Eddie Murphy Says He Was Blacklisted for Calling Out Racism
Eddie Murphy Says He Was Blacklisted by the Oscars for Calling Out Racism
Eddie Murphy is taking a thoughtful look back at one of the most talked-about moments of his career, and it happened long before social media existed. In the new Netflix documentary Being Eddie, the 64-year-old comedian reflects on the night he stood on the Academy Awards stage in 1988 and said something he believed many people were not ready to hear.
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According to Murphy, that moment may have come with consequences. He shares in the film that he has long suspected the Academy may have quietly pushed him aside after the remarks he made while presenting Best Picture at the 60th Oscars. As he explains it, people still come across the old clip and react with surprise at how directly he addressed the issue of race during such a major moment.
Murphy remembers knowing exactly what he was doing. In the documentary, he jokingly recalls telling the audience that he might never get an Oscar after saying what he was about to say. Still, he went forward with his comments. He told the crowd that part of him wanted to decline the invitation to present because he felt the Academy had not honored Black performers fairly. He pointed to the imbalance in award recognition and made it clear that he felt the industry needed to do better.
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During the broadcast, Murphy told the audience that Black talent would no longer accept being placed at the back of the line in Hollywood. He emphasized that he would still present the award, but he wanted the industry to acknowledge the contributions of Black performers with real respect.
Years later, Murphy did earn an Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls in 2007 for his role as James “Thunder” Early. Although he was widely expected to win, the award ultimately went to Alan Arkin. Murphy now jokes that his loss was not necessarily because of his 1988 comments, but he does acknowledge something strange that happened immediately after that famous moment. He says that the next day, it was as if his speech never happened. There were no photos, no media coverage, and no acknowledgment that he had addressed the issue so openly onstage.
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Murphy also remembers that he had a brief conversation backstage with Robin Williams before he stepped out to present. When Murphy told Williams he planned to bring up race, Williams questioned why he would choose to take that risk. Murphy says he planned to keep the tone light but still make a meaningful point.
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Being Eddie, directed by two-time Oscar winner Angus Wall, brings together an impressive lineup of comedians and entertainers who share their own experiences with Murphy. Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, Kenan Thompson, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Tracy Morgan are among the many voices featured in the documentary.
The film celebrates nearly five decades of Murphy’s work, highlighting his ability to break barriers and shape entire generations of comedy. It paints a picture of a performer who has continuously pushed boundaries both onstage and off.
Being Eddie is now streaming on Netflix.
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Eddie Murphy Says He Was Blacklisted by the Oscars for Calling Out Racism was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com
