Chris Rock recently looked back on Eddie Murphy’s return to SNL, more than three decades after his legendary stint on the show. The return was chronicled in Netflix’s new documentary Being Eddie, where Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, and Dave Chappelle expressed their excitement about joining the monologue led by the iconic actor.
Chris Rock on what he told SNL boss Lorne Michaels after Eddie Murphy’s return episode
Eddie Murphy is one of the biggest stars to emerge from SNL. He is also a key part of the show’s history. He helped save it at a time when the sketch program was going through one of its most difficult phases. The creator had stepped away, and ratings had hit an all-time low. During that period, it was Murphy who helped steer the ship through the storm.
The Trading Places star was a part of SNL from 1980 to 1984. His final episode aired on February 25, 1984. Ten months later, he returned to the show. However, he did not return again for 35 years, allegedly due to a joke that David Spade made at his expense.
When Murphy finally returned in 2019, it turned out to be an event like no other. In the new documentary, Eddie Murphy explained that it was Lorne Michaels’ idea to ask Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Tracy Morgan to join his monologue. In Being Eddie, each of the three comedians shared their thoughts about the moment.
“It was one of the greatest SNLs ever,” Chris Rock said (via EW), revealing that he asked Lorne Michaels to retire after the episode, as he knew it was going to be the greatest episode ever, providing a smooth platform for the producer’s exit. “And I walked over to Lorne Michaels when it was over, and I said, ‘You should quit right now. It’s not gonna get any better than this.'”
Of course, Michaels did not take the opportunity and continues to serve the show.
Murphy’s return to SNL remains one of the biggest moments in the show’s history, and it now has a backstory thanks to Netflix’s Being Eddie. The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
