considered by some a vanity project, marked the be-
ginning of a downward career slide lasting until the
late 1990’s.
Having a passable singing voice and performing
often-uncredited backup vocals for others, Murphy
tried to launch a singing career to complement his
acting. He released two hit singles, “Party All the
Time” (1985) and “Put Your Mouth on Me” (1989),
but he was never taken seriously as a singer. Another
career snag occurred in 1985, when Murphy’s for-
mer agent sued him for $30 million. Murphy’s worth
at the time was reckoned to be around $50 million.
Because he was in the middle of shooting a film, his
studio, Paramount Pictures, settled the case out of
court.
Murphy also released a comedy album,Comedian
(1983), which received a Grammy Award. He re-
ceived Emmy nominations in 1983 and 1984 for his
work onSaturday Night Liveand Golden Globe nomi-
nations in 1983, 1984, and 1985 for his roles in 48
Hrs.,Trading Places, andBeverly Hills Cop.
Impact Eddie Murphy experienced a phenomenal
rise to stardom at the young age of nineteen. After a
relatively brief but acclaimed tenure on television,
the success of his first motion pictures established
him as one of the most talented entertainers of the
decade and one of the industry’s few “marquee
names,” or virtually guaranteed box-office draws. He
created a bevy of characters uniquely and forever as-
sociated with him. Though often compared with Af-
rican American comic Richard Pryor and consid-
ered the model for more recent comedians like
Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy demonstrated a seem-
ingly effortless ability to play multiple roles in one
movie, and his goofy, infectious, disarming laugh
made him a one-of-a-kind entertainer who helped
define comedy and film of the 1980’s.
Further Reading
Koenig, Teresa, and Rivian Bell.Eddie Murphy. Min-
neapolis: Lerner, 1985.
Rottenberg, Josh, Vanessa Juarez, and Adam B. Vary.
“How Eddie Got His Groove Back.”Entertainment
Weekly, no. 917 (January 26, 2007): 30-37.
Ruuth, Marianne.Eddie: Eddie Murphy from A to Z.Los
Angeles: Holloway House, 1985.
Wilborn, Deborah A.Eddie Murphy.New York: Chel-
sea House, 1999.
Jane L. Ball
See also African Americans; Comedians; Film in
the United States; Television.Murray, Bill
Identification American comedian and actor
Born September 21, 1950; Wilmette, Illinois
Murray was one of a number of comedians—along with
Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase—who
brought the edgy comic sensibilities of NBC’s late-night vari-
ety showSaturday Night Livefurther into the mainstream
in the 1980’s, through a number of highly successful film
comedies.
In 1980, Bill Murray finished his final season onSat-
urday Night Live, having become one of the show’s
most popular cast members through his flip, ironic
demeanor and send-ups of show-biz clichés, such as
lounge singers and celebrity journalists. That year,
he also starred in the unsuccessfulWhere the Buffalo
Roam, in which he played gonzo journalist Hunter S.
Thompson. However, in 1980 Murray also appeared
in the hit comedyCaddyshackas a Vietnam-veteran
groundskeeper battling a gopher on the loose. The
film was a landmark in a hip yet sophomoric style of
comedy that became particularly popular during
the decade.Caddyshackwas cowritten and directed
by Harold Ramis, a screenwriter, actor, and director
who, like Murray, was a veteran of the Chicago im-
provisational comedy troupe Second City. The film
solidified Murray’s alliance with Ramis. Murray next
starred in another hit, 1981’sStripes(costarring and
cowritten by Ramis), in which he played a ne’er-do-
well who joins the U.S. Army. The following year,
Murray showed his range by taking an unbilled sup-
porting role inTootsie, playing Dustin Hoffman’s
roommate.
In 1984, Murray again collaborated with Ramis,
this time on a film Ramis wrote with Murray’s fellow
Saturday Night Livealumnus Dan Aykroyd:Ghost-
busters, a big-budget spoof, starred the trio as three
shady scientists who start a business ridding New
York City of ghosts. The film was a bona fide summer
blockbuster, grossing almost $230 million and be-
coming a pop culture sensation as it yielded a hit
theme song, countless toys, and other merchandis-
ing spin-offs. Murray won over audiences with his
quick one-liners, and he held his own as a romantic
lead opposite Sigourney Weaver. For his work in682 Murray, Bill The Eighties in America