Eddie Murphy Picks His Best (and Worst) Movies, Reveals an Untold Beyoncé Story

Key Takeaway: Comedy legend Eddie Murphy opens up about only auditioning once in his entire career, reveals his movie Mount Rushmore, shares an untold Beyoncé story from the Dreamgirls set, and discusses his greatest fear while sitting courtside at Lakers games in this revealing '360 With Speedy' interview.

Quick Navigation

• The Psychic Girlfriend Who Predicted Fame
• Only One Audition in 50 Years
• Eddie Murphy's Iconic Catchphrases

• Mount Rushmore of Eddie Murphy Movies
• His Worst Films
• Turning Down Rush Hour for Holy Man
• The Ultimate Homebody
• Greatest Fear at Lakers Games

• Untold Beyoncé Story from Dreamgirls
• Meeting LeBron James
• The Pickup - New Film
• Legacy: His Ten Children

Anecdote Highlights

Here are some of the most memorable moments from Eddie Murphy's 360 With Speedy interview:

The Psychic Prediction: At 13, his girlfriend Sherry Bell could read objects with her hands and told him he'd be famous---then the lights went out on The Nutty Professor set the day she died.

The Ultimate Acting Flex: Murphy is the only actor who can claim he's only auditioned once in his entire career—just for SNL.

The Beyoncé Moment: Murphy witnessed Jennifer Hudson moisturizing her dry skin when Beyoncé quietly intervened with motherly advice.

Shaq Attack Fear: His biggest worry at Lakers games isn't getting hit by the ball—it's one of those "7-foot dudes diving" into him and turning him into a meme.

The Holy Man Regret: He chose the "easy" Miami shoot over Rush Hour with Jackie Chan, calling it his biggest career misstep.

Ten Perfect Kids: Murphy's proudest achievement isn't his movies—it's raising ten children who are all "really good people."

Key Terms & Definitions

• SNL: Saturday Night Live, the long-running NBC sketch comedy show where Murphy got his start at age 19.
• Mount Rushmore: A ranking system referring to the four greatest examples in any category, named after the famous monument.
• Sexual Chocolate: One of Murphy's most famous catchphrases from Coming to America, originally just one of many ridiculous band names he improvised.

• Razzie Awards: The Golden Raspberry Awards, a parody award ceremony that "honors" the worst in film, where Murphy won multiple categories for Norbit.
• SAG: Screen Actors Guild, the labor union representing film and television actors that Murphy referenced when discussing his unique audition history.
• 360 With Speedy: A long-form celebrity interview series hosted by Speedy Morman exploring never-before-heard stories.

The Psychic Girlfriend Who Predicted Fame

How did Eddie Murphy know he'd become famous at age 13? The answer involves a clairvoyant girlfriend whose abilities were genuinely extraordinary.

Murphy's certainty about fame began with Sherry Bell, a teenage girlfriend with genuine psychic abilities. "She could really like read stuff. She could like put her hands on stuff and see stuff with her hands," Murphy explained, emphasizing this wasn't typical teenage fortune-telling.

Her abilities were demonstrably real. "She could put her hand in the newspaper and tell you the stuff in the paper. And you could put money in her hands, she could tell you what the bill was. She could put her hand in the photo album and tell you who was on the picture."

The prediction came during their relationship when Murphy was 13-14. "She told me, you're going to be famous," Murphy recalled. "I was like, yeah, I knew it, I knew it. And she said, yeah, you are going to be famous."

The story takes a poignant turn. Sherry developed neurological problems and "was bedridden all of her 20s and I took care of her." The connection between them lasted decades, until a supernatural moment on the Nutty Professor set. "We're shooting one big scene and all the lights go out. And the whole set is all black. We go back to the trailer. Then on the way to the trailer, somebody came and told me, hey, Sherry Bell passed away. Lights out."

Only One Audition in 50 Years

What makes Eddie Murphy unique among actors? He's never auditioned for a movie in his entire career---just once for SNL.

Murphy revealed what might be the biggest flex in Hollywood history. "The only thing I ever auditioned for was SNL. But a movie? Never."

He understands how rare this is in the industry. "I'm the only actor at, when I say that, I can't think of, no actor can make such a bold statement that they only had one audition their whole life."

The reaction from other actors is predictable. "It makes other actors sick, though. We were doing something in front of the people, SAG two years ago. We were doing something that the whole audience was all actors and SAG. And I said that you can kind of feel like, ‘This motherf—er.’”

Eddie Murphy's Iconic Catchphrases

Which Eddie Murphy catchphrase resonates most with fans on the street? The answer reveals how his improvised moments became cultural phenomena.

