Eddie Murphy Shares Prince Stories, Regrets Rejecting "Roger Rabbit" Role

BY Erika Marie 5.9K Views
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Eddie Murphy
"I was like, 'What? Animations and people? That sound like bullsh*t to me!'"

Everyone loves a good Prince story, especially when they're delivered by the Murphys. The world was introduced to the random tales of Prince courtesy of Chappelle's Show when the late-great Charlie Murphy shared his "True Hollywood Stories." Classic television moments were birthed through those hilarious memories that included Rick James's "f*ck yo couch" moment and Prince ballin' out of control in the paint.

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Just a day ahead of his return to the Saturday Night Live stage this weekend, Charlie's just-as-funny famous brother Eddie Murphy visited The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and shared a few random stories about the Purple Rain legend. Eddie and Questlove recalled when they were at Prince's house and the singer randomly wanted to go skating in his rink with his light-up rollerskates. The comedian also told a tale of his chef leaving his home in the early morning hours and running into Prince when the music icon's hubcap fell off his car.

Then, Eddie played along and confirmed or denied rumors about his career. He said it was true that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis wanted him to star alongside them in Ghostbusters, but Eddie turned it down because he chose to do Beverly Hills Cop instead. He said the only big movie he turned down that he regretted was Who Framed Roger Rabbit? after he was asked to play the main "Eddie" character. "I was like, 'What? Animations and people? That sound like bullsh*t to me!' Now every time I see it I feel like an idiot. I love that movie."

In true comedic Eddie fashion, he recounted an encounter with Marlon Brando, who was a 48 Hrs. fan, and shared why he thought it was time to sell his large collection of Elvis memorabilia. Watch his The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon clip below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.