In 1980 Murphy learned that the producers of NBC’s late-night comedy show, Saturday Night Live, were seeking a black cast member for the 1980–81 season. Unlike Pryor, however, Murphy stayed away from drinking, smoking, and drugs. Influenced by comedian Richard Pryor, he adopted a style which included raunchy and profanity-ridden routines.

While attending Nassau Community College, Murphy worked part-time as a shoe store clerk as he continued to perform at local clubs. He finished high school by doubling up classes and attending summer and night school, allowing him to graduate only a couple of months late. Murphy’s focus on comedy caused him to repeat the tenth grade. Murphy attended Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School, but by the time he was fifteen, he worked as a standup comedian in Manhattan, entertaining audiences with impressions of celebrities. The family moved to the primarily African American suburb of Roosevelt on Long Island. When Murphy was nine years old, his mother married Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a Breyer’s ice cream factory. Five years later, Murphy’s father died, and when his mother became ill and entered a hospital for an extended period of time, he and his older brother, Charlie, lived in a foster home for a year. Murphy was born on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York, to Lillian Murphy, a telephone operator, and Charles Edward Murphy, a transit police officer who was also an amateur comedian and actor. Edward Regan “Eddie” Murphy is an American comedian, actor, writer, singer, and producer.

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