Hollywood legends gathered at the Dolby Theater on Saturday night to celebrate Eddie Murphy as he received the AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Film Institute.
Spike Lee presented Murphy with the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award, commending the comedian and actor for having been true to himself, prioritizing his family and for being a “great artist” throughout his esteemed career.
In addition to Lee, an A-list roster of stars turned out to celebrate Murphy’s achievement; Tracy Morgan, Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Chris Rock, Arsenio Hall, Judge Reinhold, Kenan Thompson, Robert Townsend, Eva Longoria and Da’Vine Joy Randolph all made speeches over the course of the night, sharing anecdotes about Murphy and what his work and legacy means to them.
Chappelle, who co-starred with Murphy in “The Nutty Professor,” recalled Murphy as one of his “heroes” growing up. “When I was 14 years old, ‘Raw’ came out and I would go and I would watch it every day after school like I was taking a class,” Chappelle said. “I knew, somehow, this was something really important in my life.”
The comedian also worked with Murphy’s late brother, Charlie, on “Chappelle’s Show.”
“A couple weeks ago, on a whim, I reached out to Eddie and asked if I could come by and visit him… and me and Eddie, for the first time, talked about Charlie since he passed,” said Chappelle. “In the midst of conversation, Eddie was doing this, ‘Man, you should do a ‘Chappelle’s Show’ movie or something like that.’ And I said, ‘Man, that would be tough without your brother.’ So Eddie, if I do it man, do Charlie’s part. And let’s fucking go.”
A surprise appearance from Stevie Wonder stunned audiences, as the musician recounted how he first learned of Murphy because of his imitations of him on “Saturday Night Live” early in his career. As the artist joked: “He made fun of a blind man!” Though it was clear there’s no animosity there: “It’s not easy to make people smile, trying to get them to look on the brighter side, but Eddie has a way of getting in our head and hearts to create a belly laugh that eases the pain, builds the bridge and diffuses a situation which makes a real difference. That is power, that is courage and that is the funny man, my friend.”
The surprises didn’t stop with Wonder — Mike Myers appeared on stage in green “Shrek” makeup, an homage to the 2001 hit film he co-starred in with Murphy, who lent his voice to Donkey, the ogre’s sidekick. “Eddie is one of the greatest,” Myers said. “I never got to work with Charlie Chaplin, I never got to work with Alec Guinness, I never got to work with Peter Sellers, but it is my absolute honor to say and to be able to tell my kids that I got to work with Eddie Murphy.”
Jennifer Hudson also delighted the audience with a “Dreamgirls” musical medley, a tribute to the 2006 film she starred in alongside Murphy — and which earned him a Golden Globe and SAG Award for best supporting actor.
When Murphy took to the stage to accept his honor, he noted that it couldn’t be coming at a better time — he’s just welcomed his first grandson, third granddaughter and celebrated his 65th birthday earlier this month. “I feel like it’s raining blessings on me,” he said.
In classic Murphy fashion, things got humorous quick as the comedian cracked a joke about what would’ve happened if AFI had made him wait until he was in his 90s to receive the achievement award: “If you made me wait until I was 92, I would’ve came out here and said fuck everybody… and then I’d get down and shit on the floor,” the comedian said to raucous laughter. “We staved off that happening by getting this award tonight.”
“I wish y’all could feel what I’m feeling and see what I’m seeing… I’d like to thank everybody for giving me this night that I will remember forever and ever and ever,” Murphy concluded, getting emotional. “I almost, almost teared up. I’m going to get backstage and cry.”
Over the course of his career, Murphy has appeared in hit films including “48 Hrs.,” “Trading Places,” “Dr. Dolittle,” “Coming to America,” and the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise. Murphy began his career as a stand-up in the 1980s, joining the cast of “Saturday Night Live” at 19-years-old and giving viewers a number of unforgettable characters, like Velvet Jones, Buckwheat and Gumby.
Earlier in the evening, Oscar-winning cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw received the Franklin J. Schaffner alumni medal, an honor she described as “really beautiful.” “The last time I was here was for the Oscars, and then to receive this honor with someone I grew up with watching on television before I even knew that I was going to be in the film industry, before I knew I wanted to be a cinematographer,” Arkapaw told Variety on the red carpet. “He was so important in my trajectory of enjoying films on the big screen and just feeling like the theater was a place for me to go to and escape. And so now to be here with him, it’s really cool.”
Most recently, AFI presented the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award to Francis Ford Coppola in 2025. Previous recipients include Julie Andrews, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
As previously announced, “The 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy,” will premiere on Netflix on May 31, marking the first year the AFI special will be available to stream on the platform.
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