Netflix’s upcoming documentary “Being Eddie” is based on 40 hours of new interviews from Eddie Murphy’s home.
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In Eddie Murphy’s next movie, he’s playing the role of a lifetime: himself.
The Netflix documentary “Being Eddie” (out November 12) chronicles the comedian’s nearly 50-year career, from his stint on “Saturday Night Live” to hits like “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Shrek.” Many of his famous friends are interviewed, and the film takes the audience into Murphy’s home for candid conversations.
“Eddie is someone who feels like he knows who he is from the beginning,” director Angus Wall told USA TODAY in an exclusive premiere of the documentary. “He has been on the path of destiny since childhood. He is an artist who can express himself in many different ways, not only through comedy and acting, but also through music and all other different ways.
“He has an incredibly flexible mind and spirit. His openness was really refreshing and in some ways surprising.”
Wall began work on the film in 2019, when he was given “unprecedented access” behind the scenes of Murphy’s hosting of SNL. “We shot in[Lorne Michaels’]office, and no one has ever done that before, and no one may ever do it again,” the filmmaker says.
When the coronavirus outbreak hit the following year, the director set up a camera at Murphy’s home during lockdown and had about 10 “open and vulnerable” four-hour chats on a wide range of topics. “For me, this movie is like that conversation and spending time with him,” Wall says. “He’s who he is in every situation. But he can be someone else more easily than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Murphy also talks about his many fan-favorite roles, from Yul Brynner to Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera, delivering one spot-on impression after another. “It’s an eight-part limited series, and it’s the only movie he’s ever made,” Wall says. But Murphy was also getting personal. Wall revealed that he spoke emotionally about the “deep relationship” he had with his brother Charlie, who died of leukemia in 2017.
In general, Wall found Murphy insightful, hilarious, and also spiritual. “He jokes about it in the movie,” Wall says. “But there was something about him that guided him throughout his entire career.”
Many familiar faces speak out about the “Being Eddie” comedian, including Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Foxx, and Tracee Ellis Ross. The film also depicts Murphy’s close friendships with fellow comedians Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kenan Thompson, and Tracy Morgan. While they all have “respect” for the 64-year-old star, Wall says, “He’s very easy-going with them, and there’s a deep sense of kinship there.”
“Eddie is such an icon and a legend, but also one of the most interesting people in the world,” the filmmaker added. “He is truly a human unicorn.”
