Writer's Circle: Eddie Murphy interview 1990 about John Landis & COMING TO AMERICA and it is wild.
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bonus...
That was some good shit, Landis didn't know Eddie loved boxing and is nice with his hands.....lol.....as Kevin Hart once said "You gon' learn today"
You can tell he can box by watching
his footwork on Harlem Nights when
he was boxing Della Reese, lol.
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I read this when it came out. I'm surprised it wasn't the part when he grabbed Eddie's balls and Eddie put him in a chokehold.
"I went to Paramount and said I wanted to use Landis."
"I made Paramount hire him."
"I made them pay his money."
Who remembers when Spike Lee criticized Murphy for not making sure more black folks were getting behind the scene jobs on his movies, and Aresino defended Murphy by saying even though he's one of the biggest stars in the world it's only so much he can do? He said this to Spike Lee who even though he had one ten-thousandth of the clout Murphy had still managed to get black folks in film industry union jobs where they had no blacks before.
"I made Paramount hire him."
"I made them pay his money."
Who remembers when Spike Lee criticized Murphy for not making sure more black folks were getting behind the scene jobs on his movies, and Aresino defended Murphy by saying even though he's one of the biggest stars in the world it's only so much he can do? He said this to Spike Lee who even though he had one ten-thousandth of the clout Murphy had still managed to get black folks in film industry union jobs where they had no blacks before.
It's about learning languages, some people only respect violence and Eddie could speak that language.
I guess Landis got his revenge by tanking the Beverly Hills Cop franchise.
Now I'm curious as to why Eddie let him direct BHC 3.
Now I'm curious as to why Eddie let him direct BHC 3.
I remember.
I think Landis did Trading Places with Murphy so this was payback
Landis was one of the hottest directors for a while. The landscape wasn't like it was today. Eddie Murphy was THE Star at the time. Eddie was considered too arrogant, too cocky, uppity.
MJ and Eddie were the only people to give him real pay checks big budget work and keep hiring him after Landis fucked up
maybe it was something about using the devil you know
Spike was talking out of his ass
Just ask Keenan Wayans how much Eddie looked out and invested in or hired black talent and production....
There is still not enough told about Eddie's moves in Hollywood - in the 80s and 90s
Yeah that was some ho ass shit that Spike did. He was always pulling that “you’re not black enough” shit with black Hollywood. Shit is irresponsible.
FACTS
Why didn't Arsenio say that then? What Arsenio implied was that Murphy didn't have the clout to get what he wanted from the studios. When Lee didn't buy this nonsense of not enough clout, instead of just explaining that Murphy was indeed doing a lot for black folks in the industry he instead told someone next time I'll just whip his little ass. I thought Murphy and Hall were close, why couldn't his good friend articulate the good things Murphy was doing for black folks in the industry?
Murphy at one time was the biggest star in the country, what's wrong with him using his clout to hire black cameramen, grips, sound men, caterers?
Man, I never knew about this. I heard the quote from Eddie Murphy, I hired him and he's coming in with an attitude.
I didn't understand it at the time. I didn't think it possible, I guess. I thought directors hired actors, not the other way around. So when Eddie said I hired him I thought he was just walking around.
That line though, you are either going to give me some fear or give me some respect. I got to use that one
1. If Arsenio says "we already do that" - for 10 minutes he is listing examples and explaining how films gets financing to a reporter that was only asking for a soundbite
2. Eddie has a rule of no talking about business or the moves he makes- for everyone he fucks with- he learned to move in silence
He got successful really fast -he went from SNL cast member to most profitable actor in hollywood in less than 3 years
-negotiated one of the last exclusive studio contracts that included a production partnership and saw the hate and racism first hand from execs and press
he did - for A LOT of people
actors comedians production and crew
the exec producer hires the director -
It was Eddie's production company with Paramount acting as investor and distributor
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Explain to me how implying the biggest star in the country doesn't have the clout to have black people hired is better than saying Murphy does a lot behind the scenes for people but he doesn't like to brag about it.
I don't understand. You're saying it made sense to imply the biggest star in the country had no clout?in the late 80s early 90s hollywood?
Arsenio had Spike on his show and jumped all over him. It was not polite in the least.
He did use his clout.
These were different times. If I'm not mistaken, In this same article Eddie stated he had ten million in the bank. A bad movie here or there and your finances change. One might start dipping into funds.
I think he had a Paramount deal of only 15 million. He actually complained that his movies made a lot of money yet his cut was relatively pennies on the dollar.
I don't remember that at all, I remember Lee being on his show and discussing that Lee felt Murphy being as big a star as he was could be doing a lot for blacks in the industry. Hall was trying to defend Murphy by saying it's only so much Murphy could do because basically, the studios ran the industry. Lee, you could tell was not buying it but there was no fight or anything. Westwood one, later on, did an interview with Lee and he said once again said that Murphy wasn't doing anything for blacks in the industry and Hall knew it and was just defending his friend, when Hall heard what was said he said next time I'll just whip his little ass. Lee was later invited back to his show and Hall once again said that it's only so much Murphy could do and once again Lee's facial expressions were saying he still wasn't buying it but there were no fireworks. Maybe Lee was on his show a different time because I've never seen Hall go hard at Lee.
middle america didn't know Eddie was the biggest star in Hollywood
they kind of got a hint after Nutty Professor -
for most part even the media down played how big Eddie was behind the scenes 87 to 92 - and Eddie worked very hard to keep it that way
Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Gibson etc carried the title as far as middle america was concerned
When the Chappelle show started doing the Charlie Murphy stories is the first time main stream white audience started getting a clue that Eddie is a rock star in the industry
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