For the first time in his legendary career, Eddie Murphy is stepping into a new kind of spotlight, his own.
The upcoming Netflix documentary Being Eddie offers an intimate and revealing look at the comedian, actor, and cultural icon whose voice has defined generations of comedy and cinema.
Directed by Angus Wall, a two-time Oscar winner known for his work on The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the film traces Murphy’s extraordinary journey from teenage stand-up prodigy to global superstar, and, at 63, a creative force who’s still evolving.
“There is no one else like him. Nobody,” Wall told Netflix’s Todum. “He’s been famous longer than just about anyone alive, and he’s never lost who he is. He has survived it all with grace. How did he do that? What guides him? We chase all of these questions with him.”
In Being Eddie, Murphy opens his home and his heart to reflect on nearly five decades in entertainment. The film explores his early days in New York comedy clubs, his groundbreaking rise on Saturday Night Live, and his record-shattering stand-up specials that made him a household name before he turned 25.
From there, the story follows Murphy’s transformation into a box-office powerhouse through classics like Trading Places, Coming to America, and Beverly Hills Cop, to his comedic reinvention in The Nutty Professor, and his soulful turn as James “Thunder” Early in Dreamgirls, which earned him an Oscar nomination.
The film also features commentary from friends, collaborators, and admirers who’ve witnessed Murphy’s brilliance up close, including Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Tracy Morgan.
Together, they paint a portrait of an artist whose talent transcends genre and generation, a performer equally at home in stand-up clubs, animated studios, and Hollywood soundstages.
“Eddie has entertained three generations of fans,” Wall said. “He’s done comedy, drama, musicals, animation — everything. But what people will see here is Eddie the person. The father, the friend, the man behind the laughter.”
One of the most poignant moments in the documentary revisits a decades-old interview in which a young Murphy joked about his many impersonations, saying even his mother once asked, “Who’s Eddie? What voice is Eddie’s voice?”
Wall said this film finally answers that question.
“Eddie has played a lot of different characters over the last 40-plus years, but he’s never played himself on screen before. He opens up his world and his heart, and I think people are going to really enjoy spending time with him,” Wall shares.
Murphy, who’s spent a lifetime making others laugh, finally takes a beat to reflect on what it all means.
Being Eddie premieres on November 12 on Netflix.
