Eddie Murphy reveals that working on 'sh---y' movies made him so depressed that he stopped acting for 8 years


Eddie Murphy returns this month with the Coming to America sequel, but you're not wrong for thinking you haven't seen him around much lately.
Drew Barrymore was also wondering what the story was when she interviewed the legendary actor on her show on Friday. "I'll tell you what happened," Murphy said. "I'll tell you what happened to me. I had it all the way together for years and years and years, and then what happened with movies is they started offering you so much money to do stuff that I wound up doing."
Murphy added that he did a "bunch of movies like that," but with film, "it's forever" and he was bothered by how "that sh---y movie is still playing on the movie channel." He stopped having fun. "I had to take a time," Murphy said — but now, eight years later, "I got it all back together that way." Watch the interview below, and skip to the five-minute mark to hear his comments about his career. Jeva Lange
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
August 20 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday's political cartoons include NATO leadership, Putin's views on mail-in voting, and Donald Trump's National Guard deployments
-
Jasveen Sangha and the ketamine 'Wild West' of Hollywood
In The Spotlight Arrest of the 'ketamine queen' accused of supplying Friends star Matthew Perry with deadly dose has turned spotlight on a showbiz drug problem
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards