Eddie Murphy received his one and only Oscar nomination for his role in 2006’s “Dreamgirls.” Now, almost two decades later, the beloved actor is opening up about why he left the ceremony early. This comes as he promotes his brand-new documentary, “Being Eddie.”
Murphy spoke to Entertainment Weekly in January 2026. When asked about his Oscars exit, he said, “What happened was I was at the Oscars, I had lost, and then people kept coming over to me and kept [patting] me on the shoulder.
Clint Eastwood came and rubbed my shoulder. And I was like, ‘Oh, no, no, I’m not gonna be this guy all night. Let’s just leave.’ I didn’t storm out. I was like, ‘I’m not gonna be the sympathy guy all night.’”
Over the years, the reasons for Murphy’s decision to leave the ceremony early have been debated. Additionally, many have noted that his sudden exit means he missed his “Dreamgirls” co-star Jennifer Hudson winning her Oscar for Best Actress.
It’s worth noting that Alan Arkin won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in “Little Miss Sunshine” over Murphy.
Eddie Murphy Also Recently Cleared up Other Oscars Speculation
At the 2007 Oscars, many considered Murphy a frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actor award. Recently, he spoke to Variety about speculation that his role in the comedy “Norbit” led to losing the award for “Dreamgirls.” Notably, the former of the two was released only a week after he received his nomination.
He defended the movie, saying, “I love ‘Norbit.’ ‘Norbit’ came out right after I got that Oscar nomination. There were articles like, ‘How can he get an Oscar, he did this?’ Theyâre two different movies. I wrote ‘Norbit’ with my brother, Charlie [Murphy], and we think ‘Norbit’ is funny.
Hereâs the thing with ‘Norbit,’ it came out, and they gave me a Razzie Award for worst actress, worst actor, and worst actor of the decade. And I was like, ‘Come on now, [it] ainât that bad.’ I like ‘Norbit.’ To this day, I like ‘Norbit.’ Thereâs stuff in ‘Norbit’ that makes me laugh.”
His ‘Being Eddie’ Documentary is on Netflix
Murphy has had a storied career in Hollywood, making him the perfect subject for a documentary. Netflix released “Being Eddie” on November 12. Directed by Angus Wall, the film is a celebration of his nearly 50-year career in entertainment.
According to Deadline, it features appearances from Arsenio Hall, Brian Grazer, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jerry Seinfeld, John Landis, Kenan Thompson, Kevin Hart, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Ruth Carter, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Tracy Morgan.
In additon to the documentary, Murphy is currently filming “Shrek 5,” which is set for release in 2027. He has also been cast for a new version of “The Pink Panther.”
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