Murphy acknowledged his numerous memorable phrases, though he noted an unexpected fan favorite reference from his 1987 standup film Raw. "‘F— you, Eddie!’ That's what they call them when sometimes on the street. They're like, ‘Yeah, fuck you, Eddie!’ My kid's like, ‘Why do they say that to you?’"

The "Sexual Chocolate" reference from Coming To America remains a standout, but Murphy revealed it was just one of many improvised options. "Sexual Chocolate is just one of the names that I said. Each time I did a take we had a different, ridiculous name for the band. And “Sexual Chocolate” was the most ridiculous one."

Mount Rushmore of Eddie Murphy Movies

What are Eddie Murphy's four greatest films? His choices reveal the difficulty of selecting from a legendary career.

Murphy found the exercise challenging given his extensive filmography. "Coming to America. The Nutty Professor. Shrek…it's like a bunch of joints."

The decision-making process was difficult. "If I say 48 Hrs., I can't say Trading Places." After deliberation, his final four became: "Coming to America. Shrek. Nutty Professor. 48 Hrs."

However, Murphy then reconsidered, acknowledging Dreamgirls' broader appeal. "I'll take 48 Hrs. off and put Dreamgirls on. 48 Hrs. is really good. But Dreamgirls, everybody can enjoy. But 48 Hrs. is a guy movie."

He emphasized the challenge of the exercise: "I got a lot of joints that worked. It'd be easier to name my four worst movies."

His Worst Films

Which Eddie Murphy movies does he consider his biggest failures? His honesty reveals both regret and perspective on career missteps.

Murphy didn't hesitate to name his biggest disappointments. "Pluto Nash, Holy Man."

Norbit received mixed reactions, but Speedy is quick to defend it. According to Eddie, the timing was particularly unfortunate. "Norbit came out right after I got the Oscar nomination. So there were articles that were like, ‘How can he get an Oscar and he did this?’"

The Razzie Awards were particularly harsh on Norbit. "When it came out, I got voted for Razzie's for the worst actor of the decade, worst actor, and worst actress." Murphy played multiple characters, including one woman that earned him a nomination in the worst actress category. "They gave me a Razzie for worst actress, worst actor, and worst actor of the decade. I was like, come on, man. Shit ain’t that bad."

Despite criticism, Murphy maintains his position: "But to this day, I like Norbit. There’s stuff in Norbit that makes me laugh."

Turning Down Rush Hour for Holy Man

Why did Eddie Murphy pass on Rush Hour? His decision reveals how the "easy choice" became his biggest career regret.

Murphy faced a crucial decision between two scripts. "They came to me and it was like two scripts. It was like, it's Rush Hour, and it's going to be an action comedy, and you're going to be in [it with] Jackie Chan and it's action and summertime running, all this physical stuff. And this other one is you in a robe in Miami."

The choice seemed obvious at the time. "That's a no brainer. Then we went to Miami and made a horrendous film. But it was easy to go. But I have to stop saying it was ‘horrendous’—the movie was soft, it wasn’t a great picture."

He also revealed another major role he passed on: "And I was the original for Driving Miss Daisy. They actually developed that for me. I wasn't doing the shit like that back then. I was like, ‘I ain't driving no Miss Daisy.’"

The Ultimate Homebody

What does Eddie Murphy consider his ideal day? His answer reveals a preference for simplicity that dates back to childhood.

Murphy's love of staying home traces back to his unique childhood punishment. "My punishment was I couldn't watch TV. I could go outside, but I couldn't watch TV. I was just sitting in the house, miserable, crying because I couldn't watch TV."

This early experience shaped his adult preferences. "There's no bigger homebody than me. I love to be in the house, just chilling."

His ideal scenario remains unchanged: "That's always been the ideal. But I like when there's absolutely nothing on the schedule and there's no plans and it's just Saturday. That's my favorite."

Greatest Fear at Lakers Games

What terrifies Eddie Murphy about sitting courtside at Lakers games? His fear isn't what you'd expect.

Murphy's concern isn't about getting hit by the basketball. "My biggest fear is to be sitting there and one of the [players] go dive for some ball and knock me out and turn into some meme."

The size of NBA players up close adds to his anxiety. "You don’t realize how big these guys are until you on the floor and they run by. It's like a f—ing herd. A 7-foot dude diving."

The potential for viral embarrassment keeps him on edge: "You could be on TV and be on the news and Shaq is stepping on your face."

Untold Beyoncé Story from Dreamgirls

What did Eddie Murphy witness between Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson that he's never shared before? The moment reveals Beyoncé's mentoring nature.

Murphy was going through his divorce during Dreamgirls filming, which affected his memory of the production. "I did Dreamgirls right when I was getting divorced and I was kind of like an automatic pilot and I don't remember a lot of making the movie."

However, one moment stood out involving the two leading ladies. "I watched Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé, they were on stage and Jennifer is new in show business too. She had a finger right between her and she was licking her fingers and getting the ash like that."

