Eddie Murphy: The Life, Career, And Fortune Of A Comedy Icon

How Much Money Has Eddie Murphy Made? Let's Dive Into His Net Worth

Alright, let's talk about Eddie Murphy's money. Eddie Murphy, a legendary American actor, comedian, producer, and director, has an impressive net worth of $200 million. Now, Eddie Murphy isn’t just any actor—he’s one of the highest-grossing actors in film history. His movies have made nearly $7 billion at the worldwide box office. That's right, folks, $7 billion! This puts him as the sixth highest-grossing American actor at the box office. Back in the late 80s, 90s, and 2000s, Eddie was consistently one of the highest-paid actors in the world, pulling in $20 million per movie. Over the course of his career, Eddie has easily earned over $300 million in salaries and backend royalties. In 2019, Netflix paid Eddie a cool $70 million to deliver a series of comedy specials. When you add it all up, the deals we know about show that Eddie has earned at least $420 million during his career so far.

Now, let’s rewind a bit. Back in the early 1980s, Saturday Night Live gave Eddie Murphy a national platform and turned him into a huge star. He created unforgettable characters for the long-running sketch comedy show, including Buckwheat, Mister Robinson, and Gumby. These characters became iconic and helped shape his career.

Eddie’s love for comedy started when he was a teenager and heard one of Richard Pryor's comedy albums. When Eddie joined SNL in 1980, the show was struggling. Lorne Michaels had left, and all the original stars had moved on. Eddie is credited with saving the show. Eddie appeared in 65 episodes of SNL from 1980 to 1984. He was just 19 when he joined the NBC show. His material often tackled race issues in edgy ways. Sketches like “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood” and “White Like Me” are now considered classics. The show launched him to superstardom. In a 2015 list of the greatest SNL cast members, Eddie was ranked second, right behind John Belushi.

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Eddie launched his film career while still on SNL with 1982’s 48 Hours. He followed it up with a string of massive hits, including Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop films, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Another 48 Hrs. Eddie’s box-office appeal dipped slightly in the 1990s but was revived with family-friendly films like Mulan, the Shrek franchise, Dreamgirls, and the Nutty Professor movies. In 2006, Eddie was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for his role in Dreamgirls. In 2021, Eddie made a triumphant return in the rebooted Coming 2 America sequel.

Starting from Scratch: Eddie Murphy's Early Life

Eddie Murphy was born in Brooklyn, NY, on April 3, 1961. He grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. His mom worked as a telephone operator, and his dad was a transit cop and an amateur comedian. Tragically, his father passed away when Eddie was just eight years old. Eddie and his older brother, Charlie Murphy, spent some time in foster care when their mom temporarily fell ill. Thankfully, she recovered and eventually remarried.

Eddie’s passion for comedy ignited when he heard a Richard Pryor comedy album as a teenager. Bill Cosby was another major influence on him. In 1980, at the age of 19, Eddie joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. The show was struggling at the time, having lost all of its original stars. Eddie was a huge hit and helped lift the show to new heights. Eddie stayed on SNL until 1984, making a name for himself as one of the most talented comedians of his generation.

From the Screen to the Big Screen: Eddie's Film Career

In 1982, while still on Saturday Night Live, Eddie made his big-screen debut in 48 Hrs. He followed up with a string of smash hits, including Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop films, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Another 48 Hrs. Eddie’s box-office appeal dipped slightly in the 1990s but was revived with family-friendly films like Mulan, the Shrek franchise, Dreamgirls, and the Nutty Professor movies.

In 2006, Eddie was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for his role in Dreamgirls. He’s also produced several films, including Vampire in Brooklyn, Life, and Harlem Nights, which he also directed. In 2017, it was announced that Eddie would be returning to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, this time starring in Beverly Hills Cop 4, which is expected to release in the future. In 2021, Eddie starred in the Coming to America sequel, Coming 2 America.

Beyond Comedy: Eddie Murphy's Personal Life

Eddie Murphy married his longtime girlfriend Nicole Mitchell in 1993. The couple divorced in 2006, with Eddie reportedly paying Nicole a $15 million divorce settlement. Eddie dated Mel B from the Spice Girls from 2006 to 2007 and businesswoman Tracey Edmonds in 2008. He’s been dating model Paige Butcher since 2012, and the couple got engaged in September 2018. Eddie has ten children from various relationships.

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Murphy has been generous with his wealth, donating to many causes and charities over the years. He’s supported organizations like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, and contributed $100,000 to the Screen Actors’ Guild strike relief fund.

Highlighting Eddie Murphy's Salary Milestones

Let's talk about Eddie’s earnings over the years. In 1981, Eddie earned just $4,500 per episode of Saturday Night Live. By the following year, his salary was raised to $30,000 per episode. In 1982, he was paid $450,000 for his work in 48 Hours. In 1990, he was paid $7 million for the sequel, Another 48 Hours. His first big payday came in 1984 when he earned $1 million for the film Best Defense. In the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s, Eddie earned at least $250 million in film salaries and backend points. His career film earnings likely top $300 million.

Here’s a quick rundown of some notable salaries Eddie Murphy earned during his career:

• In 1987, he earned $8 million for Beverly Hills Cop II, which is the same as around $18 million today after adjusting for inflation.
• He earned another $8 million the next year for Coming to America.
• For 1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III, he earned $15 million, the same as roughly $25 million in today’s dollars.
• $16 million for The Nutty Professor (1996)
• $17.5 million for Doctor Dolittle (1998)
• $20 million for Nutty Professor II (2000)
• For Nutty Professor II, he also received 20% of the gross receipts, which brought his total payday to more than $60 million from the film.
• $3 million for Shrek (2001)
• $20 million from Doctor Dolittle 2 (2001)
• $20 million for The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
• $10 million for Shrek 2 (2004)
• $4 million for Shrek Forever (potentially as much as $12 million with backend points)
• $7.5 million from Tower Heist (2011)

Eddie Murphy's Netflix Deal: The Next Chapter

In July 2019, Eddie was in talks to receive $70 million to record a series of comedy specials for Netflix. That’s $10 million more than the $60 million Dave Chappelle earned for his three-special deal. Chris Rock earned $40 million for two specials.

Eddie Murphy on Money: A Thought-Provoking Quote

“Every bad decision I’ve made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects, and you don’t turn down money there. You take it because you