Comedy legend Eddie Murphy has been a staple in Hollywood for more thanfour decades. Enjoying a long and fruitful career in stand up, television, and feature films. From hilariously iconic movie roles like Axel Foley and Donkey, to a hilarious run on Saturday Night Live, and a dusting of impressive dramatic roles.
Murphy has done almost everything there is to do in the entertainment business. Despite a robust list of roles the actor has on his resume, much like every actor, he also has a list of roles he did not get or even turned down. These are 10 of those roles.
10 Inglourious Basterds (2009) - Unknown
Quentin Tarantino has a particular talent at resurrecting the careers of once star-studded actors, and nearly did so with Eddie Murphy in his 2009 masterpiece, Inglourious Basterds. While the validity of the potential casting has never been firmly verified, it is Tarantino alum Michael Madsen that once alluded to this. Along with Adam Sandler and Tarantino himself, it was Murphy who was rumored to take a role in the now iconic film. 2009 would instead see Murphy staring in one of a string of lackluster comedies, Imagine That.
9 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) - Freddy Benson
Eddie Murphy was the king of '80s comedy, and there are certainly a fair share of missed '80s roles on this list. The first of those roles being in the 1988 comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels alongside Michael Caine. A role that was eventually filled by Steve Martin. 1988 would still be Murphy's year, as he would write and star in the iconic comedy classics Coming to America.
8 Driving Miss Daisy (1989) - Hoke Colburn
One of the more curious entries on this list is Murphy's rumored involvement in 1988's Driving Miss Daisy. Once considered taking on Morgan Freeman's role of Hoke Colburn, given Murphy's reputation at the time for raunchier comedy. His presence in this particular film would have seen somewhat out of place.
7 How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) - The Grinch
It is hard to picture someone other than Jim Carrey as The Grinch in the Ron Howard-directed How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In fact, it is Carrey's performance that is one of the silver linings of an otherwise lackluster retelling of this Dr. Seuss classic. However, there was a time when the studio had considered Eddie Murphy for the role before landing on Carrey as the final choice.
6 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) - Dr. Gillian Taylor
Being one of the top box office draws in the 1980s, Eddie Murphy was slated to take on the marine biologist role of Dr. Taylor in one of the best time travel movies of all time, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It was Paramount Pictures who ultimately decided against this and the role was gender swapped and given to Catherine Hicks of eventual 7th Heaven fame.
5 Rush Hour (1998) - James Carter
Eddie Murphy is no stranger to the action comedy movie genre, as evident in his hilarious role in Beverly Hills Cop. Murphy almost had another hit comedic cop franchise under his belt as well, as he was considered for the role of James Tucker opposite Jackie Chan in Rush Hour. Chris Tucker would go on to take the part, and the rest is history.
4 Candyman (1992) - Candyman
This potential role seems so strange that it would have actually been incredibly interesting to see it come to fruition. During production of the hit horror film Candyman, Eddie Murphy was actually the filmmaker's first choice to take on the iconic slasher, but could not afford the actor who was at the height of his powers at the time. This paved the way for Tony Todd to give an all-time performance in this criminally underrated horror franchise.
3 Malcolm X (1992) - Malcolm X
Eddie Murphy had yet to flex his dramatic acting chops in the early '90s but nearly had the opportunity to star in the Spike Lee directed biopic, Malcolm X. While Denzel Washington would go on to give an Oscar nominated performance. One can’t help but wonder what an Eddie Murphy led Malcolm X would have looked like.
2 Ghostbusters (1984) - Winston Zeddemore
As Dan Aykroyd was writing the script for what would turn out to be an all-time comedy classic. He had envisioned a Ghostbusters starring John Belushi and Eddie Murphy alongside himself. Following the tragic death of Belushi, Aykroyd turned to Bill Murray to join the project. Murphy would ultimately turn down the role of Winston Zeddemore which would be taken on by Ernie Hudson.
1 Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) - Eddie Valiant
Most roles that actors turn down go on to be a forgotten memory for the performer. Others, however, end up haunting them the rest of their career. Murphy’s regretful passing was as Eddie Valiant in the 1988 classic, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. It was Murphy who scoffed at the idea of animation and live action being blended into one movie that led him to turn down the part. Something the actor still vocally regrets to this day.