Image: Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films / Eddie Murphy Productions
About This Quiz
Eddie Murphy sits at the pinnacle of comedy's Mount Rushmore. He's one of the best and most successful ever to master comedy, and whether you like him or not, it's almost impossible not to know who he is. Back when he was hired to star on "Saturday Night Live," he was the youngest ever cast member. He went on to show off his comedic abilities with some of the show's most memorable characters, and according to some, he saved SNL from being canceled.
With that type of hype, he quickly went on to star in Hollywood films, and his first movie, "48 Hrs.," was a hit. He starred alongside Nick Nolte and showed the world he could do more than funny impersonations. His second movie, "Trading Places," was even more of a hit. He starred alongside Dan Aykroyd in what many consider to be one of his best films. His days on SNL came to an end, and his days as the biggest star in the world were just beginning.
He's since gone on to star in dozens of feature films. Some of them are great; some of them are horrible; all of them have a distinctly Eddie Murphy feel. Whether it's a drama or a comedy or a cartoon, you can hear Eddie Murphy from a mile away. Whether he's portraying a child, a grandma or an elderly man, it's tough to mistake him for someone else. How much do you know about Eddie Murphy? Can you name these Eddie Murphy films based on an image?
"Running Scared"
"Police Academy"
"Beverly Hills Cop"
Murphy starred in this film the same year he left "Saturday Night Live." The movie followed back-to-back successful films the year before and helped solidify his standing as a Hollywood star. The series about Axel Foley is still going strong today.
"48 Hrs."
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"Brave"
"Mulan"
Eddie Murphy voices a small dragon named Mushu in this Disney hit. Mushu's only job is to wake the real dragon so it can protect Mulan on her journey. Mushu accidentally damages the real dragon, however, and has to protect Mulan himself.
"Moana"
"How to Train Your Dragon"
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"Mr. Mom"
"Daddy Day Care"
When two guys lose their jobs, they figure if they're going to stay at home all day, they might as well open a daycare and make some money. It turns into utter chaos, and the two dads do worse than you'd expect.
"Trading Places"
"Imagine That"
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"The Golden Child"
"Coming to America"
This story about Prince Akeem from Zamunda is considered by many to be one of Eddie Murphy's best movies. When the prince has to find his queen, he looks at a map of the world and decides to visit Queens, New York, to do so.
"Can't Buy Me Love"
"Dreamgirls"
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"Scrooged"
"Holy Man"
"Risky Business"
"Trading Places"
Of the many acting credits to Murphy's name, this is one of his best. The story centers around a social experiment that forces a Wall Street boss to switch places with a low level con artist. It all takes place during the Christmas season.
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"Zootopia"
"Shrek"
There are a few actors who come to mind when you think of a loudmouthed, fast-talking donkey, and Eddie Murphy is right at the top of that list. Donkey is Shrek's right-hand man and appears in all the films.
"Lilo & Stitch"
"Bolt"
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"Flubber"
"The Adventures of Pluto Nash"
"Nutty Professor"
Eddie Murphy portrayed almost every member of the Klump family in this hit that also featured Jada Pinkett Smith and up-and-comer Dave Chappelle. The battle between Professor Klump and Buddy Love is a modern take on the 1880s story about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
"The Shaggy Dog"
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"The Absent-Minded Professor"
"Doctor Dolittle"
Eddie Murphy takes on the role of a doctor who can talk to animals in this version of a 1920s book series. The original movie adaptation starring Rex Harrison was released in 1967, but it didn't have nearly as much success as this 1998 film.
"Beethoven"
"Turner & Hooch"
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"Dreamgirls"
There is no shortage of stars in this film that also stars Jamie Foxx and Danny Glover. Foxx plays an up-and-coming music agent in 1960s Detroit. He signs the Dreamettes to sing backup for a Motown star played by Eddie Murphy.
"Ray"
"The Sapphires"
"Sparkles"
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"Dolemite Is My Name"
This Netflix original is Eddie Murphy's first film since 2016's "Mr. Church," and it could signal a comeback for the comedian. He's slated to star in the upcoming "Coming to America" and "Beverly Hills Cop" sequels.
"Mr. Church"
"A Thousand Words"
"Imagine That"
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"Life"
"Beverly Hills Cop II"
Three years after the success of the first film came this sequel. Foley heads back to the West Coast and poses as an undercover officer to solve a series of high-end robberies known as the alphabet crimes.
