As a stand-up comedian and a cast member of Saturday Night Live (1981-1984) Eddie Murphy rose quickly from obscurity to stardom. In the movies 48 HRS. (1982), Trading Places (1983), and Beverly Hills Cop (1984), he played street-smart characters forced into unusual situations. The popularity of his action-comedies decreased steadily after these early successes, but Murphy reinvented himself by leaving behind adult themes and found success in family films such as The Nutty Professor (1996), Doctor Dolittle (1998), and Mulan (1998).

Eddie Murphy as Stevie Wonder on Saturday Night Live.

Further Reading:

Sanello, Frank. Eddie Murphy: The Life and Times of a Comic on the Edge. New York, Carol Publishing, 1997.

Wilburn, Deborah A. Eddie Murphy. New York, Chelsea House, 1993.