PHOTOSEddie Murphy Accepts The Lifetime Achievement Honor At The 2020 Critics' Choice Awards
Eddie Murphy has a huge reason to celebrate. The Coming to America star, 58, received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2020 Critics' Choice Awards that aired on Sunday, January 12, live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
The Brooklyn native delivered his speech as he reflected on how lucky he was and on the many characters he had played in his 40-year career. “Being able to make a living as an actor is a privilege and a blessing. And to make a living making people laugh, there’s no higher—you’re the luckiest person on Earth to be able to do that.”
Eddie continued, “And I’ve gotten to do so many different types of things. I’ve played everything. I’ve been a cop, a robber, a doctor, different ethnicities, animals. I’ve been a donkey. I’ve even played a spaceship once. When young actors come up to me on the streets and say, ‘Do you have any advice?’ I say, ‘Never play a spaceship.’”
The star of Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name wrapped up his speech by calling the award “perfectly timed.” He added, “I had a really great year. This is a great way to top the year off.”
Eddie’s Dolemite costar Keegan-Michael Key presented him with the lifetime achievement award, calling the comedian “a cultural phenomenon.”
In September 2019, Eddie announced that he would be making his return to stand up and the big screen after a long hiatus. Two months later, the comedian made his highly anticipated return to Saturday Night Live for the first time in 35 years. During the Saturday, December 21 episode, the actor brought back some of his most memorable characters including, Mister Robinson, Gumby, and fan favorite, Buckwheat.
Eddie, who was a cast member on the variety show from 1980 to 1984, opened up the show by telling viewers how excited he was to make his return. “It’s great to be back here finally hosting Saturday Night Live for Christmas. This is the last episode of 2019, but if you’re black this is the first episode since I left back in 1984,” Eddie joked.
The Beverly Hills Cop star was later joined by fellow comedic peers, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, and current SNL star, Kenan Thompson, who all welcomed the actor back to the show.
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