Eddie Murphy Admits to ‘Never’ Doing This One Thing in His Movie Career originally appeared on Parade.
Eddie Murphy is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, known for his iconic roles and unforgettable performances in Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, Shrek, Dreamgirls and more. But in a recent interview with Speedy Morman from Complex, he revealed a surprising detail about his career, something every actor has to face early on, but he never did.
Four minutes into the interview, Morman asked the 64-year-old actor if it was true that he had never auditioned for a movie in his career.
“The only thing I had to audition for was [Saturday Night Live],” Murphy explained. The comedian joined the cast of NBC’s beloved sketch comedy show at just 19 years old, appearing from 1980 to 1984. When Morman asked again to confirm if Murphy ever specifically auditioned for a movie role, he simply responded, “Never.”
After leaving SNL in 1984, Murphy quickly became one of the biggest movie stars of the 1980s and 1990s. He starred in many hit comedies, including Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, Trading Places and The Nutty Professor. He also voiced the beloved Donkey in the Shrek series, and continued to appear in many family-friendly movies such as Mulan (1998), Dr.Dolittle and The Haunted Mansion (2003). So far, he has appeared in 47 movies and will be reprising his role as Donkey in Shrek 5, which is set to come out in 2026.
“I think I’m the only actor…I can’t think of no actor that can make such a bold statement,” Murphy continues. “That they only had one audition in their whole life.” He added with a grin, “It makes all the other actors sick, though.”
Currently, Murphy is promoting his most recent film, The Pickup, which also stars Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria and Keke Palmer. Fans can now stream the heist comedy action film on Prime Video.
Related: Pete Davidson’s Favorite Backstage Memory from ‘SNL’ Involves Late ’90s Comedian
Eddie Murphy Admits to ‘Never’ Doing This One Thing in His Movie Career first appeared on Parade on Aug 7, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
