Eddie Murphy On His Movie Career: ‘Race Has Never Been an Issue’

Actor-comedian Eddie Murphy said that race has never been an issue for him in his Hollywood career, even though he acknowledged that “white men run this business.”

Eddie Murphy spoke to Britain’s Radio Times to promote his upcoming Amazon movie Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to the popular 1988 comedy Coming to America.

When asked if he has ever experienced racism in Hollywood, Murphy reportedly replied, “In terms of my work and my career, race has never been an issue. I’ve been making movies for 40 years and never once could I not get a movie made because I was black. I transcended that stuff.”

“But that’s not to say I walked out of heaven and into Hollywood. I’m a black man who was born in America; I’m African-American. Growing up in this country, there’s no way you’re not going to have to face some shit,” he added.

Murphy also defended comedians against woke cancel culture.

“Right now, we’re going through a period of political correctness and people are a little more uptight about comedy – but there’s no expiration date on funny,” he said.

During the interview, Murphy discussed the subject of diversity and the pressure that Hollywood studios are under to address the issue.

“It’s been this way for years and years, but it’s not just African-Americans; it’s also about women and other minorities, too,” he said. “White men run this business. It’s always been this way.”

Eddie Murphy has previously spoken out against cancel culture.

“It’s almost like there was this thing where for the last couple years, people had to apologize for saying this and that. It seems like I’m seeing a couple comics going ‘You know what? Enough of this shit. I’m doing my thing and let the chips fall where they may,'” Murphy said in a 2019 interview.

“That’s where I’m coming from,” he added. “I’m not planning to step on nobody’s foot or get in some controversy or turn over the applecart. I’m just going to be Eddie. Whatever comes out, that’s what it’s going to be.”

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