Eddie Murphy joined Saturday Night Live when he was only 19 years old, and it didn’t take long for him to become everyone’s favorite cast member. During his run from 1980 to 1984, Murphy created several hilarious characters. Fans marveled at the fact that he could completely transform himself with a voice, a wig, and a few facial expressions. Some of his sketches were a bit controversial and pushed boundaries that SNL probably wouldn’t touch today. These are eight of Eddie Murphy’s best SNL sketches.
Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood
One of Murphy’s most famous recurring sketches was a very different version of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Mister Robinson didn’t live in the wholesome neighborhood associated with Mister Rogers. He lived in a rundown apartment and, instead of teaching valuable life lessons, he cheerfully taught viewers how to avoid landlords and dodge eviction. The contrast was especially funny because Murphy perfectly copied the calming rhythm of Fred Rogers. From his friendly voice to the familiar format of the show, everything was pretty much the same except for the outrageous subject matter. Mister Robinson ended up being one of Murphy’s funniest and most memorable characters.
Buckwheat
Murphy took the Little Rascals character Buckwheat and turned him into one of the biggest characters of his SNL years. His version was now an adult who kept popping up in ridiculous situations. He once appeared as a singer performing odd versions of popular songs. Buckwheat became extremely recognizable and an SNL favorite.
Gumby
“I’m Gumby, dammit!” became one of Murphy’s most notable catchphrases. For this character, Murphy once again took a classic children’s character and made him entirely different. Instead of the sweet green clay man, Murphy portrayed Gumby as an angry, cigar-smoking individual. This Gumby had grown jaded after years in show business. He constantly complained about not getting the respect he deserved. The joke mainly lies in Murphy’s gruff voice and total commitment to the character.
James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party
Murphy’s James Brown impression reached insane heights in “James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party.” Wearing a robe and eventually stripping down for his hot tub, Murphy did an over-the-top energetic parody of Brown. The best part was that he sang about regular things like figuring out whether the water was hot enough. Murphy’s physical comedy is what really made the sketch work.
White Like Me
Some of Eddie Murphy’s funniest material came from flipping racial stereotypes. “White Like Me” was less of a traditional sketch and more of a short film, and was a parody of John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me. After being disguised as a white man, Murphy is taught how to convincingly act like a white person. The lesson includes everything from overly enunciated speech patterns to rigid movement. After his training is complete, he goes off into New York City to find out what life is like for a white man. The premise gets more and more absurd, as the character realizes how well white people are treated. He is given free newspapers, free drinks, and even money from a bank. The exaggerated sketch was super funny but also highlighted issues about race and stereotypes.
Velvet Jones
Velvet Jones might be Murphy’s most outrageous character. Dressed in a flashy suit, Jones appeared on talk shows to promote ridiculous self-help books. His most famous was titled I Wanna Be a Ho. The extremely sleazy character gave inappropriate advice as though he were a legitimate self-help expert.
Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra
Murphy has a remarkable talent for impersonation, and his Stevie Wonder might be the best of all time. One particularly memorable sketch put Murphy’s Wonder in the recording booth with Joe Piscopo’s Frank Sinatra. The two attempt to record a new version of “Ebony and Ivory,” but Sinatra has his own inappropriate ideas about how the song should go. Through it all, Wonder tries to keep the project moving forward. The comedy of this one lies in Murphy’s ability to do Wonder so well. The voice, mannerisms, and huge smile are so much fun to watch.