of Mr. Robinson. While Mr. Rogers was still the American staple of perfection, Murphy took that character and offered a different version.

Mr. Roger’s neighborhood was certainly grittier and his stories were not meant for the weak, and it all worked. Here was a Black man taking on the role made famous by a white man and America loved it.

4 Reggie Hammond (48 Hours)

Before there was an Axel Foley, there was Reggie Hammond. Hammond was the slick-talking convict who was freed from prison to work with cop Jack Cates to bring down a criminal chain. The pairing was unorthodox, but Hammond was spectacular and Murphy gave the character the edge needed to pull viewers to his side of the pairing.

Hammond wanted out but due to his knowledge of the enterprise, he became invaluable. Despite paring with a cop, Hammond remained himself. Quick with the witty comebacks, this was a role made specifically for Eddie Murphy.

3 Billy Ray Valentine (Trading Places)

Take a street hustler and make him a rich man by giving him someone else’s life. Murphy and Dan Aykroyd together, what’s not to like about Trading Places? This was a young Eddie who didn’t care what Hollywood thought about him. His role as Billy Ray Valentine proved that Murphy had range, even this early in his career.

Valentine dropped jokes as easy as anyone with 20+ years under their belt. He was conniving, resourceful, and quick-witted. The role didn’t win Murphy any Oscars, but he left his mark nonetheless.

2 Prince Akeem (Coming To America)

A King who leaves his country and fortune to find his true bride. Seems corny, but Coming To America was anything but. Prince Akeem was the central figure in the movie and he didn’t disappoint. What made him such an enduring character was his innocence.

But with Akeem, it was just his presence alone that drew laughs. From his personal items being stolen and learning how to mop a floor to describing his first time viewing an American football game, his energy was just different than any other character Murphy has ever done.

1 Axel Foley (Beverley Hills Cop)

As popular as Prince Akeem is, his role as Axel Foley may be his most famous role. Murphy did 48 Hours before, but he was not a cop, he was the convict. In Beverly Hills Cop, Murphy took on a role that was destined to succeed. One movie led to another and a franchise was born. Foley was pure comedy and this was Murphy at the top of his game.

Fans gravitated towards Foley’s character, as cop movies back then were all action and little substance. He was enjoyable and he offered just enough wit to go along with some surprising fight scenes.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/eddie-murphy-roles-ranked-by-likability/

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