The career of Eddie Murphy is one of the most impressive in entertainment history. As a teenager, Murphy burst into national prominence as a cast member on Season 6 of Saturday Night Live.
A new documentary streaming now on Netflix titled Being Eddie examines that supernova moment and the many accomplishments in Murphy’s career.
But don’t expect anything revealing in this warm treatment of Murphy. Being Eddie is more a celebration of his iconic career than it is an examination of the man or his impact on the industry. And that’s too bad.
Being Eddie feels more like a “Eddie Murphy Highlights” video on YouTube than an in-depth examination of an iconic entertainer. The man who once simultaneously had the #1 movie, #1 comedy special, and #2 pop song, deserves better than this “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” treatment.
The documentary is directed by Oscar winner Angus Wall. It’s a noteworthy addition to the recent celebrity docuseries genre. Fans of SNL and Murphy will find many wonderful moments to enjoy. It’s worth watching, and recommended.
But I wish we could have learned more about Murphy, who is famously protective of his privacy, image, and family. That last one is understandable. But, it would have bene nice to get more into the man who transformed entertainment in the 1980s, who (possibly) saved SNL, and who became a superstar in multiple aspects of show business.
You’ll get oodles of wonderful interviews with Murphy friends and followers, like Dave Chappelle, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Pete Davidson, and more. But you won’t get much beyond the veneer and facade Murphy maintains.
It’s not that Eddie Murphy has sordid details in his past that need to be dredged up (he sort of does). I’m not asking for a hatchet job on Eddie, who ranks among the top SNL cast members ever. But, there’s way too much fluff here. I would liked to have seen a more serious examination of a career that has rightfully influenced a generation of comics, many of them black.
Netflix debuted Being Eddie on November 12.
