Eddie Murphy Explains His Change of Heart About SNL

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Eddie Murphy participating in the upcoming Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary special has everyone excited. He’s never been back to the show since hosting just a few months after leaving the cast in 1984. He returns Sunday, February 15th when cast members past and present reminiscence about four decades of SNL.

There was a time when the thought of Eddie Murphy appearing on Saturday Night Live again would seemed impossible. He once even said that SNL didn’t exist to him. It may have been over reports of hurt feelings from a David Spade piece, “Hollywood Minute” that ridiculed Eddie’s movie career. He told Billboard that any resentment he had in the past is now also in the past. He said, “But it’s at 40 years and that’s a really long time. SNL is part of my history. I got on the show as a kid. That’s the show I got known from. I watch it a lot now. Any type of feelings that I had 25 or 30 years ago — those are feelings from 25 to 30 years ago. Now I have an affection for it; it’s like going back to a college reunion.”

He added that he now he sees the significance of Saturday Night Live. “Being on SNL gives you a unique experience that almost no one else has. It’s like Harvard for the comic actor. Think of every great comedian to come out from there — it’s crazy. It’s a cultural phenomenon. Every great comedian has hosted and almost everyone great in the music business has been the musical guest. There’s nothing like SNL and now it’s in the 40th year. I’m happy to be a part of that.”

Murphy isn’t exactly sure how any of the special is going to go down. He has no plans on bringing back any of his characters which included, Mr. Robinson, Buckwheat, Gumby and Little Richard Simmons among others. He said, “No, I don’t think the show is going to be sketches. I was under the impression that the show is really just going to be an overview of the last 40 years. Everyone involved with the show is going to be there and looking back at the old stuff. The people from the current cast might do some sketches though… I’m not sure.”

The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special airs Sunday, February 15th at 8pm on NBC.

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