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Being Eddie Debuts on Netflix, Offering a Rare Glimpse of Eddie Murphy

Critics praise the access, with some faulting a curated portrait.

Overview

  • The one-off documentary, directed by Angus Wall, is now streaming and features new at-home access alongside interviews with Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry Bruckheimer and others.
  • Murphy reflects on formative family trauma, including his parents’ divorce and his father’s killing, and credits his stepfather Vernon Lynch as a stabilizing influence.
  • Archival footage of the late Charlie Murphy anchors a brief moment the star describes as a rare instance of being "totally vulnerable."
  • The film revisits Murphy’s long rift with Saturday Night Live after a 1995 joke, his 2019 return to host, and his evolving relationship with fame and stand-up.
  • Reviewers call the profile reverential and selective, noting omissions around past controversies and relationships while underscoring Murphy’s outsize cultural impact and avoidance of drugs and public funerals.