Beyoncé's response showed her caring nature. "Beyoncé grabbed her and said, ‘Ooh girl, don't do that. I'll get you some cream.’ It was quiet, between the two of them, but I saw it."

Murphy had kept this private moment to himself until now. "This might be the first time I've shared that with anyone. That's my Beyoncé memory. ‘Ooh girl, let me get you some cream. Don't do that.’"

Meeting LeBron James

How did Eddie Murphy meet LeBron James? The story involves Murphy's brief return to nightclub life after his divorce.

Murphy's encounter with LeBron happened during a transitional period in his personal life. "I met LeBron James once when I first got divorced. We got the old crew together and we were like, ‘We're going to go back out to the club again.’"

The night out was a reality check. "A bunch of old motherf—ers went out to the club and we was the old dudes in the club. And that one night I seen LeBron James coming out of the club and I met him. That's the only time I met him."

Murphy noted his limited celebrity encounters despite decades in the business. "I never met Michael Jordan before. I haven't met a lot of people. I met a bunch of people in the early days. When I first got into business, I would meet people. But I don't do a lot of show business stuff."

The Pickup - New Film

What can fans expect from Eddie Murphy's latest movie The Pickup? The film represents a return to his action-comedy roots.

Murphy described The Pickup as a throwback to his classic films. "The Pickup is about to come out on Amazon Prime video. It's a funny Eddie Murphy action comedy like the old joints, like the old days."

The twist is Murphy's changed role in the dynamic. "But the difference is like a movie like 48 hours. I was the young dude and it's the older guy. Now I'm the older guy. It's Pete Davidson as the young dude."

The cast includes several notable performers. "The wonderfully talented Kiki Palmer and Andrew Dice Clay and Eva Longoria. Just a great summer movie action comedy."

Working with Pete Davidson created natural chemistry. "Because Pete is from SNL and Pete is a stand-up comic, we had a lot in common and there was a lot of joking between scenes."

Legacy: His Ten Children

What does Eddie Murphy consider his greatest accomplishment? His answer focuses on family rather than career achievements.

When asked about legacy, Murphy immediately redirected from his entertainment career. "My legacy is my children. This is what I do to make a living. It's not my legacy at all."

He takes pride in raising well-adjusted kids despite celebrity challenges. "My legacy is my children that I produced. These wonderful, well-balanced human beings that I'm proud of that are good people. Ten good people."

Murphy emphasized avoiding common celebrity family pitfalls. "Like I don't have the one, oh, this is the bullshit-ass celebrity asshole kid. I don't have any of that. All my kids are really good people."

His final statement on legacy was definitive: "And that's my legacy—that I got these great kids that I produced."

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Eddie Murphy know he'd be famous? His teenage girlfriend Sherry Bell, who had genuine psychic abilities, told him he'd be famous when he was around 13 years old.

Has Eddie Murphy ever auditioned for a movie? No, Murphy has only auditioned once in his entire career---for Saturday Night Live. He's never auditioned for any movie role.

What's Eddie Murphy's movie Mount Rushmore? After deliberation, Murphy settled on Coming to America, Dreamgirls, The Nutty Professor, and Shrek as his four greatest films.

What are Eddie Murphy's worst movies? Murphy named Pluto Nash and Holy Man as his biggest disappointments, though he defends Norbit despite its negative reception.

Why did Eddie Murphy turn down Rush Hour? He chose to make Holy Man instead because it seemed like an "easy" shoot in Miami compared to the physical demands of the Jackie Chan action comedy.

What's Eddie Murphy's biggest fear at Lakers games? He's afraid of getting knocked over by a diving NBA player and becoming a viral meme, not getting hit by the basketball.

What's the untold Beyoncé story? Murphy witnessed Beyoncé quietly advising Jennifer Hudson not to lick her fingers to fix her dry skin during Dreamgirls filming, offering to get her lotion instead.

What is Eddie Murphy's legacy? Murphy considers his ten children his greatest legacy, emphasizing that all of them are "really good people" without any celebrity family drama.

What's Eddie Murphy's new movie about? The Pickup is an action comedy on Amazon Prime where Murphy plays the older veteran role while Pete Davidson plays the young partner, reversing his classic 48 Hrs. dynamic.

About 360 With Speedy

360 With Speedy is a long-form conversation series hosted by Speedy Morman that explores never-before-heard stories from musicians, actors, and celebrities. The show focuses on revealing the keys to success in an ever-changing entertainment industry through candid, in-depth interviews that go beyond typical celebrity conversations.

This interview showcases why Eddie Murphy remains one of the most compelling figures in entertainment—his willingness to share genuine experiences while maintaining perspective on what truly matters in life.