*Eddie Murphy has clarified the long-speculated reason behind his early exit from the 2007 Academy Awards following his loss for “Dreamgirls.” The actor says his decision wasn’t driven by frustration, but by wanting to avoid becoming “the sympathy guy all night.”
Murphy shared the explanation in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly while promoting his Netflix documentary “Being Eddie.” “What happened was I was at the Oscars, I had lost, and then people kept coming over to me and kept [patting] me on the shoulder,” Murphy said. “Clint Eastwood came and rubbed my shoulder. And I was like, ‘Oh, no, no, I’m not gonna be this guy all night. Let’s just leave.’ I didn’t storm out. I was like, ‘I’m not gonna be the sympathy guy all night.’”
At the ceremony, Murphy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor alongside Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou, Mark Wahlberg, and eventual winner Alan Arkin. Although Murphy applauded Arkin’s win, he left before Jennifer Hudson’s Best Supporting Actress victory, fueling rumors that he was upset.
Murphy’s career and personal journey are explored in “Being Eddie,” which premiered November 12 on Netflix. According to Tudum, the documentary chronicles his rise from teenage stand-up comic to “Saturday Night Live” standout and global box office star, while offering an intimate glimpse into his private life and home.
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Director Angus Wall reflected on Murphy’s singular place in entertainment history, saying, “There is no one else like him. Nobody. He’s been famous longer than just about anyone alive, and he’s never lost who he is. He has survived it all with grace. How did he do that? What guides him? We chase all of these questions with him.”
Wall also noted, “There’s a great clip of Eddie on a talk show early on in his career… This movie answers that question.” He later added, “Eddie’s somebody that he feels he’s known who he is from the beginning,” Wall tells USA TODAY. “He’s been on a path of destiny since he was a kid. He is an artist where he can express himself through many different ways, not just through comedy or acting, but through music and all these different things.
The documentary features reflections from longtime collaborators and peers and is produced by John Davis, John Fox, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, Terry Leonard, and Kent Kubena.
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