"Metro"
"The Distinguished Gentleman"
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"Bowfinger"
"Beverly Hills Cop III"
"Metro"
"Dr. Dolittle 2"
Everybody in the animal kingdom knows Dr. Dolittle can speak to animals at this point. Dolittle is tasked with saving a forest, and to do so, he needs two bears to mate — but first, he needs to teach one bear the art of courtship.
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"Norbit"
"Norbit" is another film where Murphy takes on multiple characters. He plays the title character, Norbit, the woman Norbit is married to, and the elderly man who adopts Norbit as a child. The movie didn't get the greatest of reviews, but it's classic Eddie Murphy.
"The Golden Child"
"Metro"
"Nutty Professor"
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"Meet Dave"
"Harlem Nights"
Eddie Murphy, Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor all star in this Prohibition movie set in Harlem. Pryor plays a club owner, and Murphy plays his close friend. They have to deal with the dangers of underground organized crime.
"Life"
"Metro"
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"Meet Dave"
"Mulan"
"Boomerang"
It may seem like Eddie Murphy plays a self-centered, fast-talking chauvinist in every other movie, but he plays the role well. Everything he dishes out comes right back at him in this movie, where he finally meets his romantic match.
"Showtime"
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"The Distinguished Gentleman"
Eddie Murphy plays a con man named Thomas Jefferson Johnson, who gets elected to office because his name is similar to a former politician from his district. Once in office, he realizes a lot of shady stuff is going down, and he has second thoughts about his purpose in life.
"Holy Man"
"The Golden Child"
"Showtime"
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"Doctor Dolittle"
"Holy Man"
"Bowfinger"
"The Golden Child"
Eddie Murphy is just an everyday social worker until he's told he's the "Chosen One." Then he's told he has to find the "Golden Child" in this adventure comedy released in 1986. He was fresh off some of the biggest movies in his career.
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"48 Hrs."
"Metro"
"Harlem Nights"
"Life"
Eddie Murphy is known as a comedian, but he's done plenty of movies that blend crime, drama and comedy, like this one about two guys wrongfully convicted of murder. The movie spans decades as it recounts how the two main characters were framed.
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"48 Hrs."
Eddie Murphy's first feature film is also considered one of his best. Eddie Murphy plays Reggie Hammond, a criminal paroled from jail specifically to help solve a crime. His partner is played by Nick Nolte.
"Metro"
"Showtime"
"Beverly Hills Cop"
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"Meet Dave"
"Holy Man"
"Life"
"The Haunted Mansion"
One little pit stop on the way to a family vacation can't hurt, right? Murphy plays a real estate agent who has been neglecting his family, so he decides to take them on a vacation — but first, he has to stop by one of his properties. Unknown to the family, it happens to be a haunted mansion.
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"Metro"
"Nutty Professor"
"Nutty Professor II: The Klumps"
Professor Klump is ready to marry his colleague, played by Janet Jackson, in this sequel to the 1996 hit. The egocentric Buddy Love has other plans, as per usual, and the hilarity ensues as we get to meet the entire Klump family.
"Norbit"
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"The Distinguished Gentleman"
"Meet Dave"
"Metro"
"Vampire in Brooklyn"
This movie is exactly what you'd expect a vampire movie starring Eddie Murphy to be like. It also stars Angela Bassett and was directed by Wes Craven, giving it cult classic status, but it's not considered one of Eddie Murphy's better movies.
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"Boomerang"
"Another 48 Hrs."
"Best Defense"
Somehow, right in between "Trading Places" and "Beverly Hills Cop," Eddie Murphy was convinced to star in this movie that has gone down as one of his worst. It's a comedy set in the Middle East during wartime.
"Meet Dave"
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"Imagine That"
"Meet Dave"
"Holy Man"
Eddie Murphy is the holy man in this film. When he appears in an infomercial, sales skyrocket, and a couple of sales execs realize his power. He's being used to improve business, but his happiness dwindles and some in the sales department start to have a change of heart.
"The Golden Child"
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"The Adventures of Pluto Nash"
Eddie Murphy plays the character of Pluto Nash in this film. Nash owns a nightclub on the moon in the year 2087. The movie also features Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson and Alec Baldwin.
"Imagine That"
"The Golden Child"
"Meet Dave"
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"Shrek 2"
"Shrek 2" is based on the 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn. Shrek has to meet Fiona's parents in this installment, and her parents have no idea she married a 700-pound ogre.
