After 40+ Years in Hollywood, Eddie Murphy Names the 1 Role That Best Defines His Career

June 2, 2025

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Funnyman Eddie Murphy has been appearing in feature films since the early 1980s, and fans will have their own favorites for what might stand out as the most memorable. The actor and comedian himself can also name which film perhaps defines his career more so than any other.

Murphy recently appeared as a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where he was joined by Keke Palmer. On the show, Hudson brought up how Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds said Eddie Murphy should have won an Oscar for The Nutty Professor, given how he played several different characters in the comedy. Murphy went on to share how much he loves that some people don’t even realize just how many different roles he had in the film, calling it his “favorite thing.” He then shared how he considers The Nutty Professor to be his career-defining role.

Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley smiling and driving from the movie Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

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“I think if I could only take one movie to represent me, I would take Nutty Professor,” he said when asked if he had a favorite movie he’s ever done. “So much going on there.”

I would take Nutty Professor.

Palmer added, “Honestly, because he was covering all bases: drama, comedy, family, even some trauma. I mean, Nutty Professor was trying to get over some stuff. He was trying to get his life back.”

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Released in 1996, The Nutty Professor was directed by Tom Shadyac. It is based on the original film released in 1963 which featured Jerry Lewis in the lead role. Murphy’s version starred the Beverly Hills Cop actor as Sherman Klump, a brilliant and obese professor whose experimental weight-loss procedure results in the creation of a thinner, more devious alter ego. Not only does Murphy play Sherman and his alternate personality, Buddy Love, he also portrays Serhman’s father, mother, brother, and grandmother. Additionally, he had another role as Lance Perkins, a spoof of Richard Simmons.

The film also starred Jada Pinkett Smith, James Coburn, Dave Chappelle, Larry miller, John Ales, and Jamal Mixon.

The Nutty Professor Was a Major Hit

The Nutty Professor was a tremendous hit, earning $274 million (the equivalent of around $552 million today) worldwide on a budget of $54 million. It also won an Oscar for Best Makeup, given Murphy’s multiple roles. The movie also remains among one of Murphy’s most popular films along with serving as one of the most memorable and successful comedy releases of the era.

Murphy later returned for Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, which was directed by Peter Segal. The film saw Murphy reprising his role as Sherman along with his various family members (and Lance Perkins). It was not quite as well received as the original movie, and it made $166 million at the box office. Murphy also described a scene from the sequel in which he plays both of Sherman’s parents in the bedroom as rather “strange” to film.

The Nutty Professor is streaming on Netflix.

Source: The Jennifer Hudson Show