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Eddie Murphy walked into the Dolby Theatre on Saturday night as a living institution and left with a standing ovation, a silver star trophy, and an unexpected public pitch from Dave Chappelle to resurrect Chappelle’s Show. Murphy received the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award at the black-tie gala in Hollywood, surrounded by comedy royalty, Oscar winners, studio heads, and longtime collaborators — nearly all of whom had a story that confirmed what the two-hour tribute already made plain: that Murphy reshaped American comedy as thoroughly as anyone in the past 50 years. The gala raised over $2.5 million to support AFI’s nonprofit education programs. The ceremony will stream on Netflix on May 31.
Murphy, 65, kept his acceptance speech short, funny, and unexpectedly tender. He noted that the AFI had gotten the timing right, saying he was glad not to have waited the way some recipients had — pointing to Mel Brooks at 86 and Francis Ford Coppola at 86 among recent honorees. He closed by scanning the room and saying, “I wish y’all could feel what I’m feeling, see what I’m seeing. I almost teared up. I’m going to get backstage and cry.”
The most talked-about moment came from Chappelle, who co-starred with Murphy in The Nutty Professor and who recalled watching Raw at 14 as a turning point in his own life. “I would watch him every day after school like I was taking a class,” Chappelle said.
He then revealed that a recent visit to Murphy’s home, days after Murphy’s 65th birthday, turned into the first real conversation the two had shared about Murphy’s late brother Charlie — a regular on Chappelle’s Show who died in 2017. Chappelle told the room that Murphy himself had suggested making a Chappelle’s Show movie, at which point Chappelle issued his live pitch: “So Eddie, if I do it, man, do the Charlie parts and let’s fucking go.”
Kevin Hart opened the program by framing Murphy’s influence on generations of comedians, telling him, “You are a brother, a mentor, an inspiration. God damn it, you’re an idol.” Arsenio Hall captured Murphy’s range simply and cleanly: “When Eddie does a family film, he plays a whole damn family.”
Mike Myers appeared on stage in full Shrek makeup. Da’Vine Joy Randolph described Murphy including her in the entire Dolemite Is My Name press tour as the moment that changed her career’s direction. Stevie Wonder, who bookended his appearance with two standing ovations, spoke about the friendship that grew from Murphy’s impression of him on Saturday Night Live.
Spike Lee, who presented the award, said: “Eddie made us laugh and made our nation feel better.” Murphy thanked Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos for organizing the evening, then walked offstage — trophy in hand, promise of tears ahead.
