In the 1980s, the young Eddie Murphy skyrocketed from Saturday Night Live to Hollywood fame with a string of smash-hit comedies – 48 Hrs, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, and Coming to America. His fellow SNL players including Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray were also making it big in the world of comedy movies – and they tried to entice Murphy into making Ghostbusters with them.
Murphy says he doesn’t regret not being a part of that team, but there is one 80s movie that he does regret turning down. Speaking to Jimmy Fallon in December 2019 about firstly Ghostbusters, Murphy says; “I did Beverly Hills Cop. It wasn’t like I turned it [Ghostbusters] down, in as much as I wasn’t available because I was doing this other movie.”
He then says; “The only movie I turned down that became a big hit was Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I was gonna be the Bob Hoskins dude. I was like; ‘What? Animation and people?! That sounds like bullshit to me!’ Now every time I see it, I feel like an idiot.”
In case you haven’t seen it (shock, horror) or need reminding, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of the best movies ever made. Hoskins’ private detective Eddie Valiant reluctantly teams up with a cartoon rabbit named Roger who is wanted for murder, and they try to clear his name. Eddie’s investigations lead him to Toon Town, a place he has sworn never to return to, since his brother and partner was murdered by a toon. Roger’s wife is the gorgeous and glamorous Jessica Rabbit – an iconic movie character, if ever there were one.
Eddie Murphy was last seen in 2021’s legacy sequel Coming 2 America and is currently working on Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley. While we wait for more on that new movie, check out our guide to the best action movies.