Eddie Murphy: A Take on the Cop
By Steven Berkoff

With Humor and Animation in MPM’s lens this issue, we shine a literary light on another Saturday Night Live alumnus. Eddie Murphy ruled cinema’s comedy genre throughout the ’80s with the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, the 48 Hours films, Trading Places, The Golden Child, Coming to America and the hit stand-up concert films Raw and Delirious. In the ’90s he delivered Boomerang and the underrated Bowfinger, and re-invented The Nutty Professor and Doctor Doolittle franchises. Although some less worthy films have filtered into his recent filmography, Murphy’s popularity with another generation was forever fortified by his performance as Shrek’s lovable Donkey.

Steven Berkoff, acclaimed as a genius actor/writer/performer in the British theater scene, claimed leadership of Hollywood’s henchmen after a slate of gritty performances in important movies, including: A Clockwork Orange, Octopussy, Rambo: First Blood Part II and The Krays. Captured from this moment of time opposite a twenty-three-year-old who was at the very start of his career, Berkoff shares his memories of working with Eddie Murphy:

I was working in a small theater on Santa Monica Boulevard when the call came regarding the up-and-coming Beverly Hills Cop. I passed through the magic gates of Paramount Studios, met the director, Martin Brest, and even told him that I thought the title a bit ordinary. Nevertheless, I had a call back and met Sly Stallone, who was to star. Stallone said that he admired British actors and their powerful voices. I said that they got that way from years of shouting in the pub for a drink, having just rushed from the stage when the barman calls last round. Sly seemed to appreciate my little stab at humor.

As it happened, Sly dropped out and his role was taken by Eddie Murphy. Brest introduced me to Murphy, who appeared quite charming, friendly and a little subdued, like he was checking out the white dude from the UK and wasn’t about to go into his funny “mode.” Martin told me that Eddie liked to leave the script behind and improvise, and asked with great concern if that would throw me. I said that I was willing to go with it (not confessing that I truly relished dueling with one of the greatest comics in America!). “Oh sure,” I said to Martin. “I’ll try to handle it.”

My first scene was simple enough. As the now-famous Victor Maitland, I sat in my linen suit and questioned Murphy’s Axel Foley, who had just invaded my gallery — the elegant cover for my drugs empire. It was a gentle start; Eddie and I eyed each other through a couple of improvs and got on just fine. Eddie at this time was not so demonstrative off the set as he was to become and was surrounded most of the time by a group of pals from his old haunts.

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