"Shrek Ever After"
"Mulan"
"Meet Dave"
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"The Adventures of Pluto Nash"
"I Spy"
"I Spy" is based on a 1960s TV series of the same name, starring Bill Cosby and Robert Culp. In the 2002 film, Murphy plays a fast-talking, selfish person (a world champion boxer this time) who teams up with Owen Wilson to locate a stealth fighter jet.
"Meet Dave"
"Life"
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"Holy Man"
"The Golden Child"
"Meet Dave"
"A Thousand Words"
Eddie Murphy plays a (you guessed it) fast-talking agent in this film. His No. 1 skill in life is his quick-witted gift of gab. He gets caught up in a scheme with a spiritual guru that forces him to think twice about every word he speaks.
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"Raw"
You just have to see Eddie Murphy's purple leather outfit to know this is "Raw." This comedy special came in 1987, four years after "Delirious," and had a wide theatrical release. The film grossed more than $50 million at the box office.
"Delirious"
"Bring the Pain"
"Killin' Them Softly"
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"Beverly Hills Cop III"
"48 Hrs."
"Metro"
The '80s and '90s were filled with Eddie Murphy buddy cop flicks, but this was his last one for a while. It came in about $20 million short of its original budget, and Murphy mostly shied away from cop movies after this 1997 flick.
"Harlem Nights"
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"Beverly Hills Cop II"
"Another 48 Hrs."
"Showtime"
This 2002 film was the last time Eddie Murphy did a buddy cop action flick, and he teamed up with Robert De Niro to do so. His first movies were all cop action comedies, and although this was his last, he's slated to do a "Beverly Hills Cop" sequel within a few years.
"Metro"
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"The Golden Child"
"Showtime"
"Tower Heist"
This is a spoiler, but this movie is also about 10 years old. When a Wall Street swindler (loosely based on Bernie Madoff) tries to take his money and run, his apartment staff has different plans. He turns his money into gold and then turns his gold into a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT in order to hide it.
"Holy Man"
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""48 Hrs."
"Mr. Church"
This 2016 film was Murphy's first film since 2012's "A Thousand Words," and that film was actually filmed in 2008. This comedy drama is based on the short story "The Cook Who Came to Live With Us," and it's one of Murphy's more serious roles.
"Shrek the Third"
"Meet Dave"
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"Life"
"Meet Dave"
"Bowfinger"
Steve Martin plays the title character in this 1999 comedy. Bowfinger is a broke movie producer who needs to find a star for his next film, but nobody wants to do it. He decides to get one of the world's biggest (played by Murphy) to unwittingly star in the film.
"The Adventures of Pluto Nash"
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"Beverly Hills Cop III"
This film was released in 1994, and as of 2019, it was the last feature film in the series. Murphy makes an appearance in the unaired 2013 TV movie of the same story, but a new installment of the series has been announced and is expected to be filmed soon.
"Beverly Hills Cop II"
"Another 48 Hrs."
"Metro"
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"The Golden Child"
"Imagine That"
A bunch of smart people once said the only thing that separates humans from animals is our ability to imagine, and Eddie Murphy learns how powerful that ability is in this 2009 movie. As his career is dwindling, he uses imagination to solve his problems.
"A Thousand Words"
"Meet Dave"
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"Shrek 2"
"Shrek the Third"
"Shrek Forever After"
This may or may not be the last installment of the Shrek series. With Shrek growing tired of the married family life, he strikes a deal to go back to his old days, but the deal isn't what it seems. He and his trusted friend Donkey do what they can to get out.
"Shrek"
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"Delirious"
Only the best of the best comedians see their stand-up material stand the test of time, and this one hasn't done so great. It's littered with vulgarity and offensive jokes that even Eddie Murphy himself says he regrets, but it's still a classic.
"Raw"
"Killin' Them Softly"
"Bring the Pain"
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"The Adventures of Pluto Nash"
"Imagine That"
"Boomerang"
"Meet Dave"
Eddie Murphy plays an actual space ship in this movie, and he's being controlled by 100 mini aliens. The space ship falls in love with an Earthling while on the planet, and that throws a screw into the intergalactic plans.
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"Shrek Ever After"
"Mulan"
"Shrek the Third"
Being that "Shrek 2" is the most successful movie in DreamWorks history, you knew there had to be a third installment. It's time to find someone to rule Far Far Away in this film. Justin Timberlake joins the cast, voicing the potential heir to the throne.
"Shrek 2"
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You Got:
/40
