Stand-ups on screen

Eddie Murphy

On the stage… Explosive and explicit, Murphy was a relentless comedian, mocking gays, African-Americans, as well as overweight people and victims of AIDS. His intensity and persistence went mainstream when he joined “Saturday Night Live.”

On the big screen… It only took one scene in a redneck bar in 1982’s “48 Hrs.” to make Murphy a movie star. Plowing his way into the national consciousness, he found his stride with back-to-back mega-hits “Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” Hollywood success tamed the firebrand and now audiences primarily associate Murphy with the silliness of characters like “The Nutty Professor” [pictured] and “Doctor Doolittle.”