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Eddie Murphy Recasts 2007 Oscars Exit, Says He Left to Avoid 'Sympathy Guy' Role

The comedian says a consoling shoulder rub from Clint Eastwood prompted him to bow out to avoid being the object of pity.

Overview

  • The clarification comes in a new Entertainment Weekly interview tied to his Netflix documentary Being Eddie.
  • Murphy says he departed after Alan Arkin won Best Supporting Actor, praising Arkin’s performance and recalling he predicted its awards impact after an early screening.
  • He rejects reports that he stormed out, saying he wanted to skip an evening of condolences rather than leave in anger.
  • He describes Oscar outcomes as shaped by intangibles such as campaigning, past work and industry relationships rather than any fixed formula.
  • In the documentary he calls losing a “mindf—” given the effort of attending, and he had already left before Jennifer Hudson’s win and the Dreamgirls performances.