The Brothers Murphy

As far as famous comedic siblings go, I’d probably rank the Murphy brothers somewhere above Dick & Tom Smothers, and below the Wayans clan (who win out due to their numbers alone).  The only thing that prevents the two of them from claiming the top spot in my mind is timing – meaning they never really performed together during the peaks of their popularity.  Eddie Murphy bust onto the scene in the 1980′s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and also starred in some of the best comedy films of that decade – like 48 Hrs, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop I & II, and Coming to America (possibly one of funniest movies ever made).  On the other hand, Charlie Murphy served in the U.S. Navy until 1984, and his first job in the entertainment industry came when he was cast as a hapless gangster named Jimmy in the 1989 movie Harlem Nights.  Although he accumulated a few acting roles after that, Charlie Murphy didn’t enter the mainstream until 2004 when he began to recount true stories that involved kicking the shit out of Rick James’ chest, and eating pancakes with Prince and the Revolution after a pickup basketball game.  By this time, Eddie had already experienced a major slump in his career, and rebounded by distancing himself from the vulgar roots that once made him so popular.  Soon he was acting in animated movies - one of the safest box office bets because every kid likes cartoons, & every parent will do/pay anything to keep their snot-nosed kids quiet for an extended period of time - and starring in any cookie cutter childrens movie that would pay him.  Neither Charlie or Eddie have ever revealed why a true collaboration between the two of them has yet to take place on the big screen; but the years of speculation ended recently when both of them sat down to discuss their careers on Behind the Actor’s Studio: