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Eddie Murphy Explains 2007 Oscars Exit, Says He Left to Avoid "Sympathy Guy" Label

The comedian offers the clarification in a new Entertainment Weekly interview connected to his Netflix documentary Being Eddie.

Overview

  • Murphy says he quietly left after losing for Dreamgirls because attendees kept consoling him, citing a shoulder rub from Clint Eastwood as the moment he decided to go.
  • He recalls predicting Alan Arkin’s victory months earlier after an early screening of Little Miss Sunshine and praises Arkin’s performance.
  • Murphy argues that Oscar outcomes hinge on intangible factors such as campaigning, past work and industry sentiment rather than a set formula.
  • His early departure meant he missed Jennifer Hudson’s supporting actress win and the Dreamgirls musical numbers later in the show.
  • The remarks, shared while promoting Being Eddie on Netflix, revisit his long-running, sometimes fraught relationship with the Academy.