Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy's stint as a standout performer on Saturday Night Live (1981-84) led to a successful movie career. On SNL he was known for playful impressions of rocker James Brown, children's host Mister Rogers, and Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas of the old Our Gang show, with Murphy tweaking racial stereotypes as part of the act. He became a star with the success of his first three movies: 48 Hrs. (1982, opposite Nick Nolte), Trading Places (1983) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984). After some disappointments in the early 1990s (and sequels to Beverly Hills Cop in 1987 and 1994), Murphy bounced back with a remake of the Jerry Lewis comedy The Nutty Professor (1996). He followed up with a string of successes, including Dr. Doolittle (1998), Bowfinger (1999, with Steve Martin) and voice roles in Mulan (1998) and Shrek (2001, plus Shrek II in 2004). Murphy has also had success with his comedy recordings, winning a Grammy for Eddie Murphy: Comedian (1983), and he even had a hit dance single in 1986 ("Party All The Time"). Murphy often plays several roles in the same movie, often under heavy makeup. He plays multiple roles in the Nutty Professor films, in Coming to America (1988) and Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), and a dual role in Bowfinger. His other films include Harlem Nights (1989, with Richard Pryor), Boomerang (1992, with Halle Berry), I Spy (2002, with Owen Wilson) and Dreamgirls (2006, with Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé).

Extra credit: Early in his career,u Murphy's frequent use of raw language in his comedy act caused some controversy... Gossip sheets had a heyday in 1997 when Murphy was arrested for picking up a cross-dressing prostitute. Murphy explained that he was just being a "good Samaritan" and he was not charged.