Eddie Murphy’s Biggest Regret: Turning Down 80s Classic ‘Ghostbusters’

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Eddie Murphy, the famous comedian, recently shared his life story in a new Netflix documentary called Being Eddie. The film looks back at his impressive 40-year career, starting with his early days on Saturday Night Live and continuing through his successful movie work. It includes interviews with Murphy and many of his fellow comedians and industry colleagues, like Dave Chappelle, Arsenio Hall, Jerry Seinfeld, and Chris Rock.

During an interview with the Associated Press to discuss his new documentary, Murphy shared a role he regretted passing up. When asked about a movie part he wished he’d taken, he quickly responded, “Ghostbusters! I was supposed to do ‘Ghostbusters.’” He didn’t mention which of the main characters he was originally considered for.

Eddie Murphy shared that he chose to do ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ instead of ‘Ghostbusters.’ He explained it was a choice between the two projects, and he’s glad with how it turned out. ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ has become one of his most famous movie series, with four films released and another one planned. ‘Ghostbusters’ was also a huge success and launched its own multi-film franchise.

Besides Ghostbusters, Eddie Murphy also mentioned Rush Hour and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? as movies he wished he’d accepted roles in. He explained, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit? just sounded silly to me at the time, so I turned it down.” He later realized his mistake, saying, “And then I saw it and thought, ‘Wow, that was a really great movie!’”

Murphy jokingly said he regretted turning down those roles because they became incredibly successful films. But seriously, he considers them the three biggest projects he wishes he’d been a part of.

Eddie Murphy admits he wishes he’d been in movies like Ghostbusters, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and Rush Hour. However, he recently said there’s one film he wouldn’t change: Norbit. Despite receiving very negative reviews – only 9% on Rotten Tomatoes – Murphy stands by the movie. Many believe Norbit hurt his chances of winning a Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in Dreamgirls.

Eddie Murphy said he’s proud of the movie Norbit. It was released shortly after he received an Oscar nomination, and some people questioned how he could be considered for the award while also making a comedy like Norbit. Murphy explained that the two projects were very different, and he and his brother, Charlie, genuinely believe Norbit is a funny movie.

Eddie Murphy has had a long and successful career, so it’s understandable he’d have some regrets. Now, with time to look back, he’s even able to see difficult moments in a new, positive way. You can watch Being Eddie on Netflix.

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2025-11-23 07:09