Eddie Murphy’s return to the big screen has been well-received, with films like Dolomite Is My Name and Coming 2 America receiving acclaim from critics and moviegoers alike.
His appearance on Saturday Night Live last year was also a return to form, and most people are only relieved that a string of less-than-stellar films seems to be behind him.
Murphy’s legacy, though, will still include a touch of Pluto Nash, and he recently revealed that the harsh press and unflattering awards prompted him to take a break from acting and focus on finding better roles. In 2010, he won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor of the Decade, which prompted him to take a long break from acting.
Murphy was on Marc Maron’s podcast, and he made some pretty interesting remarks about what winning the Raspberry for worst actor of the decade did to him, according to IndieWire. “I was making s*itty movies,” Murphy said. “I was like, ‘This s*it ain’t fun. They’re giving me Razzies…Motherf*ckers gave me the ‘worst actor ever’ Razzie. [So I thought], ‘Maybe it’s time to take a break.’”
The break came after an arguably impressive run of bad movies, including Norbit, The Adventures Of Pluto Nash, and Meet Dave, which earned him nine nominations and three wins. However, it seems that the actor’s refusal to appear in mediocre ventures was broken by winning the Worst Actor of the Decade Award.
“I was only gonna take a break for a year, then all of a sudden six years go by, and I’m sitting on the couch, and I could sit on the couch and not get off it, but I don’t want to the last bunch of s*it they see me do [to be] bulls*it,” Murphy said. “The plan was to go do ‘Dolemite,’ ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘Coming 2 America,’ and then do stand-up and see how I felt afterwards. At least then they’ll know I’m [still] funny.”
Murphy’s time off, thankfully, seems to have been well spent recharging for what has been a strong second act to his career. And it’s proof that, despite his cringe, he can still be amusing.
