Eddie Murphy Picks His Best and Worst Movies – And They All Share a Director
Eddie Murphy, an icon of comedy and one of the highest-grossing actors of his generation, has had a long and turbulent career in Hollywood.
Eddie Murphy's filmography is a real roller coaster, ranging from resounding successes that defined an era of comedy to resounding failures that left him distraught for years.
In a candid interview, Murphy highlighted three movies that were significant in his career – two of his best and one of his worst – and surprisingly, they were all directed by the same person.
Eddie Murphy Names the Most Significant Movies of His Career – They're Made by John Landis
Eddie Murphy sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the new documentary about his life. The actor discussed the highs and lows of his career and named the two best and one worst films of his career.
The actor said:
“That heat that I had with John Landis 35, 40 years ago, that's so long ago. I love John, and he directed two of the best movies of my career – Trading Places and Coming to America.
For years, we've had no heat whatsoever. We even did a movie after that shit. John Landis directed Beverly Hills Cop III. The movie sucked, but we were buddies after.”
'Beverly Hills Cop III' Was One of the Biggest Disasters of Eddie Murphy's Career
Rightfully considered one of the most notorious flops of Eddie Murphy's career, Beverly Hills Cop III is a movie that has received scathing reviews from both critics and audiences.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a dismal 11% approval score from critics and a slightly better 35% from viewers.
These low scores are a damning indictment of the third installment, which failed to replicate the success of the first two flicks and disappointed fans with its weak plot and loss of signature style.
Eddie Murphy & John Landis' Relationship Had Its Ups And Downs
The strained relationship between John Landis and Eddie Murphy became widely known after they collaborated on the 1988 movie Coming to America.
During a press conference to promote the film, Murphy publicly stated: “Vic Morrow has a better chance of working with Landis than I do.”
This statement sounded particularly cynical, as it was a reference to Morrow's tragic death. Morrow died in a helicopter crash on the set of The Twilight Zone in 1982, along with two others. Landis co-directed the project.
Although Landis was acquitted of manslaughter, the tragedy dealt a devastating blow to his reputation in Hollywood.
Making matters worse, Landis was reportedly frustrated by the lack of support from Murphy, who was absent from the court hearings.
