Eddie Murphy’s return to Saturday Night Live (SNL) for its 50th anniversary special was legendary. The episode, which aired on February 16th, was a nostalgic celebration, highlighting why Murphy is often regarded as one of the greatest comedians in history.
He made an unforgettable appearance in a hilarious skit titled “Black Jeopardy,” where he portrayed an exaggerated version of Tracy Morgan as one of the contestants, while Tracy Morgan played the opposite of himself as Darius, showing off his impeccable comedic skills. The skit also featured Leslie Jones, who portrays a contestant named Shanice, and Kenan Thompson, who impersonates the game host, Darnell Hayes, a.k.a. the late Alex Trebek.
Murphy was in full character mode as he was introduced by the game show host, Hayes.
“Big dog gonna make some big money,” Murphy said in his best “Tracy Morgan” impression.
“You gotta have a lot of money if you live like I live,” Murphy wittily responds as Morgan when Thompson questions him about his money: “I eat four-cheese lasagna. If they only have three cheeses, I ain’t eating it…. I refuse to ingest three cheeses,” he continued.
Other impressions include Murphy jokingly saying that James Earl Jones was his biological father and impregnating his mother on the set of Claudine when they lived on Edgecombe Avenue in Harlem after Thompson asked him and Darius if they were related, with Murphy saying, “You know what? We might be related,” with Darius saying, “I don’t see it.”
The skit’s funniest moment featured the contestants unsuccessful attempt to answer the game show host’s question about the legendary late-night sketch show that created some of comedy’s biggest stars.
Murphy yelled, “What is Showtime at the Apollo? featuring Sandman Sims,” followed by his response, “Hosted by Steve Harvey?”
That’s when Murphy made his best Steve Harvey impersonation while imitating Morgan’s voice. “Y’all ready for your next act? Say yeah,” prompting Jones and Morgan to break character. Even Thompson was tempted to break character from Murphy’s witty response.
Other sketch performances from Murphy during the special include his role as an inmate alongside Kenan Thompson and Will Ferrell in Jason Sudeikis’ sketch, “Scared Straight.” Murphy’s return was his first time on SNL since 2019, when he hosted the show and reprised his iconic characters from his SNL heyday, making the 50th-anniversary special a nostalgic and exciting moment for fans. Social media was abuzz with praise for Eddie Murphy’s performance, with fans and fellow comedians celebrating his return to SNL and reaffirming his status as a comedic icon.
“Does anyone else feel like we’ve been denied Eddie Murphy for too many years?” said @TheHorrorOfChr1 on the X platform.
@TBrown_80 said, “I know this isn’t revelatory, but Eddie Murphy may be the most effortlessly funny person I’ve ever seen. Sketch comedy, standup, movies, and interviews. Always has it.”
“Eddie Murphy doing a Tracy Morgan impression while next to Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson, and Leslie Jones losing it #SNL50,” @RCFury tweeted.
Saturday Night Live was one of Murphy’s starting points as a comedian. The 63-year-old was featured on the sketch comedy show from 1980 to 1984. Some of his infamous roles on the long-standing show include Buckwheat from the Little Rascals, Mr. Robinson (a parody version of Fred Rogers with a street edge), Velvet Jones (the benevolent pimp), James Brown, and Gumby, whose trademark slogan became an SNL catchphrase: “I’m Gumby, dammit!”
Eddie Murphy’s iconic roles during his duration on SNL in the early 1980s (L-R: Murphy as Mr. Robinson on May 13, 1983, 1982 Merry Christmas, Dammit – Gumby Christmas, and Murphy as Buckwheat from the Little Rascals on October 10, 1981); Photo Credit: NBC
Murphy’s fun-loving and comedic nature led to his breakout career that revolutionized him in the film industry throughout the 1980s with films like Trading Places, Coming to America, Beverly Hills Cop sequels, 48 Hours, The Golden Child, Harlem Nights, and his 1987 standup comedy concert, Eddie Murphy Raw.
His film success from the 1980s continued into the 1990s and beyond in films like Boomerang, Dream Girls, Shrek, Norbit, Bowfinger, Dr. Doolittle, A Thousand Words, and The Nutty Professor, where he played dual characters as Professor Sherman Klump and Buddy Love and mastered the roles of also portraying Sherman’s parents, brother, and grandmother.
L-R: Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in the 1988 film, Coming to America, Photo Credit: Paramount Studios; Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley in the 1984 film, Beverly Hills Cop; Photo Credit: Paramount Studios; and Murphy in the 1996 film, The Nutty Professor; Photo Credit: Universal Pictures
Throughout his successful career and remarkable resume, Murphy’s influence also paved the way for numerous Black actors and comedians, who played in some of Murphy’s films before their careers took off, such as Samuel L. Jackson and Cuba Gooding Jr. in Coming to America, and Dave Chappelle in The Nutty Professor.
His influence is palpable not just in Hollywood but also as a guiding light for comedians like Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, who acknowledge that Murphy had a remarkable influence on their comedy careers.
Eddie Murphy’s appearance on SNL’s 50th anniversary was a brilliant testament to his enduring legacy, a joyous reminder of the laughter he has gifted audiences over the decades. It was a night to celebrate not just a comedian but a pioneer who sent ripples through the comedy landscape and forever changed the face of entertainment.