Eddie Murphy Receives 2026 AFI Life Achievement Award at Starry Gala

Eddie Murphy didn’t have a ton to say after a two-hour tribute inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theater Saturday night as he received the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award. But he did have some jokes.

“Have these always been this size? It seems like this is small. Is it?” Murphy asked as he held the silver star trophy. The crowd — filled with a who’s who of comedy heavyweights, studio heads, Oscar winners, filmmakers, actors and fans — laughed at the quip. But there might’ve been some truth to it, too, as no award could measure up to the larger-than-life career Murphy built across five decades.

At 65, Murphy said he found his way to the stage at just the right time. Accomplished enough to deserve it, young enough to fully enjoy the friends, collaborators and family members who filled out the black-tie event, and still spicy enough to toss out some of his signature humor. Spike Lee, the last in a starry parade of presenters to honor Murphy, had the task of presenting him with that seemingly miniature trophy. Murphy returned the favor by ribbing him by saying that every time Lee’s beloved New York Knicks lost their bid to become NBA champs, Lee was in the building. “If you think about all those classic moments, you was there,” Murphy said, to which Lee corrected him by saying he was present as a good luck charm at age 13 in 1970 when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.

But about Murphy’s good timing. “I just turned 65,” Murphy noted, adding that he recently welcomed his first grandson and his third granddaughter. “It just feels like it’s raining blessings on me this month. It’s a lot of stuff, and to get this award and still look like myself, because sometimes they’ll let you wait till you’re real old to get this award.” He name-checked recent recipients and their ages when they were honored, like Mel Brooks at 86, Francis Ford Coppola at 86 and the oldest ever, Lilian Gish at 92.

“If you made me wait until I was 92, I would’ve come out here and said, ‘Fuck everybody. Fuck everybody!’ Then I would have shit on the floor,” he said before getting serious to close the ceremony, which will stream at a later date on Netflix. “I was looking out and seeing all my family, all my kids, my beautiful wife, seeing all the different people that I worked with. This is a special moment. And I want to thank and [Netflix co-CEO] Ted Sarandos for putting this whole thing together. I wish y’all can feel what I’m feeling, see what I’m seeing.”

What the audience saw and heard was a generous helping of Murphy’s great talents, showcased through clip reels, highlight packages and hilarious and heartfelt anecdotes from collaborators and close friends who praised his versatility, range and groundbreaking work, and for how he reached a hand back to help them on their way. Appearing on stage were Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Martin Lawrence, Bill Burr, Mike Myers, Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson, Arsenio Hall, Stevie Wonder, Robert Townsend, Judge Reinhold, Eva Longoria, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Jennifer Hudson (who performed a medley of songs from Dreamgirls). (Dan Akroyd was due to present but dropped out due to “life” circumstances, per his daughter, Belle, who stood in for him and read comments he prepared.)

The program featured all of his greatest hits, documented in order from his breakout turn in 48 Hours to the recent Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and nearly everything in between like Saturday Night Live, Delirious, Raw, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, Vampire in Brooklyn, Boomerang, The Nutty Professor, Shrek, Dreamgirls, Bowfinger, Dolemite is My Name, Mr. Church, Daddy Day Care and more.

Hart kicked off the show by breaking down the supposed origins of Murphy’s full name, Edward Regan Murphy. “What happened to give us Eddie Murphy? It’s a lot of questions that I have, but regardless of the who, the how and the what, it tells us everything that we need to know about Edward Regan Murphy. Everything so much that we call the man Eddie. The reason why we call him Eddie is because he’s our pop. He’s our friend. And even you white people think he’s your friend, where he’s done a lot to show you different, but you think so. He’s given us the gift of laughter across generations.”

He also set the bar for Hart to reach in his own career. “You truly mean everything to me in this business. I stand where I stand today because of the work that you did before me, the doors that you opened up before me,” he praised. “You are a brother, a mentor, an inspiration. God damn it, you’re an idol. And I’m lucky to call you a friend, man.”

Morgan called him an icon and an inspiration, and noted how Murphy did an impression of him on SNL’s 50th anniversary special on the sketch “Black Jeopardy.” “One of the greatest performers ever who’s going to be playing me in a sketch with me? My God, what if he’s funnier than me?” Morgan mused. “And as we all know, Eddie Murphy does an incredible Tracy Morgan. Thanks, [Lorne Michaels]. Eddie Murphy did more for red leather outfits and cowboy boots than any Black man in history.”

Speaking of SNL, Thompson honored Murphy by calling him the blueprint. “For me personally, as someone who grew up dreaming about making people laugh, he wasn’t just an influence, he was proof. Proof that you could come in young, take big swings, trust your voice, and leave a mark that lasts decades. … But beyond the comedy, what I’ve always admired most is your range, sir. I mean, you could have stayed in one lane and been comfortable forever, but you didn’t do that. You evolved. You challenged yourself. You even changed your laugh. I mean, who does that?”

Chappelle, who co-starred with Murphy in The Nutty Professor, explained how Black people often have “fear for their heroes” because so many “are persecuted or shot down.” Murphy quickly became a hero of his after he saw the seminal stand-up special Raw when he was 14. “I knew somehow this was something really important in my life. Throughout my life, Eddie, man, I kept my eye on you. You were the ball I was watching. You were the hero that I worried about. Man, when you came up, it looked lonely. You was just by yourself. It was you, Michael Jackson, Rick James and Prince. All of whom are deceased and somehow you survived it.”

