The veteran comic will be back on 'SNL' for the first time in over thirty years for its 40th anniversary special.
Eddie Murphy is to return to the programme where it all started for him, as the comedian announced his return to ‘Saturday Night Live’ for its 40th anniversary special. It will be his first appearance on the comedy performance show in over three decades.
The 'Today' show confirmed via a phone interview on ‘News One Now’ that Murphy will take part in the three hour special alongside a host of former ‘SNL’ names past and present. The anniversary show will be broadcast on NBC on Sunday 15th February.
Eddie Murphy, pictured with girlfriend Paige Butcher, will return to 'SNL'
Talking about his decision to return to the iconic show after such a long absence, Murphy said: “It just never worked out where the timing was right for me to do it. They're having a 40th anniversary - I'm going to that. And that will be the first time I've been back since I left.”
More: ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ back on the beat! Eddie Murphy to reprise role for 2016 reboot
The actor and comedian, globally famous for his three turns in the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy, joined ‘SNL’ back in 1981, and remains the second-youngest performer in the show’s four-decade long history. His final performance on the show was when he hosted it on December 15th 1984, ten months after he had made his final bow as a cast member.
NBC has not yet confirmed any special guests at all for the anniversary show, though Murphy’s appearance will almost certainly be a highlight. Some of his most memorable characters include ‘Gumby’, ‘Buckwheat’ and the Mr. Rogers spoof impersonation ‘Mr. Robinson’.
Back in June last year, it was announced that Murphy would be returning to Detroit to reprise his role as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop 4, the first instalment in the series since 1994. Jerry Bruckheimer, the man behind the original 1984 classic, will be producing the picture, alongside director Brett Ratner.
More: Neil Patrick Harris, Eddie Murphy and 8 other actors who got into drag for roles
Jack McCall is a literary agent who has a way with words. He knows just...
Josh Kovacs has been a resident in Queens for more than ten years; in...
Watch the trailer for Shrek Forever AfterOnce again we return to the land of Far...
During his days as SNL's reigning superstar, Eddie Murphy loved to compare himself to Elvis....
Computer animation's "WOW" factor bar has just bumped up another notch. Shrek, a fairy...
If only they had let Bill Condon direct Chicago instead of just writing the screenplay....
I don't expect much from Eddie Murphy these days. For the past four years,...
When Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) pulls off his helmet to reveal a hairnet in the...
After realizing that Eddie Murphy's new cop movie is not"Beverly Hills Cop IV" but something...
How many times are we going to have to see some former stand-up comedian dressed...
As mechanical as an old Disneyland automaton, "The Haunted Mansion" is the third movie in...
There's a delightful surprise before the opening credits of "Daddy Day Care" -- a very...