Eddie Murphy one of the most influential figures in American entertainment, reviewed what he has experienced in the industry throughout his fifty-year career in Being Eddiethe new Netflix documentary that celebrates his legacy, and reflects on how he has managed to stay standing.
“In a business where people come and go, most don’t live to be 50 years old,” Murphy said in conversation with PEOPLEwhile promoting the launch of the production. The phrase summarizes both his pride and the perspective that the passage of time gives.
At 63 years old, the actor remembers the risks, excesses and pressures of Hollywood, especially for those who achieved fame young and brilliantly. The artist attributes his stability to an element that he considers essential: the relationship with himself.
“My most important blessing is that I love myself. I have always loved myself, I have always been my biggest fan. That’s at the heart of every decision you make. Some people go through their whole lives and get to the end and say, ‘I finally love myself.’ I started like that,” he said.
For him, this emotional base directly influenced his ability to resist the most well-known dangers of the environment: addictions, excesses and self-destructive dynamics that marked numerous colleagues.
In Being Eddiethe actor remembers the loss of friends like Rick James and Redd Foxx due to drugs, and reflects on figures of his generation who faced similar battles.
The famous man also mentions that great talents like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson They dealt with “self-destructive” tendencies, something he claims he never experienced. In fact, Eddie Murphy He stated that he never tried hard drugs and that he only consumed marijuana for the first time when he turned 30.
It is worth remembering that the actor had already recounted a revealing experience during his time in The Interview last year. There he related that, at the age of 19, he rejected an invitation to consume cocaine with Robin Williams and John Belushi while the three were in a bar.
“It was me, (John) Belushi and Robin Williams. They started doing cocaine, and I was like, ‘No, I’m fine.’ I wasn’t taking a moral stance. I just wasn’t interested. Not having the desire or the curiosity, I would say that is providence,” he said.
From his current perspective, the Hollywood star interpreted that decision as an act of instinct and protection. “God was watching over me at that moment.”he added.
Today, with a consolidated career in comedy, film and television – from his emblematic routines in raw until his unforgettable passage through Saturday Night Live— Eddie Murphy recognizes that his center of gravity has changed.
The family now occupies the first place in his priorities. A father of ten children, he stated that his greatest happiness comes from the daily life he shares with them and his wife, Paige.
“Just being Eddie. I love having my family around, and I love having been in this amazing business for so long,” he commented.
Being Eddienow available on Netflix, presents archival material, testimonies and intimate moments that show not only the construction of a public figure, but also the personal decisions that shaped his permanence.
