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In the vibrant landscape of 1980s Hollywood, Eddie Murphy catapulted to stardom from his Saturday Night Live origins, delivering a slew of blockbuster comedies such as 48 Hrs, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, and Coming to America. Alongside him, his SNL cohorts, including Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, were also riding the wave of success in the comedy film industry. During this time, they extended an invitation to Murphy to join them in the making of Ghostbusters.
Despite not regretting his decision to decline Ghostbusters due to scheduling conflicts, there is one cinematic opportunity from the 80s that Murphy does lament passing up. Reflecting on this during a December 2019 conversation with Jimmy Fallon, Murphy revealed, “The only movie I turned down that became a big hit was Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I was gonna be the Bob Hoskins dude. I was like, ‘What? Animation and people?! That sounds like nonsense to me!’ Now every time I see it, I feel like an idiot.”
For those unfamiliar with Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it stands as a cinematic gem, where Bob Hoskins’ character, Eddie Valiant, reluctantly partners with a cartoon rabbit named Roger, accused of murder, in an attempt to clear his name. The narrative takes a compelling turn as Eddie’s investigation leads him to Toon Town, a place he vowed never to return to after his brother and partner fell victim to a toon. Adding to the film’s allure is the presence of Jessica Rabbit, Roger’s glamorous and iconic animated wife.
Fast-forward to 2021, and Eddie Murphy made a comeback with the legacy sequel Coming 2 America, following up on his classic Coming to America. Presently, he is immersed in the development of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, keeping the audience eagerly anticipating his next cinematic endeavor.