Eddie Murphy

Biography: Eddie Murphy was born in Brooklyn New York in 1961, the youngest son of Lillian Murphy, a widow who married Vernon Lynch, the step father of Eddie, his brother Charlie, and Vernon Jr. Eddie himself had aspirations of being in show business since he was a child. A bright kid growing up in the streets of New York, Murphy spent a great deal of time on impressions and comedy stand-up routines rather than academics. His sense of humor and wit made him a stand out amongst his classmates at Roosevelt Junior High School (from which he graduated in 1979). By the time he was 15, Murphy worked as a stand up comic on the lower part of New York, wooing audiences with his dead-on impressions of celebrities and outlooks on life. In the early '80s at 19, Murphy was offered a contract for the "Not-Ready-for Prime Time Players." It was from SNL, where Murphy exercised his comedic abilities in impersonation African American figures and originating some of the shows most memorable characters: Velvet Jones, Mr. Robinson, and a disgruntled and angry Gumby.… Expand