Chappelle said he recently did an interview (with AP’s Jonathan Landrum Jr.) in which he said he was considering reviving Chappelle’s Show. “And I told the guy, I said, ‘If you’d asked me that a year ago, I’d have said no.’ Chappelle’s Show was a very difficult show to do, but it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. And one of the reasons that it was great was your brother, Charlie,” the stand-up said about Murphy’s late brother, who passed away in 2017 and was a regular on the classic sketch show. “I just want you to know, man, every time he mentioned you, he always said how proud he was of you.”

They recently had a chance to connect about Charlie when Chappelle reached out to Murphy and asked to come visit him. As Chappelle detailed the story, he also pitched Murphy to join a potential reboot — if there is one. “I didn’t know it was the day after his 65th birthday. Weather was beautiful. His grandkids were outside playing in the pool, screaming and laughing like children, just pure joy. And me and Eddie, for the first time, talked about Charlie since he passed. I hadn’t seen him or really had an occasion to speak about it. And in the midst of conversation, Eddie was the one that said, ‘Man, you should do a Chappelle’s Show movie or something like that.’ And I said, ‘Man, that’d be tough. That’s your brother.’ So Eddie, if I do it, man, do the Charlie parts and let’s fucking go.”

Like Morgan, someone who has experience being portrayed by Murphy is Wonder, whose appearance on stage was bookended by standing ovations. “Eddie and I found each other because he would imitate me on Saturday Night Live. He made fun of a blind man,” said the living legend. “I decided to show Eddie what a blind man could do with his comedy. I took over his show live on Saturday Night Live and it started a lifetime friendship. Eddie has shown me and us the power and courage of being funny. It’s not easy to make people smile, trying to get them to look on the brighter side. But Eddie has a way of getting in our head and hearts to create a belly laugh that eases the pain, builds a bridge and diffuses a situation which makes a real difference. That is power. And that is courage. And that is the funny man. My friend. A real man. Not AI.”

Multiple presenters praised Murphy’s versatility, including Hall, who was recruited for Coming to America by the man himself. “I got to play four characters,” said the former late night host. “A journalist was trying to suit me up one time and he said, ‘You have amazing range.’ I replied, ‘Pump the brakes, dog, save the word range for Eddie.’ When Eddie does a family film, he played a whole damn family. Black characters, white characters, old Jewish men, a prince, a member of Congress, a human spaceship, Gumby, a donkey. That’s range. Eddie, I’m here today for you as a friend, but also I’m here as a fan.”

He played that donkey in the blockbuster animated franchise Shrek, and his co-star Myers turned up on stage in the title character’s signature green in a comical moment. “Eddie’s character, Donkey, is a masterpiece, as is every character that Eddie has created over the years. Lovable, hilarious, joyous, vulnerable and loyal. Eddie combines all of those in a tour de force. And plainly put, Eddie is one of the greatest. Now, obviously, I never got to work with Charlie Chaplin. I never got to work with Alec Guinness. I never got to work with Peter Sellers, but it is my absolute honor to say and to be able to tell my kids that I got to work with Eddie Murphy.”

Like Hall, another actor who received Murphy’s blessing was Randolph, who landed what would be a breakout turn in Dolemite. “The audition process and prep was rigorous, but Eddie bet on me. To be vouched [for] by someone like Eddie is like being knighted by a king in this industry. His taste and his talent is so revered and getting his stamp of approval opened countless doors for me with other titans in this industry. It has completely and wholly changed the trajectory of my career.”

It also changed her promotional schedule for the Netflix film. “Usually only the leads go on the press tour, but Eddie did something very rare and special. He made sure I was included in every step of it. And all those hours spent with him prepared me for my own journey with my award season with The Holdovers. I learned from not just Eddie the artist, but Eddie the icon. Now everywhere we went, we were greeted by sea of fans. The magnitude of this man’s star power was so great that quite honestly, to be in that close proximity to that kind of energy overwhelmed me. But Eddie never flinched. I watched him navigate every fan encounter, every interview, every talk show with such a level of grace and humor, and that I will never forget. By far, the greatest gift that he ever gave me was the opportunity to learn by watching him.”

Others got to experience his comedy off the clock. Rock shared a story about a night they were at a club and a white woman walked up to Murphy and said, “Oh my God, I’ve never kissed a Black man before. I’ve never kissed a Black man before.” Surrounded by an entourage, including his bodyguards, Murphy came quick with a punchline: “Eddie looked at her and goes, ‘Hey, hey, hey, hey, you can’t start at the top. You got to kiss one of these broke [n-word] first.”

Martin detailed the time he got to meet Murphy and it also didn’t go so well. “When I first came to California, I had the honor of meeting my idol, Eddie Murphy. I went up to his security, and I said, ‘Can I meet him? Can I just meet him?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, you can meet him.’ And Eddie was leaning over so cool. I said, ‘Eddie Murphy, I’m Martin Lawrence.’ I said, ‘Brother, can I take a picture with you?’ Eddie looked at me so smooth and cool, looked me in the eyes, and he said, ‘No.’” Water under the bridge these days, as Lawrence said he now can get all the photos he wants because they are in-laws (following the marriage of their children, Eric Murphy and Jasmin Lawrence).

After all the clips were played and punchlines delivered, Murphy picked up his smaller-than-expected trophy and took a final bow. “I’m going to get backstage and cry,” he said before walking off. “But this has been wonderful.” And it was.