Legendary comedian Eddie Murphy is scheduled to host Saturday Night Live for the first time in 37 years.
Murphy, 58, was a cast member on SNL from 1980 to 1984, where he was credited by many with revitalizing the show with characters like “Buckwheat,” “Gumby,” and “Mr. Robinson,” a spoof of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. He was 18 years old when he joined the cast. The only other time he hosted the show was in 1982, when he became the first regular cast member to host before leaving the show.
Murphy left the show after the 1984 season as he gained more opportunities to act in films. He quickly became a household name after appearing in the comedies Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, and 48 Hours. Murphy’s career slowed toward the end of the 1980s after several of his films failed to draw the box office success of his earlier work.
Rumors that Murphy’s relationship with SNL soured have swirled for years, but most believe it can be traced to a 1990 episode of the show in which cast member David Spade said of Murphy during a Weekend Update segment, “Look, children, it’s a falling star. Make a wish!” According to Spade, Murphy called him repeatedly to tell him he’d made a terrible mistake and that everyone on SNL owed Murphy their career.
Murphy confirmed to Rolling Stone in a 2011 interview that it was Spade’s joke that bothered him. “What really irritated me about it at the time was that it was a career shot,” he said. “It was like, ‘Hey, come on, man, it’s one thing for you guys to do a joke about some movie of mine, but my career? I’m one of you guys.”
Michaels expressed regret over Spade’s joke, as well in a 2013 interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “I figured it was kind of a clean hit,” he said. “I didn’t really think about it, but Eddie did.”
After skipping the 25th anniversary and refusing to return as a guest host for years, Murphy made a brief appearance on the show’s 40th anniversary special, though he refused to do any impressions. He was, instead, the recipient of a tribute given to him by comedian and former SNL cast member Chris Rock.
Murphy, the father of 10 children with several different women including former Spice Girl Mel B, has remained largely out of the limelight in recent years, though a comeback seems to be mounting. He appeared in the most recent season of the Jerry Seinfeld-hosted Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, sparking rumors that he was interested in returning to comedy.
SNL announced Murphy’s scheduled hosting date via Twitter on Monday afternoon, showing the comedian slated for Dec. 21. The last show before Christmas has traditionally been the most popular episode of the season. Murphy, who made several successful movies in the late 1990s and early 2000s including The Nutty Professor series, the Shrek series, and Dreamgirls, recently signed a $70 million deal with Netflix to produce several comedy specials. He is also in the middle of production for the sequel to the 1988 film Coming to America, one of Murphy’s most iconic roles.
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